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Girl born without a face finds 'sister' across the world

Posted by Unknown Friday, July 31, 2015 1 comments

TYLER, Texas – By the age of six, Danica Wetmore had only ever lived inside a Ukrainian orphanage.
In all that time, Thom and Tami Wetmore were the only ones who ever visited her.
"It's just, you felt it in your heart. We knew, as soon as I saw her. I knew, in my spirit, 'Go get your daughter,'" Tami Wetmore said. "That's exactly what I felt is, 'Go get your daughter.'"

Danica was born with Treacher-Collins syndrome, resulting in deafness and bones missing from her face. Because of her challenges, the Wetmores were told, the chances were, she'd be turned out of the orphanage when she got older to live on the streets.
Six years later, she's happy, loved, and safe with her family.
"She's quirky. Extremely inquisitive. Very artistic," Thom Wetmore said. "[She] Loves drawing, painting, expressing herself."
At this point, perhaps you're wondering what would inspired a family to open their hearts to a girl with serious medical concerns from the other side of the world.
The answer is their daughter, Juliana. She was born into the family six years before Danica showed up.
She, too, has Treacher-Collins syndrome, but a much more severe case. Along with deafness, she was born without 40 percent of the bones in her face.
"You forget that there's anything different about her after she's sitting there for five minutes," Thom said.
Juliana has endured 45 surgeries for her face, but her body and her brain have always been perfectly healthy.
Her spirit is always bright.

"Pure love. She loves everybody. She doesn't judge anybody. She doesn't see anybody as different," Thom said. "She just takes everybody as the same."
"My favorite thing to do is watch movies. Watch TV. Play on the computer. Play with my sisters," Juliana said, talking like a typical 12-year-old.
"Whatever you first think of somebody when you see them on the outside, that's not what they are on the inside," Thom said.
What is Juliana on the inside?
She's the girl whose strength inspired her parents to find room in their hearts for Danica -— to understand the challenges ahead better than most.
"She had been in an orphanage for six-and-a-half years and no one had visited her," Tami said. "Nobody had ever inquired about her."
"We were the first and only ones," Thom added.
And the Wetmores' love didn't stop with Danica. After her, they still had more room in their hearts to adopt three siblings who desperately needed a home.

Body of missing 8-year-old found in Santa Cruz, Calif.

Posted by Unknown Thursday, July 30, 2015 0 comments

The body of an 8-year-old girl was discovered Monday in a town on the California coast, a day after she disappeared.
Madyson “Maddy” Middleton’s body was found in a building at the Tannery Arts Center in Santa Cruz, Calif., KRON-TV reported. The child vanished around 5:05 p.m. Sunday while riding her scooter outside the center, the San Francisco Chroniclereported.  Middleton was visiting her mother, who lives in the center’s affordable housing offered to artists.
"Our hearts our broken and our deepest sympathy to to the family of Madyson Middleton," the California Highway Patrol's Santa Cruz office tweeted. "We are grieving with the entire Santa Cruz community."
On Monday, one person was taken into custody in relation to the case, KRON-TV reported. The person was not identified.
According to the Chronicle, both of Middleton’s parents met with police Monday. Middleton’s father, Michael, spent much of the day searching the streets with friends.
Following her disappearance, authorities searched for the child in woodland and park areas nearby. Search dogs tracked her scent to a beach 2 miles away, the Chronicle reported. Officials were looking for her on foot, as well as by aircraft and watercraft, a police spokeswoman said.
Earlier Monday, officials said they were not calling the case a kidnapping. An Amber alert was not issued for the child because the case did not meet the criteria. Instead, an endangered missing person alert was issued.

