COUNTRY April 15, 2015

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Audio • Bits & Breaks • Country Prep • Datebook • Datebook Tomorrow • Entertainment • Fun & Games • Image of the Day • Joke of the Day! • Last Minute Items • News & Nuggets • News Attack • Number for the Day • Television • Video of the Day • Wacky-But-True

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DATEBOOK: APRIL 15, 2015

This is day 105 of 2015. There are 260 days remaining.

BIRTHDAYS

• Singer-guitarist Dave Edmunds is 72

• Emma Thompson (Best Actress Oscar and Golden Globe for Howards End) is 56

• Thomas F. Wilson (Biff Tannen in the Back to the Future trilogy) is 56

• Former Olympic swimmer Dara Torres is 48

• Danny Pino (Law & Order: SVU, Cold Case) is 41

• Luke Evans (The Hobbit) is 36

• Seth Rogen is 33

• Emma Watson (Hermione in the Harry Potter films) is 25

• Maisie Williams (Arya Stark in Game of Thrones) is 18

IT HAPPENED TODAY

• 1852: The first screw-top bottles were patented in Paris, France.

• 1865: Abraham Lincoln died after being shot the previous evening by John Wilkes Booth. Andrew Johnson became the 17th President of the United States.

• 1892: The General Electric Company formed.

• 1912: After hitting an iceberg the previous day (just 2-1/2 hours earlier) the British passenger liner RMS Titanic sank in the North Atlantic.

• 1924: Rand McNally published its first road atlas.

• 1947: Jackie Robinson debuted for the Brooklyn Dodgers baseball team, breaking that sport’s color line.

• 1955: Ray Kroc opened his first franchise of McDonald’s restaurant in Des Plaines, Illinois.

• 1970: The Beer Can Collectors of America was incorporated. Headquartered in Fenton, Missouri, the group now includes over 100 active chapters.

• 1983: Flashdance, starring Jennifer Beals, opened in movie theaters throughout the U.S.

• 1983: Disneyland opened in Tokyo.

• 2000: Cal Ripken Jr. of the Baltimore Orioles became the 24th major league player to hit safely 3,000 times.

• 2001: After a truck trailer lost a wheel and crashed New South Wales, 24,000 bottles of beer sank into the Tweed River, near the town of Tweed Heads. Suddenly, local residents appeared in full scuba gear and started retrieving the beer until police warned they could be charged with theft.

• 2006: In Salt Lake City, Utah, police officers responding to a report of shots fired from a vehicle pulled up to talk to the suspects only to have them speed away. Well, perhaps speed isn’t the proper term. They goofballs tried to flee but couldn’t get their car above 35 mph. In their haste to get away, they had forgotten to release the parking brake.

• 2010: Volcanic ash from the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland lead to the closure of airspace over most of Europe.

• 2013: Two bombs exploded near the finish line at the Boston Marathon, killing 3 people and injuring 264 others.

SPECIAL EVENTS

• McDonald’s Day. Like many of you, I celebrate this every day.

• Rubber Eraser Day

• National Bookmobile Day

• Banana Day. Because doing our taxes drives us bananas.

• Titanic Remembrance Day

• Glazed Ham Day

UPCOMING

• May 10: Mother’s Day (Sunday)

• May 25: Memorial Day (Monday)

• June 21: Father’s Day (Sunday)

• More holidays

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NUMBER FOR THE DAY

75: Percentage of people who use their phone while sitting on the toilet.

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NEWS ATTACK!

The US has removed Cuba from its list of state sponsors of terrorism. [Which means that Russia has removed Cuba from its annual Christmas card list.]

Have you seen that video of that college runner from Oregon with the big lead who loses when he starts celebrating too early? [A word to the wise, Hillary. A word to the wise.]

The First Lady of North Korea made a rare public appearance. [If you look closely, you’ll see that she’s blinking in Morse Code the words HELP ME!]

A new study finds that acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol, buffers the emotions, keeping you from from feeling too up or too down. [Which explains why I don’t care one way or the other about Tylenol. ]

A drunken college student in Virginia stole an ambulance for a joyride. [If an ambulance is your idea of a joyride, you’re either way too drunk or not nearly drunk enough. ]

Tori Spelling hit a hot hibachi grill at Benihana with her arm. [Now she has the strange superpowers of a fierce Japanese samurai chef ]

In Philadelphia an ex-cop is testifying about his corruption on the force. He says he stole money, lied in reports, and planted evidence. [And parked for hours in handicap spots.]

