Wednesday, April 23, 2014
NEWSMAKERS
‘Scandal’ season-ender a TV-ratings winner
NEW YORK
ABC’s “Scandal” is ending its third season with a bang.
That’s from a bomb blast that was a plot twist in the Kerry Washington series and from big TV ratings. The Nielsen ratings company says last week’s episode had 10.6 million viewers, making it the most-watched episode of the series.
Here are the top-10 TV programs with prime-time viewership numbers compiled by Nielsen for April 14-20: 1. “NCIS,” CBS, 17.12 million; 2. “Dancing With the Stars,” ABC, 14.78 million; 3. “NCIS: Los Angeles,” CBS, 14.69 million; 4. “The Voice” (Monday), NBC, 11.85 million; 5. “The Voice” (Tuesday), NBC, 11.82 million; 6. “The Big Bang Theory” (Thursday, 8:30 p.m.), CBS, 10.91 million; 7. “Person of Interest,” CBS, 10.74 million; 8. “Scandal,” ABC, 10.57 million; 9. “The Big Bang Theory” (Thursday, 8 p.m.), CBS, 9.69 million; and 10. “Survivor,” CBS, 9.35 million.
Bon Jovi helps open low-income housing
PHILADELPHIA
Rock star Jon Bon Jovi is showing some brotherly love to the less fortunate in Philadelphia.
On Tuesday, he attended the grand opening of a low-income housing development that bears his initials. The 55-unit JBJ Soul Homes will be occupied by low-income tenants and the formerly homeless.
Bon Jovi’s Soul Foundation and the Middleton Partnership provided the lead gift for the $16.6 million complex in the Francisville neighborhood. The project also received public funds.
Baldwin helps library
PROVIDENCE, R.I.
A struggling public library in Rhode Island is getting help from actor Alec Baldwin — again.
Officials at the Adams Memorial Library in Central Falls say Baldwin will headline a fundraiser June 7 at Fete in Providence. Attendees can enter a raffle for a chance to read dialogue on stage with Baldwin.
Central Falls has been in the news for its financial problems. The city in 2011 became the first in Rhode Island to declare municipal bankruptcy and the library closed for a month as a result. The city emerged from bankruptcy in 2012.
Baldwin read about the city’s woes and donated $10,000 to the library in 2011 and another $5,000 in 2012. He also gave $2,500 to two school chess teams there last year.
Leno to give Emerson commencement speech
BOSTON
Jay Leno is returning to his alma mater, Emerson College, to deliver the commencement address.
The small liberal-arts college in Boston announced Tuesday the 1973 graduate will speak at the 134th commencement ceremony May 11. NPR’s “Weekend Edition Saturday” host Scott Simon will address the graduate students.
Leno hosted NBC’s late-night talk show “The Tonight Show” for more than two decades before retiring in February. He was replaced by former “Saturday Night Live” star Jimmy Fallon.
The 63-year-old grew up in Andover.
The graduation will be streamed live at the Agganis Arena at Boston University.
Associated Press