Who Had the Worst Week?

• Edelman, the world’s largest independent public relations firm, posted a 9.7% drop in revenue in the U.S. in 2023 and a 3.7% decrease globally.
• The Denver Nuggets were rated as having the least fan-friendly arena in the NBA for food. The survey found that Ball Arena has few concession stands, hot dogs that cost $6.50 and beer that runs nearly $1 per ounce.
• AT&T is giving wireless customers a one-time $5 credit after its massive network outage last week.
• WeightWatchers’ stock dropped 25% after Oprah announced she was leaving the company’s board of directors.
• An Irish woman lost her $820,000 injury claim after a picture emerged of her winning a contest to see who could toss a Christmas tree the farthest.
• Wendy’s tried to introduce something it called “dynamic pricing,” but it wasn’t ready for the backlash from consumers who rebranded it “surge pricing.”
• The FAA has given Boeing 90 days to develop a plan to address “systemic quality-control issues.” 
• A Houston man who goes by “Christopher” discovered that his legal first name is “Infant” thanks to a mistake with his birth certificate 23 years ago. He tried to change the name, but it requires a notarized form and must first show ID with “Infant” listed as his first name, which he does not have.
• Experts say that Mexico City may just be months away from a severe water crisis. The city has depleted its underground aquifers at such a high rate that the city is sinking by around 20 inches per year.
• Denver7 parent company Scripps saw its stock drop below $4 this week, setting yet another 52-week low. Meanwhile, 9News parent company Tegna also hit a 52-week low after it reported a 21% drop in Q4 year-over-year revenue.
• Colorado State has unceremoniously dumped Athletic Director Joe Parker, an apparent victim of the football’s team’s lack of success. He has been replaced by John Weber, the head of the school’s NIL collective.
• Jefferson County is considering closing Lookout Mountain Road – the Lombard Street of Colorado – due to a rash of “robberies, felony assaults, overdose deaths, stolen vehicles, sex assaults, pass-outs behind the wheel, minors in possession, (and) suicides.”
• Madonna removed Luther Vandross from a tribute to artists who died from AIDS-related complications after his family notified her that Vandross died from a stroke and never was diagnosed with AIDS. The tribute is a regular part of Madonna’s concerts.
• You’d think alcohol sales would be the root of unruly fan behavior, but Philadelphia Phillies executives have identified a different culprit – $1 hot dog night. Apparently many (drunk?) fans buy the aerodynamic projectiles just to throw them on the field. That the Phillies are banning cheap hot dogs and not beer tells you everything you need to know about the margins on beer sales.
• Former 104.3 The Fan program director Raj Sharan has taken a job as the promotions director and afternoon-drive DJ at Colorado Springs‘ Cat Country 95.1. The only catch – for the country station, he will go by the name “Roger Sharan.”

So, who won the week?

• Fox31/KWGN Assistant News Director Linda Kicak has been named news director at 9News. She replaces Tim Ryan.
• “Dry January” helped lead to a spike in sales of nonalcoholic beers in Denver.
• Two years ago, professional golfer Jake Knapp had to also work as a bouncer to make ends meet. This week, he won the PGA Tour’s Mexico Open and the $1.5 million that goes with it.
• IHOP has introduced a Girl Scouts Thin Mint pancake.
• The satirical French newspaper La Bougie du Sapeur is rarer than Punxsutawney Phil – it is only published every four years on Leap Day. The 2023 edition appeared this week covering news events of the past four years.