Two airport screeners in Denver were fired for corruption. The female employee would trigger a mandatory pat down so her male co-worker could pat down male passengers he found attractive. [I’ve never had a co-worker who would even keep an eye open while I took a nap.]

Southwest Airlines announced that their new economy seats will have .7 inches more room. [So, go ahead. Have another doughnut. ]

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NEWS & NUGGETS

CEO SETS A MINIMUM WAGE OF $70,000 FOR EVERYONE IN HIS COMPANY _ Dan Price, the founder and CEO of Seattle-based credit card processing company Gravity Payments, read a research paper arguing that people who make less than $70,000 can truly become happier by earning more money. Price then decided to simply raise everyone’s salary to a minimum of $70,000. Price’s company, which he started over a decade ago when he was 19, has 120 employees. Seventy of them will see their salaries increased, and 30 will actually have their salaries doubled by the new policy.

… To help pay for the raises, Price will drop his own salary to $70,000 from $1 million, and redirect a good chunk of the company’s expected profits this year towards them.

UNIVERSITY STUDENT TOOK IN HOMELESS, PREGNANT COUSIN _ Australian Tommy Connolly hadn’t seen his teenage cousin in 10 years when out of the blue she added him on Facebook in December. The 23-year-old university student (Sunshine Coast University) was enjoying semester break when the friend request came in so he messaged his 17-year-old cousin to see how she was doing and soon found out she was homeless, illiterate and 32 weeks pregnant. Connolly picked her up from where she was sleeping, let her move into his apartment, took care of her through the final stage of her pregnancy and is now helping to raise her four-week-old baby boy.

… Connolly continues to go to class and is working three days per week to support the three of them. His brother has started a fundraising page to help the three of them out.

PIZZA DELIVERY MAN RECEIVES ODD REQUEST FROM CUSTOMER _ Pizza My Heart, a chain based in Northern California, received an out-of-the-ordinary request from a customer last week. The customer ordered two large pizzas to be delivered to an address in Menlo Park, California. On the receipt the customer requested, “Send us your cutest delivery boy. Tell me I’m pret.” The chain assumed that “Tell me I’m pret” meant “Tell me I’m pretty” since the number of characters had cut off on their online delivery system. Pizza My Heart is located close to Stanford University, and frequently receives odd requests from partying college students.

… But this time, the when the employee arrived at the address, he found something very different. A lone woman answered the door, with a house decorated for a birthday party. But the party was missing one thing — the guests.  During a brief conversation on the doorstep, the woman explained to the boy that she had thrown a birthday party for herself, but no one had shown up. She invited him in for cake, and he cautiously accepted. But what happened next shocked him. They talked and laughed. As he was leaving he gave her a hug and told her she was pretty. The employee allegedly received a warning from the manager of the store for taking such a long time during the delivery, but he is still an employee at the chain.

MIRACLE FALL SURVIVOR HIT WITH LAWSUIT _ A California window washer who miraculously survived an 11-story plunge into a car in San Francisco has been sued by the man who was driving the car. In November, as Pedro Perez dropped more than 100 feet, Mohammed Alcozai rounded the corner in his Toyota Camry, and Perez smashed into the roof. Perez barely survived, breaking his arm and pelvis and suffering severe brain trauma. He was put into a medically induced coma for a week. In is April 9 lawsuit Alcozai says, “Perez and Century Window Cleaning were negligent in the operation of the window washing equipment, which caused defendant Perez to fall.” Alcozai claims the negligence not only damaged his car but injured him too, costing him lost wages, lost earning capacity, personal injuries, pain and suffering and emotional distress.

WOMAN TAKES DOWN INTERNET BOYFRIEND WITH BASEBALL BAT _ Police in Portland, Oregon, say an Alabama man who traveled to Oregon to live with a woman he met online really struck out. Last week Samuel Campbell traveled to Oregon to meet Haley Fox in person for the first time. He planned to live with her. When he arrived on Wednesday, Campbell was led by Fox to a table outside her home. Once he sat down, she poured him some wine and then told him to close his eyes. When he did, she proceeded to bash him in the back of the head three times with a metal baseball bat. Fox told investigators she injured Campbell because she did not want to be his girlfriend. Court documents state another woman appeared after the bat attack, and the victim reported hearing them talk about using duct tape to bind him. The man told detectives he believed he was going to die. He then convinced the women that he would not disclose what happened if they would just take him to the hospital. Campbell suffered a fractured skull and required nine staples to the head.

