Latest news with #Dr.Phil
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
A paid-for trip to talk immigration with Dr. Phil sparks questions about NYPD's John Chell
NEW YORK — John Chell, the NYPD's top uniformed cop, had at least $1,000 in travel expenses covered by Dr. Phil last year to participate in an interview with the conservative TV personality — an example of how the powerful police official has become a mainstay of right-wing media, according to records reviewed by the Daily News. Chell, a key ally to Mayor Eric Adams who was at the time the department's chief of patrol, took the trip to Texas in March 2024 to do an interview with Dr. Phil about New York's 'migrant crime wave.' The intersection of migrants and crime is a key talking point of President Trump's administration as it pursues an aggressive deportation agenda, and Chell's comped Texas trip came at a time he was emerging as a regular on Trump-boosting news shows, raising concerns about him mixing policing with partisan politics. In addition to Dr. Phil's shows, Chell has regularly appeared on Newsmax, a pro-Trump outlet, and Fox News. Wearing full uniform, Chell appeared on Newsmax from inside Madison Square Garden during Trump's October 2024 campaign outlet at the arena. Last year, The News reported that Chell — before being promoted to become the NYPD's chief of department — was even considering quitting public service to join Newsmax as a paid political commentator. Since then, Chell has bolstered ties with Trump, including golfing with the president at his New Jersey club last month, while also attracting scrutiny from city oversight agencies over some of his political activities. Chell, a registered independent voter, didn't violate rules or laws by having his Texas tab picked up by Dr. Phil. Chell also regularly appears on media outlets seen as less partisan, including local and national TV stations. Still, Manhattan Councilwoman Gale Brewer, a Democrat who's the chairwoman of the Council's Oversight Committee, argued Chell appearing on overtly pro-Trump outlets takes on a potentially problematic political overtone. 'It could be a problem to go on quasi news channels that are very conservative and Trump-oriented because it doesn't look great for the police department,' said Brewer, whose committee has oversight to probe the NYPD. 'But it is not illegal as far as I can tell.' Ken Frydman, a longtime New York media consultant who has worked for several of the NYPD's labor unions, agreed with Brewer, calling Chell's Dr. Phil appearance 'not only bad optics' but also 'inappropriate.' Senior police officials like Chell, Frydman added, shouldn't engage in activities that could be construed as 'public political positions' as that could send a signal that the NYPD as a whole is partisan. Details about Chell's Texas trip were included in his 2024 financial disclosure, provided to The News this month by the city Conflicts of Interest Board. The document shows Dr. Phil, a vocal Trump supporter whose real name is Phil McGraw, paid between $1,000 and $5,000 on 'travel & lodging' for the chief. The disclosure, which only offers a range as opposed to an exact dollar figure, says the trip had a 'city-related' purpose, meaning Chell's travel was considered an official government activity. Adams' office has routinely said the city pays for expenditures related to official activities municipal employees engage in. But an NYPD spokesperson noted the City Charter allows for officials to accept travel costs as a gift when 'the trip is for a City purpose and therefore could properly be paid for with City funds.' 'The purpose of the trip was to exchange views regarding policing in America, including discussion regarding the challenges facing New York City amid the migrant crisis,' said the spokesperson, who didn't provide the exact cost of Chell's accommodations and airfare. Earlier this year, the Department of Investigation determined that Chell violated NYPD guidelines by using his official social media accounts to go after political critics online, a finding that came after Chell had planned to deliver remarks at a Republican club meeting in Queens. Then, earlier this month, it emerged the Department of Investigation has separately started looking into a complaint alleging Chell misused police resources by bringing his security detail along with him as he traveled to his Trump golf outing last month. That complaint was filed by Rev. Kevin McCall, a Brooklyn civil rights activist and pastor. In response to Dr. Phil paying for Chell's Texas trip, McCall said NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch should 'get a hold of this media monger.' 