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On his Sunday show, HBO's news commentator John Oliver came down on local news organizations, including Austin's KVUE, for trading credible advertising for a pretty penny.
In a setup to show how easy it is to get what he called "ridiculous products" with "outlandish claims" on TV, Oliver creates a phony product called The Venus Veil, "a sexual wellness blanket." He hires an actress to promote it on three TV stations, including KVUE.
The product, which is in reality a normal blanket, makes various claims about the use of nonexistent "magnetogenetics" technology. The script states the technology was pioneered in Germany 80 years ago and gets the blood flowing, fixing erectile issues and improving vaginal lubrication.
Showing after the 10 p.m. Thursday news broadcast on FYI Austin, the TV station allegedly accepted $2,650 for the promo, according to Oliver. (18:20) A KVUE reporter spoke with the Venus Veil acting representative who gave a spiel about the "self-contained magnetic field" that the blanket gives to restimulate blood flow, to which the KVUE reporter responded, "very interesting."
"Is it interesting? Or is that obvious bullshit that shouldn't have been on in the same hour of coverage as the cease-fire in the Middle East, a shortage of lifeguards in local public pools, and an investigative piece on criminal justice and bail reform. One of these things is not like the others and is definitely a Nazi-era fuck blanket," Oliver said.
The response from the local community is already showing disappointment in the local station on social media.
John Oliver hit @KVUE hard. Wow, I've lost a lot of respect for the channel.
— James Vinson* (@DoctorShades24) May 24, 2021
It's really disappointing to me as a citizen of #atx that @KVUE cares so little for its viewers that they would promote clearly bogus products on its shows. https://t.co/tgpniyuP1S
— germanny (@germanny) May 24, 2021
Well, I now know not to trust @KVUE , thanks to @iamjohnoliver#lastweektonight
— Mariss (@marissawill7) May 24, 2021
A KVUE spokesperson issued the following comment to Austonia: "'FYI Austin' is a two-minute commercial spot that is not a part of the KVUE newscast. While it is a commercial spot, it was an error to air it, and we are reviewing our processes, so this doesn't happen again."
"Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" also exposed local stations, Utah's ABC 4 and Denver's Mile High Living, in not protecting viewers from baseless claims made by advertisers such as the made-up Venus Veil.
Sponsored content allows local organizations to integrate ads among other reporting, making it difficult to detect, especially when the Federal Communications Commission does not have specific requirements for how content is labeled sponsored. According to Oliver, media groups including KVUE parent, TEGNA, Scripps, Nexstar and Sinclair all have sponsored content programs.
While local organizations can make a lot of their revenue from this—Oliver says KXAN parent company NEXSTAR makes almost half its advertising revenue from spots aired during local news—Oliver says news organizations shouldn't sell themselves out when it could hurt their credibility.
"The integrity of local news is crucially important and there is real harm for everyone if that integrity is damaged," Oliver said.
This story was updated at 12:50 p.m. to include comment from KVUE.
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(San Gabriel Music/Instagram)
🗓 Friday
🎙Live Music at Lone Star Court*
Enjoy the deep roots of Texas music with weekly live performances at Lone Star Court. Located at The Domain, there’s always a tune for you to tap your foot to at the retro-inspired property. Every Thursday through Saturday, locals and travelers alike can enjoy live performances and specialty cocktails at the Water Trough. This week you can catch Drew Moreland, Julia Hatfield, and Clayton Gardner.
7-9 p.m. Thursday, 8-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday | 📍 Lone Star Court, 10901 Domain Dr.
🗓 Saturday
⚽️ Austin FC vs. Atlanta United FC official watch party
Austin FC is playing away this weekend at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium but you can still enjoy those Verde vibes at Celis Brewery’s official watch party. Support your local team and grab a brew as they take on Atlanta United FC.
Kickoff at 6 p.m. Saturday | 📍 Celis Brewery, 10001 Metric Blvd.
🎥 The Godfather showing
Cult classic mob drama “The Godfather,” featuring the likes of Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, is returning to the big screen for its 50th anniversary. This weekend celebrates the filmography of Francis Ford Coppola as part of The Paramount Theatre’s Summer Classic Film Series. Tickets are $11 each.
4 p.m. Saturday, 1 p.m. Sunday | 📍The Paramount Theatre, 10001 Metric Blvd.
🎹 Live music from San Gabriel
Enjoy some of San Gabriel’s “bedroom-pop,” with a drink in-hand on Radio’s airy outdoor patio, complete with food trucks Veracruz All Natural, Dee Dee Thai and Briscuits. Admission is free.
8-11 p.m. Saturday | 📍Radio Coffee & Beer, 4204 Menchaca Rd.
🗓 Sunday
🎭 The Sound of Music
Watch the classic musical surrounding the Von Trapp family live and on stage from Austin performers from the ZACH Theatre. You can see the show through July 24 and tickets start at $25.
Showtimes at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday | 📍The Topfer at ZACH, 202 S. Lamar Blvd.
📚 The Winter’s Tale
The Austin Chamber Music Center and Austin Shakespeare are blending music and poetry in their fifth annual collaboration, this time celebrating “The Winter’s Tale.” Tickets start at $30 and tickets for online on-demand access will be available on Monday.
3 p.m. Sunday | 📍Bates Recital Hall, 2406 Robert Dedman Dr.
Content marked with an *asterisk has been paid for to help Austonia keep producing free content.
(Laura Figi/Austonia)
The original Z’Tejas location on West 6th Street is closing its doors after more than 30 years on the lot to make way for new development.
Z'Tejas owner Randy Cohen told Austonia the restaurant will be open at least through the end of 2022, possibly through March 2023.
Cohen said the owners—Larry McGuire of McGuire Moorman Lambert Hospitality—of the land have something new planned, though he’s not exactly sure what. Additionally, Cohen said maintenance costs for the old building were becoming prohibitively expensive.
“I think the people who own the dirt will tear it all down and build condos or some other development,” Cohen said. “I mean, it's a 60-year-old building, Z'Tejas has been here for 33 years and before that, it was something else. So it's just progress, that's all."
The restaurant isn’t going away though—Cohen said Z’Tejas is already looking for a new spot in the downtown area to move into. Z’Tejas also has a location in Avery Ranch, another in the works for Kyle and two in Arizona.
“We have all our ducks in a row right now and the management team is all rowing in the right direction,” Cohen said. “We're just excited, we're excited to build this iconic brand back.”
(Laura Figi/Austonia)
Once he finds a new place, Cohen plans to bring along its mural, “The Last Zupper,” which features Willie Nelson, Matthew McConaughey and Barbara Jordan. Cohen also plans for the adjoining ghost kitchen, Woo Woo Burgers, to follow to the new downtown location.
“We're still booking events through the end of December,” Cohen said. “Come ‘Z' me at Z’Tejas, we'd love to see you before we’re gone.”
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