NO ADVANCED ALIEN CIVILIZATIONS ARE ANYWHERE CLOSE _ Scientists at NASA and elsewhere have suggested hard evidence of alien life, if it is out there, would be discovered within 20 years. But newly discovered life forms are likely to be primitive. We know this because a recent survey of some 100,000 galaxies turned up no evidence of advanced alien civilizations. Researchers at Penn State University analyzed data from NASA’s WISE observatory, a space-based infrared telescope, for data that might suggest the presence of faraway alien empires. Their analysis turned up no sure signs.

TSA SCREENERS AT MANIPULATED SYSTEM TO GROPE MEN’S GENITALS _ Two Transportation Security Administration screeners at Denver International Airport have been fired after they were discovered manipulating passenger screening systems to allow a male TSA employee to fondle the genital areas of attractive male passengers. It happened roughly a dozen times. According to law enforcement reports, a male TSA screener told a female colleague in 2014 that he “gropes” male passengers who come through the screening area at DIA. He said that when a male he found attractive came to be screened by the scanning machine he would alert another TSA screener to indicate to the scanning computer that the person being screened was a female. When the screener did this, the scanning machine would indicate an anomaly in the genital area and allow the male TSA screener to conduct a pat-down search of that area.

… The female accomplice told investigators she had done her part at least 10 times and knew that doing so would allow the male TSA officer to perform a pat down on a male passenger that the male TSA screener found attractive.

AMERICANS ARE SPENDING MORE TO DINE OUT THAN ON GROCERIES _ In a first for Americans, a new study says we’re spending more as a country eating away from home than we are on groceries. According to Commerce Department data released Tuesday, restaurants and bars raked in more in sales in March than grocery stores, which is a first.

… It’s not all doom and gloom for grocery stores, however — retailers like Walmart, Target and Costco also sell grocery items but aren’t included in the Commerce Department’s grocery-store category, and instead are classified as “general merchandise retailers.”

REGULATORS WORRIED ABOUT SMALL AIRLINE SEATS _ The Department of Transportation is concerned about airline seating. A government advisory committee is looking into whether a lack of legroom could also be dangerous for passengers’ health and safety. On Tuesday, a flight attendants’ union testified at a committee hearing that the reduction in personal space has led to more air rage, with many of the incidents going unreported. The lack of space could also lead to problems with evacuations because while the government runs safety tests with 31 inches between rows, some airlines today now have just 28 inches.

SOUTHWEST TWEAKS ITS SEAT DESIGN _ Southwest has unveiled the new seats in its future Boeing 737s, and they’re unique in that they’re giving you a little more room. Specifically .7 inches more width, for a grand total of 17.8 inches. That makes the seats the widest economy seats available in the single-aisle 737 market. The seats, which begin to roll out in mid-2016, also lighten the weight of each aircraft by about 200 pounds, meaning better fuel economy.

FDA SAYS KIND BARS AREN’T HEALTHY ENOUGH TO BE LABELED “HEALTHY” _ A warning letter released by the FDA says that a few versions of Kind bars aren’t worthy of the “healthy” label. Four of the company’s bars that they labeled as “healthy” are named in the letter: Almond & Apricot, Almond & Coconut, Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate + Protein, and the Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew + Antioxidants. All exceed the FDA’s saturated fat limits to be considered healthy.

.. In a statement on its blog, the company said that it is working toward compliance with the FDA’s warning, and defended the bars as having healthy fats. If the company doesn’t alter its labels, the FDA said it might remove the products from stores or seek a court order.