'This is an insult to every New Yorker who expects NYPD to be a public institution not a personal brand platform,' McCall said. 'John Chell is being allowed to run rogue.' Since Chell's Texas trip, Dr. Phil has grown increasingly close with Adams and his administration. Last month, the New York Times reported Dr. Phil introduced Adams to Tom Homan, Trump's 'border czar,' who then proceeded to coordinate with administration officials on deportation raids that were called off by Tisch amid concerns they would have violated local sanctuary laws. Recently, Dr. Phil's TV network also signed a deal with Adams' office to do a documentary called 'Behind the Badge,' which is expected to highlight the work of the NYPD, specifically focusing on Chell and Kaz Daughtry, Adams' deputy mayor for public safety. Adams spokeswoman Kayla Mamelak declined this month to share a copy of the Dr. Phil contract. _____
Time Magazine
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Magazine
The True Story Behind Trainwreck: P.I. Moms
On August 24, 2010, Pete Crooks, a senior writer at Diablo magazine, received a call from a Los Angeles-based publicist representing Chris Butler's private investigation firm. The pitch he got was intriguing: Butler had hired a group of local mothers to run surveillance on cheating husbands, and business was beginning to boom. The firm was featured in People, The Today Show, and Dr. Phil—and most recently, Lifetime Television had just greenlit a new reality show called P.I. Moms San Francisco about its East Bay operation. Butler had a proposal for Crooks: Take part in a ride-along with one of the mothers, watch them catch a philanderous man in the act, and write about it. It smelled like a great story and Crooks eventually hopped in a car with Denise Antoon, one of four moms Butler had employed. The mission went like clockwork. The man they were following met up with a young woman and began kissing her in a parking lot, all while Denise grabbed photos and video. Crooks understood why Lifetime was eager to turn this into a series. But did everything go down a little too perfectly? Soon after returning home, Crooks got an email from someone named Ronald Rutherford that made him question everything. 'It would be a mistake to write a story on the P.I. moms and Chris Butler,' the email stated. 'Chris totally played you. The case that you sat in on was totally scripted. All the participants or employees are paid actors. I hope that publishing it is not in your plans.' As chronicled in Netflix's new documentary Trainwreck: P.I. Moms, that mysterious message was just the beginning of a scandal that involved lying, cheating, wire-tapping, methamphetamines, and jail time, and would ultimately kill the Lifetime reality series before it ever aired. In this retelling, director Phil Bowman interviews a couple of the moms, Lifetime producers, and several others involved with the show to paint a better picture of how Butler's enterprise wasn't everything it seemed to be. Reality show origins When Butler started his investigation firm around 2000, the former police officer hired a lot of off-duty, law enforcement officers to work on cases, but he found that the men were all too competitive and impatient to be good investigators. 'Then, I hired a mom, and she was the best investigator I had worked with,' he told Crooks. 'She was patient and a good team player, and she could multitask." Eventually, he hired moms Michelle Allen, Charmagne Peters, Denise Antoon, and Ami Wilt to fill out a team. Butler used their skills and inconspicuousness to perform undercover operations, stings, and other kinds of investigative work, which secretly included a 'Dirty DUIs' scheme in which they'd encourage men to drink alcohol, encourage them to drive, and then alert the police. (The doc doesn't interrogate this aspect of the business.) As the moms started getting media attention throughout the reality TV boom, Lifetime saw potential for a show—along with spin-offs in other cities—centered around them. The network soon reached out to Lucas Platt about showrunning the series. The TV veteran liked the general