Radio stations drop Michael Jackson's music over abuse claims

SYDNEY, Australia — Radio stations in Australia, Canada and New Zealand are refusing to play Michael Jackson's music in the wake of fresh allegations against him of child sex abuse.

Sydney's Nova Entertainment on Thursday became the latest radio group to announce they are taking the late "King of Pop" off the air in response to public opinion.

The move comes after the broadcast of a US documentary "Leaving Neverland" that featured two men who claimed Jackson sexually abused them for years.


"In light of what is happening at the moment, SmoothFM is not currently playing any Michael Jackson songs," local media quoted Nova's programme director Paul Jackson as saying.

The documentary has not yet been broadcast in Australia. A second major Australian radio network, ARN, said it was "closely monitoring audience sentiment in relation to individual artists".


In New Zealand, the star's songs are now almost totally absent from the airwaves, after being pulled by the country's two biggest radio networks, MediaWorks and NZME.

The two companies between them dominate commercial radio.

"We aren't deciding whether Michael Jackson is guilty of paedophilia, we're just making sure our radio stations are going to play the music people want to hear," MediaWorks director of content, Leon Wratt, told Magic FM.

He said the decision was "a reflection of our audiences and their preferences".

NZME group director of entertainment, Dean Buchanan, confirmed Jackson's material was off the air, though he shied away from talk of a ban.

Meanwhile, public broadcaster Radio NZ said Jackson's songs did not feature on its playlists anyway.

The HBO documentary, which aired in the United States on Sunday, has rekindled long-running questions about Jackson's relationship with children.

Two men, James Safechuck and Australian-born Wade Robson, say Jackson sexually abused them when they were aged 10 and seven.

There had been persistent rumours of throughout Jackson's life, but no allegations were ever substantiated.

The four-hour two-part documentary -- which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival this year -- has made sure those allegations continue a decade after he died of an overdose.

Jackson's estate has denied wrongdoing and filed a $100 million lawsuit against HBO.

The 53-page complaint, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, claims HBO was violating a "non-disparagement" agreement by airing "Leaving Neverland".

"Ten years after his passing, there are still those out to profit from his enormous worldwide success and take advantage of his eccentricities," the suit claimed.

 

  Off air in Canada

The decisions not to play Jackson's music will no doubt further tarnish his brand and could result in a loss of radio royalties.

But it is far from clear that listeners on digital platforms are abandoning the singer in the same way, and "The Essential Michael Jackson" is still the 65th most downloaded album in Australia.

Earlier, a chain of dozens of Canadian radio stations said they would not play Jackson megahits such as "Billie Jean" and "Bad" for the time being.

"We are attentive to the comments of our listeners, and the documentary released on Sunday evening created reactions," Christine Dicaire of Cogeco -- which operates radio stations in Quebec and Ontario -- said in a statement to AFP.

"We prefer to observe the situation by removing the songs from our stations, for the time being."

In Britain, where "Leaving Neverland" was set for release Wednesday and Thursday, reports said the BBC had also shelved his music.

While a spokeswoman for the network told AFP it does not ban artists, the organisation said in a statement: "We consider each piece of music on its merits and decisions on what we play on different networks are always made with relevant audiences and context in mind."

Agence France-Presse

Some US migrant children shelters accused of violations: report

CHICAGO, United States — More than a dozen shelters where the US government sent migrant children have a history of allegations of misconduct and violations of care standards, according to a report published Wednesday.

The joint investigation by the Texas Tribune news website and The Center for Investigative Reporting came on the same day that US President Donald Trump reversed a tough policy and ordered an end to separation of migrant children from their parents on the US border.

His backtracking followed domestic and international outrage at the policy.

The new report cited government and other reports for accusations of physical and sexual abuse, and violations of standards for children's safety and care.


The alleged breaches occurred at privately-run shelters where migrant children receive long-term housing.

Texas state inspectors cited violations including a lack of medical attention to injuries and illness, and mistakes in administering medication, the report says.

More than 70 private entities—mostly religious and nonprofit groups—are contracted with the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) to take care of migrant children, according to the report.

These are children who arrived in the US without parents, or who were separated from parents by immigration authorities.