COUPLE RAPS PREGNANCY ANNOUNCEMENT TO THEME OF ‘FRESH PRINCE’ _ An Oregon couple chose to announce their pregnancy in a very ’90s way when they rapped the news to the Fresh Prince theme song music. Jason Meek, the dad-to-be, posted the video and within days, it’s reached viral status. • VIDEO

MOM’S FRIENDS GO NUTTY WHEN SHE BRAGS ABOUT HER BABY ON FACEBOOK _ A mom in Australia (Perth) was devastated after she received an anonymous note from a so-called friend, acting on behalf of a group, letting her know they’re fed up with her habit of over-sharing updates and photos of her six-month-old daughter, Addy. Jade Ruthven was shaking with rage after reading the nasty missive and decided to share it publicly to shame the bullies who tried to make her feel bad about celebrating her first baby’s milestones. • LETTER

CHEF TICKETED, FACING $2,000 FINE FOR FEEDING HOMELESS _ Joan Cheever, founder of the nonprofit mobile food truck known as the Chow Train, was cited last week by San Antonio, Texas, police officers for feeding the homeless in a park. Cheever has been serving restaurant-quality meals to the city’s homeless population for the past 10 years, and has been profiled on Rachel Ray’s cooking show for her charitable efforts. Over the years, police officers have passed by and waved as she fed homeless people, but last Tuesday night four bike-patrol officers stopped in the park and gave Cheever a ticket that carries a potential fine of $2,000. Cheever has a food permit for her mobile truck, but she was cited for transporting and serving the food from a vehicle other than that truck. Cheever is scheduled to go before Municipal Court on June 23 but argues that under the 1999 Texas Religious Freedom Restoration Act, she has a right to serve food to the homeless because she considers it a free exercise of her religion.

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WACKY-BUT-TRUE

WACKY-BUT-TRUE: DRONE DELIVERING ASPARAGUS CRASHES AND BURSTS INTO FLAMES _ A famous restaurant in the Netherlands always puts on an exciting publicity stunt to mark the beginning of the asparagus season. In previous years, the owner has used everything from a Formula 1 racing car to a hot air balloon and a helicopter to deliver the very first asparagus of the season, and this year he wanted to try flying a unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) — a drone. Initially the journey from the asparagus farm started well, with the drone taking off carrying a metal can consisting of several asparagus stalks. In the interest of safety, the pilot followed in the back of a small pick-up truck, so the drone was always in line-of-sight, with the stunt being filmed by a local TV channel. The drone landed safely during the journey to get its battery changed before taking off again, however, on the second take off, the drone crashed onto a quiet country road, and both the drone and the asparagus it was carrying went up in flames. The first asparagus of the season was still delivered by more traditional methods to the restaurant and is now on the menu.

WACKY-BUT-TRUE: MOTHER-IN-LAW INJURED AFTER BULLET BOUNCES OFF ARMADILLO _ Police say a Georgia man shot an armadillo but the bullet ricocheted off the animal and hit his mother-in-law in the back. The 74-year-old woman was taken to a hospital and is expected to recover.

WACKY-BUT-TRUE: MAN RUPTURES TENDON AFTER WEEKS OF ‘CANDY CRUSH’ _ Excessive smartphone use can, in rare cases, lead to repetitive stress injuries. There’s even a phrase for what happens when a tendon in the thumb constricts from too much texting — “texting thumb.” But one California man took it to a whole new level: The 29-year-old visited an orthopedic surgeon’s office with a torn tendon that was attributed to overindulging his love of Candy Crush Saga on his phone.

… Doctors say he played Candy Crush Saga on his smartphone “all day for 6 to 8 weeks” with his left hand, while relying on his right hand for other tasks.

WACKY-BUT-TRUE: HOMEOWNER TAKES SAMURAI SWORD TO GUN TOTING BURGLARS _ You have probably heard the saying “never bring a knife to a gun fight.” However, 49-year-old Dias Costa of Argentina proves that may not always be the best advice. Costa and his wife were asleep when they heard intruders around 3:30AM. Although the four robbers were carrying pistols, that didn’t stop Costa from inflicting serious harm on the men with his Japanese samurai sword. Costa sliced away at the men’s faces, arms, necks, and bodies. The burglars fled the home in fear while dripping with blood.

WACKY-BUT-TRUE: WOMAN STABBED HUSBAND BECAUSE “HIS POO SMELLED SO BAD” _ A 29-year-old mother in Japan was arrested for attempted murder for allegedly slashing her husband’s face with a knife after he went number two. The woman said it all started when she was overcome with a rancid smell after her husband went to the bathroom. She became even more infuriated when he didn’t wash his hands.