concept of 'showing this group of women busting criminals together,' he says in the doc, but he also wanted to explore their lives outside the job. As Denise and Ami attest, the moms didn't want to be treated like a group on Real Housewives and create fake drama, so Platt agreed to share more personal and meaningful anecdotes about their lives. Lifetime eventually gave Platt three camera crews and a four-million budget to produce eight episodes with Butler's group, which also included Carl Marino, a former law enforcement agent who helped with cases that needed a male presence. But Platt and the moms could tell there was something off about him—that he was eager to be a television star at any cost. 'It felt like egotism run amok,' Platt says. 'Its called P.I. Moms, and he's not a mom.' Repeated sabotage After Crooks received the anonymous tip about the staged ride-along, he reached out to Platt to share the information. 'If Chris did this to me, how could he not do it for TV?' he thought. The showrunner was confident in the veracity of the women and the cases they were pursuing, until their next sting operation, when their target told Denise that he'd been tipped off. Now Platt was curious. He began investigating and soon discovered the tipster (and the man responsible behind the Rutherford email) was actually Marino. The show wouldn't work if employees were breaking up operations out of spite and jealousy, so Platt told Butler that his employee had been sabotaging the show. But instead of firing Marino, Butler told Platt not to worry about it—an odd reaction, especially for someone hoping to make bank from a reality series. 'Clearly he had other things that were happening that were taking precedence,' Denise says. Marino knew all about those other things, and was willing to spill the information. He continued corresponding with Crooks and explained that Butler was involved in serious criminal activity, selling marijuana, prescription Xanax, and steroids that had been confiscated by a Contra Costa Country Task Force commander. Once in possession of the drugs, Butler would then give them to Marino inside the office. 'I have not sold any and don't want to,' Marino messaged Crooks. 'I don't want anything to do with this.' At the same time, Marino continued to scheme, eventually using insider case files to solve a missing person's case that Platt and the P.I. Moms had hoped would be their opportunity to save the series. As both Ami and Denise remember, Marino was determined to have his 15 minutes of fame, even if that meant continuing to sabotage the show he was so desperate to be on. 'How dumb are you that they're going to push this out and you're going to be the star of the show?' Ami says. The final sting After Crooks reached out to Contra Costa D.A. Daryl Jackson with his information, Marino ultimately came forward and agreed to wear a wire for law enforcement, who was ready to bust Butler after discovering he had planned to sell three pounds of methamphetamines. They arranged a buy at the P.I. firm between the corrupt officer, Butler, and Marino, and as soon as the sale went through, authorities quickly arrested Butler. The news officially sealed the show's fate. Lifetime cancelled P.I. Moms San Francisco and forced Platt to break the bad news to the women and crew. It was an emotional moment, especially for Ami, who had opened up over the course of the show's production and shared intimate details about losing her son at an early age. She hoped her testimony would help other women struggling with something similar. Instead, it would never air. On May 4th, 2012, nearly two years after telling Crooks to write a story about him, Butler pleaded guilty to selling drugs, extortion, robbery and planting illegal wiretaps, and was later sentenced to eight years in prison. The fallout also impacted the P.I. moms themselves—they were called frauds and took heat from their community for collaborating with Butler. (Crooks eventually did write a 10,000-word story about his experience.) Marino eventually got his moment in the sun, playing lead Detective Lt. Joe Kenda, on the Investigation Discovery TV show Homicide Hunter. But to everyone involved with P.I. Moms, he and Butler will always be known as the ultimate schemers that killed their TV careers. 'Chris and Carl just took it away from everybody,' Denise says. 'They put their desires above everyone else's.'