10 years of 'Talent': The 14 most memorable performers

Posted by Unknown Wednesday, July 29, 2015 0 comments

When considering the range of talent on NBC'sAmerica's Got Talent, one might utter: Holy Cow! That's not just an exclamation, but the name of a break-dancing auditioner in an inflatable cow suit from Season 1.
Cow was shown the barn door quickly, but other acts, such as top Las Vegas ventriloquist Terry Fator, have thrived. Many performers will be remembered Wednesday in a two-hour, 10th-anniversary special, 10 Years of Talent (8 p.m. ET/PT).
As a TV competition, AGT is unique, last season's winner Mat Franco says.
"It's the only one of its kind, because: any age, any talent. That is the crazy thing about it," he says. "Many times, it's apples vs. oranges. You can have someone who's five years old and you could have someone who's 86 years old. One of them could could be singing, the other one could be dancing on their head, juggling with their feet. It's the best platform for variety performers in the world."
Howie Mandel, a judge since Season 5, marvels at the range of memorable performers.
"The beauty of our show is that it's about moments, (which) are so eclectic and diverse," he says. "There's the moment when 10-year-old Jackie Evancho opens her mouth and you hear the sound of angels to the moment that a guy by the name of Horse (Zac Gordon) comes on stage and begs you to kick him in the groin. That is exactly what variety is, and there is something for everyone. And that's why we're the No. 1 show of the summer."
AGT has been a summer ratings leader for years and is tops this summer, too, averaging 12.5 million viewers.
A few contestants, such as Fator, have gone on to marquee-level success, but many others reached their career peaks on the AGT stage. But Talent's powerful spotlight can even help boost contestants like Holy Cow, who was eliminated by the judges during his audition, says executive producer Jason Raff.
"A couple of years later, I met him in Tampa," he says. "And he's like, 'Oh my God, that show changed my life. I've now quit my job and I'm doing my inflatable break-dancing cow routine around the country and even the world.' "

Honore: America's in denial about gun culture

Posted by Unknown Tuesday, July 28, 2015 0 comments

Retired U.S. Army Gen. Russel Honore, Louisiana's most well-known 21st century military hero, said America is mired in a state of denial about its gun culture and that's harming the country.
"As a country we're in a state of denial because we've confused the right to bear arms with the right to carry arms all the time anywhere or anyplace you want," Honore told Gannett Louisiana on Monday. "We have to have a different kind of conversation in America and be prepared to speak about the politically unspeakable."
Honore said the string of recent mass gun murders — culminating with the tragic movie theater shooting in Lafayette Thursday in which two victims died — should provide a wake up call.
"It breaks my heart to see that happen in my home state or anywhere in America," he said. "We've got a problem in this country, and at some point the politicians have to get down into the community and find some answers to this problem."
Honore had considered running for governor this fall but decided against making the race earlier this summer.
The retired army general, best known for his role leading the Hurricane Katrina recovery in New Orleans, said during his time in the military soldiers "were required to clear their weapons and turn them in as soon as they came in from the field."
"The best place for weapons when you're not in the field is to be locked up in the garrison," Honore' said. "Our biggest problem before Desert Storm was (soldiers) accidentally firing their weapons, and they're trained.
"I've been around guns all my life, but when I was growing up they were locked in the cabinet unless you needed them for hunting."
Honore also said he disagrees with those advocating for military men and women at recruitment offices to be armed. Some armed civilians have taken it upon themselves to stand guard at recruitment locations since the mass shooting at a Tennessee office this summer.
One such civilian accidentally fired a round at an Ohio recruitment office last week. Nobody was injured.
"I don't think it's a good idea to arm military at the recruitment offices or to have civilians there with guns," Honore said. "That's the job of law enforcement. On our 

Coast Guard racing clock to find missing Florida teens

Posted by Unknown Sunday, July 26, 2015 0 comments

Coast Guard search and rescue teams and a Navy destroyer were racing the clock Monday to bring home two boys missing in the vast Atlantic since they left South Florida in a 19-foot boat three days ago as stormy weather approached.
Petty Officer Mark Barney told USA TODAY the primary search area was moved to an area north of where the capsized boat was found Sunday, 67 miles off Daytona Beach. The search area now continues to north of Jacksonville, which is 90 miles north of Daytona and 250 miles north of the boys' home in the Jupiter area.
"The Gulf Stream is a pretty powerful current," Barney said. "But we have quite a few people searching, and we hope we can pull this off."
Authorities said Austin Stephanos and Perry Cohen, both 14, were last seen about 1:30 p.m. ET Friday in the Jupiter area buying 28 gallons of fuel from the Jib Yacht Club and Marina. They were reported missing less than four hours later, after thunderstorms producing high winds, big waves and heavy rains had struck.
A commercial fisherman heading for safety said the teens were the only ones going out to sea.
“I said to myself, ‘Those kids are crazy,’” Jim Dulin toldThe Palm Beach Post. “There’s no way they couldn’t see that storm. The storm was really black, the temperature dropped and you could tell it was going to be a really mean one.”
The Coast Guard found the boat late Sunday morning off Ponce Inlet, more than 180 miles north of where the teens cast off. A rescue swimmer lowered from an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter confirmed the registration number.
The boat was not damaged and one life jacket was found on board, authorities said. The Coast Guard anchored the boat where it was found for retrieval later. The agency released a video showing the boat bobbing upside  down in the water; a diver reported some details such as the cover missing from the motor.
"That's not what you want to hear -- that the boat capsized," Austin's  mother, Carly Black, told WPBF-TV. "You want to hear that your boys are on the boat."
"We're experiencing the same roller coaster of emotions," said Pamela Cohen, Perry's mother, seated next to Black. "Not even on an hourly basis. I think it can be minute by minute."
Barney would not speculate on how long the boys could survive if they were in the water. They may have improvised a flotation device from life jackets, the missing engine cover and a white plastic cooler, according to a Coast Guard flier.
But Barney dismissed reports that they boys had set out for the Bahamas, saying they were sufficiently sea-wise to know they didn't have the supplies required for such a journey. Although the two boys frequently fish together in the Jupiter Inlet area, they were not prepared for an extended ocean outing, Barney said.