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ON TELEVISION

THE MIDDLE (8p ET, ABC) – New. Followed by a new episodes of The Goldbergs and a repeat of Modern Family.

SURVIVOR (8p ET, CBS) – New. One castaway makes a fake idol and comes up with a plan to keep from being eliminated. New episodes of Criminal Minds and CSI: Cyber follow.

AMERICAN IDOL (8p ET, FOX) – The top six perform.

ARROW (8p ET, CW) – New. Followed by a new Supernatural.

STORAGE WARS (9:30p ET, A&E) – New.

HOUSE HUNTERS (10p ET, HGTV) – New.

NASHVILLE (10p ET, ABC) – New.

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ENTERTAINMENT

DENNIS QUAID MELTDOWN FOLLOW-UP _ So is Dennis Quaid’s meltdown, which was recently caught on video, the real deal — or a hoax? The actor was reportedly on set when he saw a few things he didn’t appreciate, and began lashing out on all those around him in a profanity filled rant that happened to be caught on video. Quaid was allegedly set off by something off camera when someone began rolling video. Quaid begins yelling at what is likely the director, upset that someone came on set and whispered in the director’s ear. Quaid yells, “I am doing my job here. This is the most unprofessional set I have ever been on.” • VIDEO

… The footage was uploaded to YouTube on April 10, but is being questioned by fans everywhere, some of who believe the video is fake and is some sort of prank or hoax, possibly set up by Jimmy Kimmel, who has done the viral video prank in the past.

… On Tuesday Quaid was leaving a media event and was asked by paparazzi “what happened on set.” Dennis cracked a small smile and said, “Come on man.”

CHARLIZE THERON SAYS MARRIAGE TO “HOT” SEAN PENN IS POSSIBLE _ Charlize Theron is open to the possibility of marriage with boyfriend Sean Penn. The 39-year-old actress detailed her feelings for the 54-year-old actor in a recent interview with Esquire. Theron and Penn were longtime friends before they started dating, and the star said they built their relationship on a mutual respect and love for acting.

… Theron says, “I love the possibility of anything. But I’m really enjoying myself and the everyday moment … I’m a very, very, very lucky girl. Very lucky. He’s hot. He is hot.” Theron and Penn were first linked in January 2014, and confirmed their relationship in May.

BATMAN V. SUPERMAN TRAILER COMING APRIL 20 _ Five seconds of footage from Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice will be teased through Zack Snyder’s Twitter Thursday before the official trailer is revealed in theaters on Monday, April 20.

JOE DIRT 2 TRAILER SEES RETURN OF DAVID SPADE’S MASSIVE MULLET _ The best mullet in Hollywood is back and can be seen in all its glory in the first trailer for Joe Dirt 2: Beautiful Loser. David Spade will again play the white trash hero Joe Dirt, a man known for his love of classic rock and fast cars. The film will reunite original stars Spade, Brittany Daniel, Adam Beach and Christopher Walken, and will stream exclusively on Crackle this summer.

… The original Joe Dirt was a moderate box office success when it was released in 2001, earning an estimated $30 million. • VIDEO

BRUCE JENNER SPEAKS FOR FIRST TIME IN NEW DIANE SAWYER INTERVIEW PROMO _ Bruce Jenner speaks for the first time in the second promo for Diane Sawyer’s interview with the former Olympian, released by ABC News on Tuesday. Jenner says in the short clips: “My whole life has been getting me ready for this.” • VIDEO

… While ABC has kept topics and details under wraps, only describing the interview as “far-ranging and exclusive” and teasing Jenner’s one-on-one as “the journey, the decisions, the future,” the former husband to Kardashian matriarch Kris Jenner has long been subject to rumors that he is ready to reveal his transition to become a woman.

ANOTHER GAME OF THRONES SEASON PREMIERE, ANOTHER RATINGS RECORD _ The Sunday Season 5 premiere of Game of Thrones was the most-watched installment of the series to date. Nearly 8 million viewers tuned in for the return of the wild world of Westeros, a 1.16 million-viewer jump from the Season 4 premiere.

PERCY SLEDGE DIES _ Percy Sledge, who soared from part-time singer and hospital orderly to lasting fame with his performance on the classic When a Man Loves a Woman, died Tuesday in Louisiana. He was 73.