Miami Herald
08-07-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
The biggest retail & restaurant bankruptcies of 2025 (so far)
Fast facts: Corporate bankruptcies have been increasing every quarter since June 2022. 23,309 American businesses filed for bankruptcy over the 12-month period ending March 31, 2025. In May of 2025, Rite Aid filed for bankruptcy protection for the second time in under two years. It is now in the process of selling off portions of its business piecemeal while closing all of its remaining stores in waves. Other major brands that have filed this year include Hooters, 23andMe, and Forever 21. Below is a list of this year's biggest business bankruptcies, with a focus on the retail and dining sectors. Corporate bankruptcy filings have been on the rise since 2022, with more businesses filing for court protection each quarter since June of that year, according to data from the United States Courts. The reasons for this sharp increase in companies' financial woes are many, and while they certainly vary between industries and individual businesses, certain factors have been taking a toll across the board. The rate of inflation peaked in June of 2022 at over 9% as measured by the CPI, and while it's mostly been falling since then, that doesn't mean that prices are going down - it just means they're not going up as quickly. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter The rising costs of both materials and labor mean businesses have been raising prices to protect their margins. Meanwhile, the cost of living continues to rise, and consumers continue to tighten their budgets, with many reducing their discretionary spending on things like dining out or buying non-essential products and services like new clothing, accessories, and entertainment. Together, these factors have been eating into profits and cash flow, causing more and more businesses to find themselves unable to keep up with payments to their creditors-a situation that can quickly lead to a bankruptcy filing, and in some cases, insolvency, liquidation, and permanent closure. Below, we cover the most startling bankruptcy filings of 2025 so far-particularly those in the retail and dining industries. The vast majority have been of the Chapter 11 variety, which means they aren't necessarily a death sentence, and some of this year's filers have already emerged from bankruptcy proceedings. Dedicated customers of businesses still in bankruptcy court can take solace in the fact that even though their favorite restaurant or retailer fell too deep into the red, it may graduate from the restructuring process on healthier financial footing and eventually continue to operate as it had before. Here are this year's most startling corporate bankruptcies in reverse chronological order: Date: July 2Filing type: Chapter 11 Merit Street Media, a television network that produces programs featuring celebrities like Dr. Phil, Bear Grylls, and Steve Harvey, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on July 2nd. The filing came just a little over a year after the company was founded by Dr. Phil in April of 2024. In the filing, Merit Street Media listed assets of between $100 million and $500 million and liabilities in the same range. A representative for the company told TheStreet that as part of its restructuring process, it is suing Trinity Broadcasting Network, one of its distribution partners. Date: June 30Type: Chapter 11 CMX Cinemas is a line of luxury bistro theaters at which moviegoers can order restaurant-style food and drinks. CMX's parent company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy for the second time in under two years on June 30th. Back in 2020, when the company first filed, it had 41 locations, but that number has dropped to 28 as of its current filing, with the bulk of its remaining theaters (16) in the state of Florida. At the time of the filing, the company listed $50 million to $100 million in assets and $1 million to $10 million in liabilities. As of this article's publishing, CMX's remaining locations are still operating, but according to Dan Kline of TheStreet, "Closing all of its locations remains an option for CMX." Related: The best gas grills under $250, ranked by Consumer Reports data Date: June 23Filing type: Chapter 11 Sound Vision Care Inc., a New York-based chain of vision clinics, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on June 23, listing $50,000 to $100,000 in assets and $1 million to $10 million in liabilities. At the time of the filing, which did not cite a particular cause, the company operated eight locations according to its website. Date: June 20 Filing type: Chapter 7 CaaStle is a fashion brand that worked with brands and retailers to rent their unsold inventory to consumers seeking particular pieces of clothing on a temporary basis (e.g., for a special event). CaaStle's Chapter 7 filing came less than three months after former CEO Christine Hunsicker resigned in the wake of a fraud scandal that resulted in the company losing over $500 million in previously promised funding. In the filing, CaaStle listed between $10 and $50 million in both assets and liabilities. It is unclear how many of the company's creditors will be made whole once the company finishes liquidating is assets. Date: June 9Filing type: Chapter 11 Caraway tea, a prominent importer and manufacturer of tea products, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on June 9, listing $614,660 in assets and almost $2.7 million in