Since 2014, 13 shelter operators have faced serious complaints, according to the Tribune report, but only two have lost their contracts with ORR.

The accusations of violations and misconduct dated as far back as two decades—before the ORR contracted with the shelters—and as recently as last month.

Among the offender companies identified was Southwest Key Programs of Texas. 
It operates the converted Walmart supermarket, called Casa Padre, which has been featured by much of the US media in the last few days as holding about 1,500 immigrant children under the Trump administration's "zero tolerance" policy.

The report says Texas inspectors found 246 violations at the company's other facilities, including shampoo dispensers filled with hand sanitizer.

In a statement, the company said deficiencies were found in less than one percent of the standards for which it is evaluated.

"We take each of the deficiencies seriously by self-reporting to invite external investigations, as well as performing our own internal investigations," the company said.

"When called for, staff have been terminated or retrained as we continue to strive for excellence in the services we provide to the children entrusted to our care."

Another Texas-based company, International Educational Services, was one of the two shelter operators whose ORR contracts were not renewed.

It had been cited with more than 100 deficiencies at nine facilities, including "inappropriate sexual contact between staff and children, harsh punishment and lapses in medical care," the report said.

The ORR did not respond to a request for comment.

source: philstar.com

What arrest? Lawyer says Willie Revillame already posted bail in 2013

A 2011 child abuse case against Willie Revillame has been upheld by a Court of Appeals ruling, but a lawyer for the often-controversial TV host was quick to refute reports that his client would soon be arrested.

“Contrary to reports, Mr. Revillame is not evading the complaint against him as he has submitted himself to the legal process. Upon the finding of probable cause by the regional trial court of Quezon City Branch 86, Mr. Revillame sought and was immediately granted bail,” Atty. Leonard de Vera said in a statement on Monday.

“Mr. Revillame voluntarily posted bail in the amount of P80,000.00 on September 4, 2013 or more than two years ago. Accordingly, it is unnecessary for the trial court to issue a warrant of arrest against Mr. Revillame,” De Vera added.

The original case was filed in 2011 by the Department of Social Welfare and Development in response to the public outcry that met a “macho dancing” performance by a 6-year-old boy as instigated by Revillame in his TV5 game show “Willing Willie”.

“As part of Mr. Revillame’s right to due process, he appealed the trial court’s finding of probable cause against him before the Court of Appeals by way of Petition for Certiorari. However, the resolution of this appeal remained pending for 2 years, until the Court of Appeals ruled last September 7, 2015,” De Vera explained.

Revillame’s lawyer further decried what he called “inaccurate reports spreading in social and mass media” which he said were “being misinterpreted by certain quarters on account of Mr. Revillame’s success in his new show ‘Wowowin’ now being aired in GMA 7.”

“It is evident that these reports are intended merely to taint and besmirch Mr. Revillame and his new show in the Kapuso network,” De Vera concluded.

However, media reports had merely taken their cue from the CA ruling, which was released only last Friday.

Part of the decision penned by Justice Ma. Luisa Quijano-Padilla and concurred by Justices Normandie Pizarro and Samuel Gaerlan read, “As there is probable cause for the petitioner’s commission of a crime, his arrest and arraignment should now ensue so that this case may properly proceed to trial, where the merits of both parties’ evidence and allegations may be weighed.”

The decision was welcomed by DSWD Secretary Dinky Soliman who recalled that the DSWD filed the case against Revillame in 2011 for violating Republic Act 7610 or the Anti-Child Abuse Law.

“It can be recalled that Mr. Revillame made a six-year old boy perform gyrating dance movements on national television in an earlier version of his show,” Soliman further noted.

She said the DSWD remains committed in its “mandate of promoting and protecting the welfare of children, in all aspects and settings.”

Meanwhile, De Vera maintained that his client is innocent.

“Mr. Revillame has the Constitutional right to be presumed innocent while his case is being heard by the court. We categorically assert that there is no evidence that Mr. Revillame is guilty of the the crime charged against him. Mr. Revillame remains confident that he will be vindicated as he had absolutely no criminal intent when he invited the child contestant to showcase his talent. He had done nothing to degrade, debase, or demean the dignity of the child,” he asserted.

source: interaksyon.com