RICKY GERVAIS SLAMS HUNTER ON TWITTER _ Comedian Ricky Gervais came across a photo of a woman lying on the ground with a broad, satisfied grin, next to the carcass of a giraffe — an animal that she had just killed. The photo offended Gervais — best known for creating the original version of The Office — so much that he tweeted the year-old photo this week, and set off a flood of online outrage directed at the female hunter. The hunter is Rebecca Francis, an “extreme hunter” who won a TV reality show hunting competition in 2010, and who is a grandmother of nine who devotes much of her life to hunting and killing exotic animals with a bow and arrow. After Gervais posted his tweet, the huntress was slammed with online abuse, ranging from insults to calls for her own death. Gervais posed the question, “What must’ve happened to you in your life to make you want to kill a beautiful animal & then lie next to it smiling?” • PHOTO

… Francis boasts on her website: “The animals I have taken with a bow include: a 10½ foot brown bear, black bear, shiras moose, Alaskan moose, dall sheep, stone sheep, desert bighorn ram, rocky mountain bighorn ram, mule deer, whitetail deer, elk, mountain goat, antelope, arapawa ram, kudu, zebra, black wildebeest, giraffe, springbuck, blesbuck, lynx, badger, and squirrel.

… She’s not the first hunter to generate controversy by posting smiling photos with slain animals. And more than a few on social media are defending Francis, reminding Gervais that hunting is legal.

BILLY JOEL TO BECOME DAD AGAIN AT 65 _ Billy Joel’s girlfriend Alexis Roderick is expecting the couple’s first child. Although Joel is already a father, Roderick’s pregnancy means that the legendary singer will be welcoming a new baby in to his life at age 65. Roderick, who’s 33, has been keeping a low profile in order to keep her pregnancy news under wraps. The former financial adviser has been staying home a lot so that the pregnancy wasn’t in the media. Joel already has one daughter, Alexa Ray Joel, with ex-wife Christie Brinkley. Joel and Roderick have been together since 2009.

DEAN MCDERMOTT, TORI SPELLING WORKING ON NEW REALITY SHOW _ Dean McDermott and wife Tori Spelling plan to return to reality TV. McDermott recently documented the fallout from his extramarital affair on Lifetime series True Tori, and said the new project will be much more upbeat. McDermott says they’ll be “doing some stuff for the Cooking Channel … some cooking stuff, maybe some travel stuff, stuff with the family but lighthearted and fun. Those days of baring our souls to the world are over.”

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AUDIO

Visit the Pro Audio page for thousands of archived audio cuts.

MORNING!

A package of morning/good morning clips for show intros, bumpers, etc. » click for download page

TAXES CLIP PACKAGE

Tax deadline day is April 15. » click for download page

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BITS & BREAKS

TOP TV SHOWS

Week of April 6-12

1. NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship: Wisconsin vs. Duke, CBS, 28.26 million

2. NCAA Championship Pre-Game, CBS, 18.45 million

3. NCIS, CBS, 16.85 million

4. The Big Bang Theory, CBS, 14.78 million

5. NCIS: New Orleans, CBS, 14.33 million

6. Dancing With the Stars, ABC, 13.75 million

7. 60 Minutes, CBS, 12.6 million

8. Madam Secretary, CBS, 11.39 million

9. The Voice (Tuesday), NBC, 11.07 million

10. The Voice (Monday), NBC, 10.97 million

11. Criminal Minds, CBS, 10.39 million

12. Blue Bloods, CBS, 10.31 million

13. Survivor, CBS, 9.84 million

14. The Odd Couple, CBS, 9.73 million

15. The Voice (Wednesday, 8 p.m.), NBC, 9.64 million

16. Mom, CBS, 9.03 million

17. The Good Wife, CBS, 8.75 million

18. Hawaii Five-0, CBS, 8.7 million

19. Person of Interest, CBS, 8.67 million

20. Chicago Fire, NBC, 8.43 million

FREE STUFF ON TAX DEADLINE DAY

Don’t turn off your audience by reading this whole list. Touch on one or two every hour (out of news, over song intro) and push people to the full list on your blog or Facebook page.

Hard Rock Cafe will give you a free Local Legendary Burger, but first you have to literally sing for your supper — specifically, an entire rock song (lyrics will be provided) onstage.