liabilities. The company is a co-packer, meaning it works with brands that want to create and sell tea products by handling their sourcing, manufacturing, and distribution processes. Related: The best environmentally friendly SUVs according to Consumer Reports Date: May 29Filing type: Chapter 7 Intrepid USA, a large, Texas-based home care and hospice provider, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy on May 29, listing between $1 million and $10 million in assets and $88 million in liabilities. The company, which has been in financial trouble for years, first filed for bankruptcy more than 20 years prior in 2004, after which it was purchased by Lynn Tilton's Patriarch Partners, a firm that specializes in managing companies with debt issues. In 2024, however, it was sold to CenterWell Health Services and fined by the Department of Justice for submitting fraudulent medicare May 5Filing type: Chapter 11 Rite Aid, once one of the largest and best-known pharmacy retailers in the U.S., filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on May 5, less than two years after its previous bankruptcy filing in October of 2023. The brand emerged from its previous bankruptcy as a private company with ownership divided among its previous creditors after closing around 800 stores and selling off its pharma benefit subsidiary, Elixir. At the time of Rite Aid's filing on May 5, the company listed between $1 billion and $10 billion in both assets and liabilities. As of early July, over 1200 stores remained nationwide, but the company had already begun the process of closing them in waves. Date: April 28Filing type: Chapter 11 Nebraska Brewing Co., which operates a brewery and taproom in La Vista and also sells its beers to retailers, bars, and restaurants for resale, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in late April. According to the brewery's leadership, the financial straits that led to the filing were spurred by supply chain issues and other economic pressures. Nevertheless, the company remains operational and hopes to emerge from the restructuring process and continue to serve its customers, according to a Facebook post. The filing listed assets of between $100,000 and $500,000 and liabilities of between $1 million and $10 million. Paul and Kim Kavulak, the brewery's majority owners, are among the creditors listed in the company's bankruptcy filing. Date: April 24Filing type: Chapter 11 Bertucci's Restaurant Corp., operator of a regional chain of pizza restaurants on the East Coast, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy for the third time on April 24. The company has been on shaky financial footing for years, having closed around half of its locations since its previous filing in 2022. Bertucci's continued to close stores after its latest filing, which listed between $10 million and $50 million in both assets and liabilities. The day before the filing, however, the chain opened a new, fast-casual "Pronto" location in downtown Boston. Date: April 14Filing type: Chapter 11 Consolidated Burger Holdings LLC, a large Burger King Franchisee that at its peak operated 75 of the chain's restaurants, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on April 14. The Debtor, which did not cite a reason for the filing, listed $50 million to $100 million in both assets and liabilities. In late 2024, Consolidated Burger Holdings reached a settlement with Burger King Corporate after a longstanding legal dispute over its franchise agreement. Date: April 8Filing type: Chapter 11 Royal Paper, a manufacturer of toilet paper, paper towels, and other paper products, filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy on April 8, citing operational issues and supply-chain challenges as major contributors to its financial distress. Royal Paper produces store-brand toilet paper for stores like Aldi as well as its own brands, which include Earth First, SuperSoft, and EcoFirst. The company, which listed assets and liabilities of between $100 million and $500 million in its petition, entered a "stalking horse" agreement with Sofidel America Corp., another toilet paper company, in which the latter will purchase the former's assets for around $126 March 31Filing type: Chapter 11 Iconic American wing spot Hooters filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on March 31, listing between $50 million and $100 million in both assets and liabilities. As part of its restructuring process, the chain agreed to sell 100+ of its owned and operated locations to a group of buyers comprising two of the brand's largest franchisees, Hooters Inc. and Hoot Owl Restaurants LLC. Several months later, the chain announced that it would be closing 30 of its company-owned locations, including a number of restaurants in Florida and Georgia. Between the sales and closures of more than 130 corporate-owned stores, an increasing percentage of the brand's American locations will be owned and operated by experienced franchisees, including the company's founders. Date: March 31Filing type: Chapter 11 Gulf World Marine Park owner The Dolphin Company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on March 31 after a string of dolphin deaths and allegations about water quality and the treatment of the facility's resident marine animals. At the time of the filing, the company listed assets and liabilities of between $100 million and $500 million. Some of the facility's dolphins have since been relocated. Related: The best free trading apps for retail