Chillicothe police look for link between W.Va. shooting, dead Ohio women

Posted by Unknown Saturday, July 25, 2015 0 comments

CHILLICOTHE, Ohio —  Local investigators are looking into any possible connection between an Oregon man killed by an escort in West Virginia and local missing women and homicide cases.
Chillicothe police Public Information Officer Bud Lytle said they are still checking whether Neal Falls, 45, might have visited Chillicothe or had any connection to the area.
“As it stands right now, we have nothing that ties him to anything here in Chillicothe,” Lytle said.
However, they aren’t ruling him out yet, and a team is planning to go to Charleston, W.Va., in the “near future,” Ross County sheriff’s Chief Deputy T.J. Hollis said.
Falls was shot and killed in Charleston, about two hours from Chillicothe, on July 18 while attempting to choke an escort he’d met through Backpage, a Web-based classifieds advertiser, according to Charleston police.
After finding several axes, a shovel, bleach, handcuffs, knives, a machete and other items in Falls’ vehicle, investigators began pursuing any potential connections with similar cases across the country. Because of Chillicothe’s proximity, investigators believe there could be a connection with the disappearances of Charlotte Trego, 27, or Wanda Lemons, 37, or the deaths of Tiffany Sayre, 26, Tameka Lynch, 30, or Shasta Himelrick, 20.
On Friday, a Ross County grand jury indicted a local man, Jason McCrary, 37, in the May shooting death of 38-year-old Timberly Claytor. A motive for her death remains unknown, and investigators have not found any evidence so far that links him to any of the other cases.
According to the Huffington Post, Charleston police also have connected with Las Vegas police regarding at least four cases there involving missing or murdered prostitutes.
While Falls most recently was known to live in Springfield, Ore., he has had family connections to several states, including Nevada, Iowa, Washington, Kansas, New Mexico, California and Oklahoma.

5 things you need to know Tuesday

Posted by Unknown Friday, July 24, 2015 0 comments

1. Book readers, rejoice: A new Dr. Seuss is on the loose!
What Pet Should I Get? Read the newly discovered title from Dr. Seuss, which hits shelves Tuesday, for some delightful advice. Random House Children's Books is publishing Dr. Seuss books based on materials found in 2013 by his widow, Audrey Geisel. This title, announced in February, is believed to date to 1958-62.  It features the same brother and sister seen in Dr. Seuss' 1960 classic One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish. The story is simple: A brother and sister go to the pet store with permission from Mom and Dad (who are nowhere in sight) to “pick just one” pet to bring home by noon. But it’s so hard to “Make Up Your Mind,” as a banner proclaims! Brother wants a dog, sister wants a cat … or a rabbit, or a bird, or a fish. And what the heck is that long-nosed thing called a Yent that could live in a tent?
2. Pentagon official, CDC lab regulator face questions from Congress over live anthrax shipments
An investigations subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee is scheduled to grill federal officials at a 10 a.m. hearing Tuesday about lax biosafety practices that resulted in an Army biodefense facility mistakenly shipping live anthrax specimens to dozens of labs for more than a decade. Citing a USA TODAY investigation, the subcommittee plans to explore larger questions about whether theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention’s current oversight of labs working with potentially deadly bioterror pathogens needs to be strengthened.
3. Treasure hunters tell tale of finding $1M in Spanish booty 
The Schmidt family has done it again. For the third year in a row the family hasrecovered sunken Spanish treasure while working as subtractors for 1715 Fleet-Queens Jewels LLC, an historic shipwreck salvage operation operated by treasure hunter Brent Brisben and his father, William Brisben. This time they found 51 gold coins, 40 feet of ornate gold chain and a single rare coin called a “Tricentennial Royal” that is dated 1715. Brisben said the extremely rare silver-dollar-sized coin is worth “probably around half a million dollars itself.” A press conference about the Schmitt family's find is scheduled for noon on Tuesday in Sebastian, Fla.
4. New Chuck Taylors hit the shelves
Converse debuted the Converse Chuck Taylor All Star II shoes last week, the first redesign of the iconic brand in 98 years. They're available for your feet starting Tuesday in black, white, red and blue. The shoes keep the iconic Chuck Taylor style — "unique white foxing, rubber toe-cap and statement All Star patch," while also "dialing up consumer-led features and benefits to deliver a comfortable and versatile premium sneaker," the shoemaker says. Chuck IIs, with a suggested price of $70 for low-top and $75 for high-top, are produced by Nike, which bought the Converse brand in 2003.
5.Country's youngest murderer expected to be released from prison
Barring any last-minute setbacks, the country's youngest murderer will walk out of prison Tuesday — free for the first time since he was 12 years old. Curtis Fairchild Jones and his sister, Catherine, then 13, admitted to killing their father’s girlfriend in Florida in 1999. The siblings said they were being sexually abused and planned to kill their abuser, their father and their father's girlfriend, who they said was allowing the abuse to continue. They became the youngest children in the country’s history to be charged as adults for first-degree murder. Facing the prospect of life in prison, they pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and were sentenced to 18 years in prison followed by probation for life. Curtis Jones, now 29, is expected to be released Tuesday. His sister is due to be released in August.