Great American Cookies is sweetening Tax Day with one free sugar cookie per customer in stores, no purchase necessary.

McDonald’s customers who buy one Big Mac or Quarter Pounder with Cheese can get another for only a penny.

Pizza Hut is offering free pies…sort of. You have to file a “P-2″ form, which asks you, among other questions, to calculate your “Net Pizza Consumption” and submit it for a chance to receive Pizza Hut gift cards in the amount of your net pizza return.

Sonic is offering half-price cheeseburgers all day.

Schlotzsky’s will give away one free small original sandwich (packed with ham, salami, cheddar, black olives and more) per customer with the purchase of a 32-ounce drink and a bag of chips.

California Tortilla is handing out free chips and queso or salsa to anyone who makes a purchase and says the secret password: “Taxes Shmaxes” — the chain prefers that you say it “in a bored, funny voice” to make it more “fun.”

Boston Market fans can grab two meals for the price of one, whether it be a whole sandwich, salad bowl or other entree option.

Sonny’s BBQ is offering half-priced rib dinners (usually $12.50).

BLT Prime & BLT Steak locations are offering half off all alcoholic beverages.

Source: people.com

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FUN & GAMES

TRIVIA: 1 in 5 adults have used their smartphone when? (During sex)

TRIVIA: 15% of Facebook users have what? (500 or more friends)

FACT OR FICTION?

• Globally, more people own a mobile phone than a toothbrush. (FACT)

• Within 12 years of retiring 15% of NFL players go bankrupt. (FACT)

• Between now and 2030 2 billion babies will be born. (FACT)

• Humans are the only animal that can stop thinking. (FICTION. It’s impossible to stop thinking.)

• 83% of parents on Facebook are friends with their teen. (FACT)

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JOKE OF THE DAY

A tourist wanders into a back-alley antique shop in San Francisco’s Chinatown. Picking through the objects on display he discovers a detailed, life-sized bronze sculpture of a rat. The sculpture is so interesting and unique that he picks it up and asks the shop owner what it costs. “Twelve dollars for the rat, sir,” says the shop owner, “and a thousand dollars more for the story behind it.” “You can keep the story, old man,” he replies, “but I’ll take the rat.” The transaction complete, the tourist leaves the store with the bronze rat under his arm. As he crosses the street in front of the store, two live rats emerge from a sewer drain and fall into step behind him. Nervously looking over his shoulder, he begins to walk faster, but every time he passes another sewer drain, more rats come out and follow him. By the time he’s walked two blocks, at least a hundred rats are at his heels, and people begin to point and shout. He walks even faster, and soon breaks into a trot as multitudes of rats swarm from sewers, basements, vacant lots, and abandoned cars. Rats by the thousands are at his heels, and as he sees the waterfront at the bottom of the hill, he panics and starts to run full tilt. No matter how fast he runs, the rats keep up, squealing hideously, now not just thousands but millions, so that by the time he comes rushing up to the water’s edge a trail of rats twelve city blocks long is behind him. Making a mighty leap, he jumps up onto a light post, grasping it with one arm while he hurls the bronze rat into San Francisco Bay with the other, as far as he can heave it. Pulling his legs up and clinging to the light post, he watches in amazement as the seething tide of rats surges over the breakwater into the sea, where they drown. Shaken and mumbling, he makes his way back to the antique shop. “Ah, so you’ve come back for the rest of the story,” says the owner. “No,” says the tourist. “I was wondering if you have a bronze lawyer.”

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VIDEO OF THE DAY

St. Bernard takes boy out for a walk.

https://youtu.be/jBKkuYYzu70

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IMAGE OF THE DAY

Everyone loves a warm cup of coffee.

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LAST MINUTE ITEMS

• Hiking from Mexico to Canada: before and after.

• Where the bombs fell on London.

• Dashcams of live storm chasers.

• How to get free Dropbox space.

• There are 320 million people in the United States. How many have your name?

• Wear a poo emoji button-down shirt.

• Guys, we found your Pinterest page: The Man Cave Grill Master’s Grills

• How to remove a wasp infestation with a shop vac.

• This is sand.

• Orbital objects.

• Yarn dissection.

• Vine: Dog finds the perfect stick.

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COUNTRY DATEBOOK: APRIL 15, 2015

• 1989: KEITH WHITLEY topped the charts with I’m No Stranger To The Rain.