investors (& what they offer) Date: March 26Filing type: Chapter 11 Bar Louie, a Texas-based chain of gastropub-style bars and restaurants, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy for the second time in less than 10 years on March 26 in order to reorganize its finances and shut down less profitable locations. At the time of the filing, which listed between $1 million and $10 million in assets and between $50 million and $100 million in liabilities, the chain was operating 48 restaurants. This is down from the 134 locations it was operating before it filed for bankruptcy for the first time in early 2020. Date: March 25Filing type: Chapter 11 Plenty Unlimited, an indoor vertical farming startup backed by financiers including Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on March 25 in order to restructure and focus more specifically on strawberries. At the time of the filing, the company listed between $100 million and $500 million in both assets and liabilities. On May 29, the company completed its restructuring and emerged from bankruptcy March 23Filing type: Chapter 11 23andMe, the popular mail-in DNA testing company, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on March 23 after struggling with decreased demand, declining revenues, and the continued fallout from a massive 2023 data breach in which hackers obtained customers' health and ancestry data. The filing listed between $100 million and $500 million in assets and liabilities, and the company continued to operate as it looked for a buyer. Originally, biotech company Regeneron Pharmaceuticals won the bankruptcy auction, but it was later reopened, and the company was instead sold to TTAM Research Institute, a nonprofit run by the co-founder and former CEO of 23andMe, Anne Wojcicki. The nonprofit's name is an acronym for 23andMe. Bloomberg/Getty Images Date: March 16Filing type: Chapter 11 Budget fashion retailer Forever 21, once a shopping mall mainstay, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy for the second time in six years on March 16, citing increased competition from online fast fashion retailers like Shein. The filing listed assets of between $100 million and $500 million and liabilities of between $1 billion and $5 billion. At the time of the filing, the brand was hopeful to find a buyer for its stores, but one did not emerge in time, and all American Forever 21 locations have been closed permanently, although stores abroad were not affected. Authentic Brands Group owns the Forever 21 brand, so it is possible that it may find another licensee to operate the brand in the U.S. in the future. Date: March 14Filing type: Chapter 11 Hudson's Bay, iconic department store chain holding company and the oldest company in North America, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on March 14, listing around $3.7 billion in assets and around $3.2 billion in liabilities. The company cited declining sales, competition from online retailers, and international trade issues as contributing factors to its financial decline. As the company sought a buyer, it shut down its stores and liquidated its inventory, but on May 15, the Canadian Tire Corporation agreed to purchase the brand's intellectual property for around $30 million. Date: February 27Filing type: Chapter 11 Texas-based gun manufacturer Watchtower Firearms filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on February 27, listing mounting debt, tax issues, and operational troubles as contributing factors in its decision to reorganize. At the time of the filing, the company listed between $10 million and $50 million in both assets and liabilities. Date: February 19Filing type: Chapter 11 Arizona-based EV and hydrogen-powered vehicle startup the Nikola Corporation filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on February 19, listing assets of between $500 million and $1 billion and liabilities of between $1 billion and $10 billion. The filing came just several years after the company's founder, Trevor Milton, was convicted of fraud for misleading investors about the nature of the company's products. The company is currently in proceedings to sell its assets under the supervision of the bankruptcy court. Date: February 2Filing type: Chapter 11 Liberated Brands, former retail partner of brands like Quicksilver, Roxy, Volcom, and Billabong, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on February 2. The filing came after Authentic Brands Group, the owner of those brands, terminated its licensing agreement with the retailer. After the filing, which listed assets and liabilities valued between $100 million and $500 million, Liberated closed its corporate office and laid off thousands of staff. The brands formerly licensed to Liberated will remain available to consumers through other retail partners. Related: The 10 most popular new cars & SUVs of 2025 (so far), according to Consumer Reports Date: January 21Filing type: Chapter 11 Books Inc., a 174-year-old chain of bookstores based in the Bay Area, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on January 21, citing declining revenues resulting from increased operating costs and changing consumer habits. As part of its restructuring process, the company closed one of its stores in the Berkeley area in February. The filing listed between $1 million and $10 million in both assets and liabilities. PATRICK T. FALLON/Getty Images Date: January 15Filing type: Chapter 11 Iconic 82-year-old craft retailer Joann filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy for the second time in less than a year on January 15. The brand had faced a sharp decline in demand since the COVID-19 pandemic waned, and by the time of the filing, it had accumulated over $600 million in debt. Its bankruptcy petition listed between $1 billion and $10 billion in both assets and liabilities. Unfortunately for crafters who prefer to shop in person, Joann began closing its remaining stores after its filing, and by the end of May, the final location had been closed permanently. Michaels, another brick-and-mortar craft supply destination, acquired some of Joann's intellectual property and private label brands, including the popular Big Twist Yarn. Date: January 8Filing type: Chapter 11 Surf9, a company that designs and manufactures products for a variety of outdoor equipment and apparel brands, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on January 8. The move followed a dispute with Marquee Brands, the parent company of popular surf brand Body Glove, for which Surf9 manufactures paddleboards. The filing was also preceded by a recall on several of the company's paddleboard models, primarily sold at warehouse club Costco, due to drowning concerns. At the time of the filing, Surf9 listed under $50 million in both assets and liabilities. Related: The best 2025 cars under $25k based on Consumer Reports data The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
New York Post
04-07-2025
- Business
- New York Post
Dr. Phil's Merit Street Media files for bankruptcy, sues Trinity Broadcasting
Dr. Phil McGraw's Texas-based media company filed for bankruptcy on Wednesday and simultaneously filed a breach of contract lawsuit against business partner Trinity Broadcasting Group, which specializes in Christian programming. Merit Street Media, which was formed in 2023 and launched Merit TV in 2024, is a joint venture of McGraw's Peteski Productions and Trinity Broadcasting. McGraw agreed to provide Merit Street with new episodes of his 'Dr. Phil Show,' primetime specials and other content, while Trinity Broadcasting contributed distribution and production services, according to the lawsuit that essentially blames the Christian broadcaster for the bankruptcy. Merit Street accused Trinity Broadcasting of reneging on its obligations and abusing 'its position as the controlling shareholder of Merit Street to improperly and unilaterally burden Merit Street with unsustainable debt, doing so either without notice or in direct violation of promises not to do so.' 'This lawsuit arises out of a sad but oft told story: one side lived up to its commitments but the other, the Defendant [Trinity], did not. Moreover, these failures by [Trinity] were neither unintended nor inadvertent. They were a conscious, intentional pattern of choices made with full awareness that the consequence of which was to sabotage and seal the fate of a new but already nationally acclaimed network,' the complaint, filed in conjunction with the Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas, stated. 4 Dr. Phil addresses his crowd during an season 7 episode of his show in 2008. Dr. Phil / YouTube 'This fresh voice on the national stage is inexorably going dark, going off the air because TBN has refused to honor its commitment to transfer its must carry rights and thereby provide national distribution for the network—Merit Street,' the complaint continued. 'And this conduct stretches beyond mere breach of contract and extends to breach of fiduciary duty and breach of the duty of good faith and fair dealing—the full extent to which may require a forensic accounting audit.' Trinity 'formed Merit Street as a joint venture and contractually committed to provide valuable services to the joint venture,' according to the complaint. 'But [Trinity] then reneged on its obligations and abused its position as the controlling shareholder of Merit Street to improperly and unilaterally burden Merit Street with unsustainable debt, doing so either without notice or in direct violation of promises not to do so,' the complaint stated, noting that it owes over $100 million to third parties and that Trinity, referred to as 'TBN' in court documents, should be responsible. 4 Merit Street accused Trinity Broadcasting of reneging on its obligations. 4 McGraw agreed to provide Merit Street with new episodes of his 'Dr. Phil Show,' primetime specials and other content. Dr. Phil/YouTube 'The most egregious impact is TBN's conscious and knowing choice to cause Merit Street to lose its national distribution by withholding distribution payments despite repeatedly acknowledging those distribution payments were 100% TBN's sole responsibility. Simply put, as a result of TBN's conduct, Merit Street has nowhere to send its broadcast signal and nowhere to air its programming no matter how great it may be,' the complaint stated. Merit Street bills itself as an organization that 'provides clarity and solutions on the issues and topics that matter most to Americans,' including 'traditional family content,' news, sports, music, true crime and more. 4 President Donald Trump shakes hands with Dr. Phil McGraw during an event in the White House Rose Garden on May 1, 2025. Getty Images The bankruptcy filing lists both estimated assets and liabilities in the $100-$500 million range. Merit Street is seeking damages, legal costs, and 'further relief as the Court may deem just and proper.' Trinity Broadcasting did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Fox News Digital.