See Marine's reaction when he meets puppy named after him

Posted by Unknown Thursday, July 23, 2015 0 comments

WASHINGTON -- Meet Bunce. He's a puppy training for big things. Some day he will be a military service dog and assist a wounded warrior. WUSA reporterAndrea McCarren will raise and train him for the next two years, before he's teamed with a veteran.
One month ago, the puppy was known as Mr. Light Blue, one of seven in Warrior Canine Connection's Semper Fi litter. Then, he became Bunce and it's quite a name to live up to.
Marine Corporal Justin Bunce and the puppy named in his honor had an immediate connection. Justin will now help train Bunce for another wounded warrior. So both Bunces have an important mission ahead.
"Just being around little angels like this guy, I am so honored to have him named after me," said Justin Bunce.
Bunce, the puppy, was born at Warrior Canine Connection in Brookville, Maryland. Not only will he help with physical tasks, he'll make an impact in ways that medicine, surgery, and traditional therapy cannot.
Added Justin, "Especially a puppy, it's just unconditional love, unconditional trust."
Justin was severely wounded in Iraq in 2004 and is now fighting to recover what he lost, battling to become the best he can be.
"You're not fighting for a cause, for your country, for your family. You're not even fighting for yourself. You're fighting for your brothers beside you. It's a bond thicker than blood," said Justin.
After Iraq, Justin was further injured in a car accident. He suffered a seizure while driving to meet fellow Marines coming home from their deployment.
"We would all die for our country. Most of all, die for each other," he said.
Justin's body may be slightly broken. His intellect, sense of humor and compassion are all intact. Life skills trainer Katie Gorman nominated Justin to have a puppy named after him.
"Justin is such a fascinating person and the qualities he has—the compassion, the strength, the bravery, I could go on. I thought if those traits could carry on to a dog, it would turn into one heck of a service dog for somebody," said Katie Gorman, Justin's Life Skills Trainer.

4-year-old on a bike ride saves family from house fire

Posted by Unknown Wednesday, July 22, 2015 0 comments

BOISE, Idaho - Rosie Moran is an honorary firefighter, thanks to her quick-thinking heroics. She recently spotted a home in her neighborhood on fire and got help, possibly saving the lives of those inside.
Did we mention Rosie just turned four years old in May?
"We were just doing our usual stroll around the block and I was with both girls," said Rosie's dad, Sean. "She was cruising along a little bit further ahead and she came speeding back to me."
Rosie told her dad that a neighbor's home was on fire.
"I noticed there was black smoke," Sean said. "I jogged up and followed Rosie and she took me to this house, and sure enough I looked around the corner and the side of the house was all on fire.
"I was able to yell in, 'Hey, your house is on fire!'"
Ernie Ortiz, his wife and daughters were inside. They had no idea their home was burning.
Both dads jumped into action. Sean grabbed a garden hose and started spraying down the flames, while Ernie went to get his wife and daughter out of the home.
"[Ernie] ran to get his wife and his daughter who were taking a bath in the bathroom right next to where that fire was, it was sharing the same wall," Sean said.
Firefighters arrived on scene, and after extinguishing the flames, were surprised to find out it was a 4-year-old who first noticed the fire.
"They were super proud of her," Sean said. "In fact, one of the ladies handed her a little badge, a junior firefighter badge, honorary member. That made her day."
Ernie said he thinks the fire started when oily rags from staining a deck had spontaneously combusted in a garbage can on the side of the house.

'I Am Cait,' 'BattleBots'

Posted by Unknown Tuesday, July 21, 2015 0 comments

I Am Cait
E!, 8 ET/PT
Usually, the best course of action is to avoid most shows on E!, and most any show that purports to give you a "real" view into someone's private life while mainly serving to turn those lives into celebrity brands. But I Am Cait, which follows Caitlyn Jenner as she begins her new life as a transgender woman, is not your usual reality show — not in terms of the attention it has already received or the positive impact it could potentially have if done well, truthfully and respectfully. Given this is E!, and given Jenner's family, that's a very risky "if" — but it could be a risk worth taking. At least once.
Stewarts & Hamiltons
E!, 9 ET/PT
And then there's this show, which, in its attempt to turn the clans of Rod Stewart and George Hamilton into the next Kardashians, is a prime example of E! doing what it usually does. I'd let it do so without you.
BattleBots
ABC, 9 ET/PT
This techno-sport series reaches its summer conclusion, as two robots fight to see which one can leave the Battle Box mechanically-alive. Could be fun, unless AMC's excellent competing drama Humans has left you convinced that those BattleBots are just waiting for their chance to turn on us. And we're teaching them how to use weapons.

TV tonight: 'Bachelorette Finale'

Posted by Unknown Monday, July 20, 2015 0 comments

The Bachelorette Finale/After the Final Rose
ABC, 8 ET/PT
It's been a controversial season for The Bachelorette, one filled with sex and publicity-generating Twitter insults about the sex, as the producers no doubt expected — publicity being the reason why they made the sex public in the first place. So as we approach the end, let's keep two season-specific thoughts in mind. The first is that unless you are intimately connected to the people involved, their sex lives are none of your business — and even if you are, commenting on it in public is beyond tasteless. The second is that people who televise their sex lives have no standing to complain when rude people comment, because any rational adult should expect that someone would. Or have you never visited the World Wide Web?
UnReal
Lifetime, 10 ET/PT
You could watch the After the Rose special. Or you could spend the hour with this satire of the genre instead, which hits its next-to-last episode with Rachel questioning her reality show future.
POV: Tea Time
PBS, 10 ET/PT (times may vary)
Of, if you need a complete cultural cleansing, turn to this film about five Chilean women who have used their monthly tea parties to hold their friendship together through 60 years of change. The film was directed by Maite Alberdi, who shot it over the course of five years.

NASCAR Brickyard 400 2015: Start time, lineup, TV schedule for Indianapolis

Posted by Unknown Sunday, July 19, 2015 0 comments

INDIANAPOLIS — It's NASCAR race day atIndianapolis Motor Speedway, and we've got some essential information you need to get ready for today’s Brickyard race -- the Jeff Kyle 400.
START TIME: Mari Hulman George, matriarch of the family that owns Indianapolis Motor Speedway, will instruct drivers to start their engines at 3:38 p.m. Eastern time today, followed by the green flag at 3:50 p.m. So if you want to skip the pre-race show and just tune in for the race, turn on your TV at 3:50 p.m.
RACE DISTANCE: The Jeff Kyle 400 -- which many people still call the Brickyard 400 -- is 160 laps around the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway for a total of 400 miles.Jeff Kyle is the brother of the late "American Sniper" Chris Kyle and is being honored through a program with Crown Royal.

He's madly in love with the woman who can't remember him

Posted by Unknown Saturday, July 18, 2015 0 comments

OLD BRIDGE, N.J. -- Pat Testa sleeps on a twin bed, surrounded by photographs of smiling relatives. His wife watches over him from their wedding portrait. Every day, his first thought is of her. His space in his assisted-living home was nearly silent, except for the occasional shuffle of another aged resident passing in the hall. Pat, 95, wears a hearing aid and bifocals. His voice is brittle, and he needs help getting dressed. But while his body is fading, his mind is still bright. Seated in his red power chair at a table in a common area, he recalled his life with his wife precisely.
He was 16, an usher at the Embassy movie theater in Newark in 1937. She was 17, and a regular customer. He helped his future wife find her seat. She asked him out on a date.
Pat married Carmela — Millie to him — at 2 p.m. on April 16, 1939. Seventy-six years ago.
They rented a Cadillac from an undertaker. They were married at St. Lucy's Church. They took a wedding photograph looking like movie stars: Millie in her white dress, holding calla lilies. Pat in a black tuxedo, a white bow tie, hair slicked back.
Pat and Millie's life together began in an apartment in Newark for $15 a month, steps from where they worked. Their family grew with two daughters, born on March 26, 1940 and Feb. 18, 1941.
Pat said there were fights and times Millie asked for a divorce, but they stayed together.
Suddenly, Pat looked up and grinned with 95-year-old teeth.
"Ohhhh," he beamed. "This is my pretty wife. You see that? She's still a beautiful woman."
Taking small steps, Millie slowly moved to a seat next to him. They kissed.
On their 76th wedding anniversary, Millie knew Pat was her husband.
Many times she doesn't.
To watch Millie and Pat's heartwarming connection, watch the video above.
To read more about their life together and their love that has remained solid despite Millie's Alzheimer's, click below.

Cutting the Cord: The shape of streaming things to come

Posted by Unknown Friday, July 17, 2015 0 comments

You don't need a crystal ball to get an inkling of what an online video future might look like. Several recent developments suggest we'll soon have more stuff to watch in more ways.
Traditional pay-TV providers, media companies, streaming video upstarts — and courts — are all making moves. "Hardly a day goes by without evidence of major disruption in the TV ecosystem," eMarketer senior analyst Paul Verna said.
Remember Aereo? That pioneering streaming company got shut down last year after the Supreme Court ruled that it needed to pay broadcasters for the retransmission of their content. Aereo had argued that its leasing of tiny individual antennas for each paying customer made it OK to stream local channels online.
Aereo filed for bankruptcy, but another fledgling video provider, FilmOn, continued the legal fight to stream local TV broadcasts. FilmOn, which has more than 600 TV channels and podcasts and 50 audio channels, lends subscribers a software desktop presence to watch U.S. and international broadcasts.
Last week, a U.S. District Court ruled that it should be able to get a compulsory license to legally stream local broadcasts. The ruling is under appeal, but should it be upheld it means that local TV stations can be streamed by any number of services, includingNetflix, Amazon and Hulu, says Mitch Stoltz, senior staff attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation. "It will destroy ...  existing cable and satellite systems’ comfortable position as the only ones who can transmit broadcast TV for a fee," he said.
Speaking of Hulu, the online video destination owned by ABC, Fox and NBC appears to be considering an ad-free option. Currently, Hulu can be viewed for free, but a $7.99 monthly subscription gets you access to additional episodes and full seasons of TV series — and viewing on more devices. Ads play on both tiers of service.

Verizon Wants Brands to Sponsor Your TV Watching

Posted by Unknown 0 comments
When Verizon finalized its acquisition of AOL earlier this week, the company let slip more details on its long-gestating internet TV service, which it hopes will rival the likes of Sling TV and Playstation Vue.
Perhaps most intriguing, the new info includes the fact that Verizon wants advertisers to foot the bill for the service. You see, Verizon wants to primarily distribute the new TV service over the air via Verizon Wireless, but as we all know, streaming video requires a lot of data.
Instead of eating the cost or inflating your smartphone bill, Verizon has opted to pass those costs along to advertisers. But before you cry foul about net neutrality, Ad Age notes that this arrangement does comply with the FCC's new net neutrality rules, which allow for sponsored data.
The arrangement complies with the FCC's new net neutrality rules, which allow for sponsored data.
AT&T already allows advertisers to sponsor access to certain apps and websites on its wireless service, so it was only a matter of time before Verizon and other carriers joined the party.

In a way, Verizon's new arrangement harkens back to the days when over-the-air broadcast TV was the norm. Back then, viewers didn't have to pay a cent to watch TV, since the distribution costs were covered by ad revenue. It was only once cable TV came on the scene that viewers had to pony up for the privilege of watching ads.
For the moment, its unclear whether these sponsorships will cover the entire cost of Verizon's service or just the extra data charges. Verizon will also reportedly have "premium offerings," but it's unclear what these will entail, or how much they will cost.
Regardless, the internet TV service should make for an interesting competitor to the likes of Sling TV and Playstation Vue, as it will include live and on-demand content, as well as online "channels" like AwesomenessTV. The service is set to make its debut later this summer.

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