Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Names and faces

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■ CBS News and PBS both cut ties to Charlie Rose on Tuesday, less than 24 hours after several women who worked with him on his PBS interview show alleged a pattern of sexual misconduct, including groping and walking naked in front of them. Later, CBS said three women at the network came forward with complaints about Rose’s behavior, but the network provided no other details. Rose joins a lengthenin­g list of media figures who have lost jobs because of workplace behavior, including Fox News CEO Roger Ailes, Fox host Bill O’Reilly, NBC News political reporter Mark Halperin and National Public Radio news chief Michael Oreskes. The actions by CBS and PBS came after both institutio­ns suspended Rose on Monday night. “Despite Charlie’s important journalist­ic contributi­on to our news division, there is absolutely nothing more important, in this or any organizati­on, than ensuring a safe, profession­al workplace—a supportive environmen­t where people feel they can do their best work,” CBS News President David Rhodes said in a memo to staff on Tuesday. Rose had no immediate reaction to his firing. In a statement late Monday, he apologized for his actions and said he was “deeply embarrasse­d.” Rose hosted CBS This Morning each weekday and was a contributo­r to 60 Minutes. PBS didn’t technicall­y fire Rose, since the 75-year-old newsman owns the company that produces his show. PBS said it is providing member stations reruns of programs like This Old House and Finding Your Roots to fill holes in their schedule this week.

■ American rapper Nelly, famous for songs such as “Hot in Herre” and “Dilemma,” will visit Saudi Arabia next month for a concert in Jiddah with Algerian singer Cheb Khaled. The Dec. 14 concert will probably be a big event for a country where, until recently, public music performanc­es were heavily restricted. Nelly, whose most famous song references alcohol, alludes to marijuana and implores women to take off their clothes — all three no-nos in a country where alcohol is banned, drug smugglers face the death penalty, and women are expected to cover their body and head while in public. Representa­tives of Nelly did not immediatel­y respond when asked for comment. Though largely positively received on social media, Nelly’s planned appearance in Jiddah may also highlight some of the growing pains for Saudi Arabia’s entertainm­ent sector: Notably, tickets to the event, which cost as much as $120, are available only to male attendees. On Instagram and Twitter, some female fans complained about being excluded from the Grammy Award winner’s concert, with one dubbing it a “stupid” policy to have a “male-only event.”

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Rose
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Nelly

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