Los Angeles Times
03-07-2025
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
Dr. Phil's TV network files for bankruptcy and sues distribution partner
Merit Street Media, the TV network launched last year by talk show host Phil McGraw, has filed for bankruptcy protection from creditors and is suing its distribution partner, Trinity Broadcasting Network. McGraw's company filed the suit Thursday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court claiming Fort Worth-based Christian media firm Trinity, or TBN, failed to meet its obligations to provide studio space and secure TV stations and pay TV distributors to carry Merit. McGraw, who hosted the successful syndicated talk show 'Dr. Phil' for 21 years, entered a joint venture in 2023 with Trinity, which agreed to carry Merit on its TV stations across the country and provide production services. But according to the suit, McGraw is funding the struggling venture out of his pocket — shelling out $25 million over six months. The company laid off 40 employees in June and had to terminate its TV deal with Professional Bull Riders after failing to pay its rights fee. Merit Street's Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing lists the company's liabilities at $100 million to $500 million. The document, filed in Texas, gives the same range for the value of Merit Street's assets. Like TBN, Merit Street is based in Fort Worth. TBN did not respond to a request for comment on the suit. Merit Street carries 'Dr. Phil Primetime,' in which the host delivers right-of-center political commentary as well as guest interviews. The program was put on summer hiatus when the June layoffs were announced. McGraw recently attracted attention when the show had a camera embedded with ICE during immigration raids in Los Angeles. McGraw, once a practicing psychologist, became a self-help guru propelled to fame by Oprah Winfrey, who hired him to help prepare her for a libel case brought by the Texas Beef Group in 1996. Since leaving his daily talk show, he has emerged as a political commentator who is supportive of President Trump. Merit also has a nightly newscast and a true crime program featuring veteran legal commentator Nancy Grace. The lawsuit claims Merit's operations were hampered by TBN's contracted technical services, which it described as 'comically dysfunctional.' Teleprompters and monitors allegedly blacked out during live programs with a studio audience. TBN was using 'amateur' video editing software and Merit staff were unable to use phones in the studio due to poor cellphone coverage, the suit added. McGraw's company, Peteski Productions, launched Merit in a joint venture with TBN, which offers religious programming to its TV stations and affiliates across the country. As the majority owner, TBN was required to provide all back office and production services for Merit. TBN was also obligated to cover the cost of distributing Merit's programs on its outlets and pay TV providers, the suit said. The lawsuit claims TBN failed to provide that service, forcing Merit Street to enter its own agreements to get the network carried on TV stations and cable and satellite providers at a cost of $96 million. TBN's failure to pay led to a number of TV stations to drop Merit Street programming. The suit also claims TBN failed to deliver promised marketing and promotional services, only providing minimal social media advertising. TBN missed a $5-million payment to Merit in July 2024, which led the partners to change the terms of their arrangement, the complaint said. Merit became the 70% owner, with TBN taking a 30% stake. But the suit claims TBN still failed to meet its contractual obligations. The suit said that TBN's failure to fund Merit forced McGraw and Peteski to provide $25.4 million to finance the network's operations from December 2024 to May 2025.