• 1994: TRAVIS TRITT entered the country charts with Foolish Pride.

• 1994: THE STATLER BROTHERS’ album The Best Of The Statler Brothers was certified triple platinum.

• 1998: FAITH HILL became the first artist to premiere an album live on Country Music Television when she performed songs from her album Faith.

• 1999: SHANIA TWAIN’s self-titled debut album was certified platinum.

• 2005: REBA MCENTIRE kicked off her Two Hats and a Redhead Tour in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Her opening acts were BRAD PAISLEY and TERRI CLARK.

• 2005: CRAIG MORGAN’s That’s What I Like About Sunday achieved a fifth straight week at the top of the Radio & Records chart, a best for an independent artist.

• 2008: LADY ANTEBELLUM’s self-titled debut album was released.

ROY CLARK is 82. His best-known songs include Thank God And Greyhound, I Never Picked Cotton and Come Live With Me. Roy was also a regular for many years on the variety series Hee Haw.

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COUNTRY AUDIO

MADDIE & TAE say country music is truth. » go to download page

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COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS

TRISHA YEARWOOD covers the latest issue of People magazine. As Trisha and GARTH BROOKS near their 10th wedding anniversary, she shares a bit of insight into their relationship. Trisha says they have each other’s back, but also try not to offer advice unless they are asked because they’re both very independent thinkers. Trisha also says while it doesn’t bother her that Garth makes more money, she’s intent on pulling her weight in life and in the relationship.

GARTH BROOKS hopes he has a voice Sunday night when he performs on the 50th Academy of Country Music Awards, but he’s not taking any chances. Garth has recorded a failsafe performance of the song he’ll sing Sunday. He’s is in the middle of a five-concert series in Portland, Oregon, that began Sunday and ends Thursday.

TOBY KEITH’s 12th Annual Toby Keith & Friends Celebrity Golf Tournament is coming May 15-16 in Norman, Oklahoma. The first night will include a dinner and private auction with items donated by MIRANDA LAMBERT, LUKE BRYAN, GEORGE STRAIT, Tim Tebow, Eli Manning, Phil Mickleson and other celebs. Proceeds from the two day event will benefit the OK Kids Corale for pediatric cancer patients and their families.

MIRANDA LAMBERT is proud the 50th Academy of Country Music Awards is being held in her home state of Texas. In fact, Lindale, where Miranda grew up, is just 80 miles from Dallas where the show is taking place April 19.

Pulaski Furniture has announced a licensing partnership with ERIC CHURCH. The company plans to launch Highway to Home in October with four collections that each offer between 35 and 40 pieces of bedroom, dining room, and living furniture. They’ll be in a variety of styles, from rustic western-inspired looks to traditional forms with cottage and Southern influences, to contemporary and urban industrial. The furniture company says the designs are meant to reflect the life experiences of Eric as he travels from venue to venue.

REBA MCENTIRE recently joined the fight against widespread hunger in American by being the new face for the Outnumber Hunger campaign. Aside from being a spokesperson for the four-year-old joint initiative among General Mills, Big Machine Label Group and Feeding America, Reba will be featured on more than 60 million General Mills products like Cheerios, Yoplait and Nature Valley. Fans can chip in and help secure five meals for the hungry by not only buying these products but also typing in a product code at OutnumberHunger.com.

… In addition to this campaign, Reba has gathered a bunch of her labelmates, like TIM MCGRAW, RASCAL FLATTS, FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE, ELI YOUNG BAND and MADDIE & TAE, to play a special show called Reba and Friends Outnumber Hunger April 17. CMT will broadcast the event on April 18.

SUGARLAND’s KRISTIAN BUSH says if the record company called, he’s ready to do another album with JENNIFER NETTLES and does think it’ll happen again at some point in the future.

CHASE RICE will play an infield concert at Talladega Motor Speedway May 2, the night before the Geiko 500.

Before CHASE RICE moved to Nashville to pursue a music career, he worked as a member of the Hendricks Sports Pit Crew for NASCAR races.

The 11th Annual Stars For Second Harvest concert is set for June 9 at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. Hosted by songwriter CRAIG WISEMAN, the acoustic concert showcases some of Nashville’s top songwriters and performers to benefit Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee.