Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, February 6, 1992 TAG: 9202060216
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: E-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
PEOPLE
John Mellencamp was to perform a free concert Wednesday night in Johnson City, Tenn., for cable subscribers who want their MTV.The singer received letters from viewers trying to get the music video channel back on their local cable television outlets.
"They got to John and he said, `Sure, I'll come in and play,' " said Jody Miller, Mellencamp's publicist.
The concert is sponsored by radio station WQUT, Bristol Citizens for Viewers' Rights and the Johnson City Coalition for Choice on MTV. The two citizens groups have been trying to get MTV restored to the cable systems in northeast Tennessee.
On Sunday, 3,500 people got tickets to the concert and attended a rally to protest Sammons Communications' pulling MTV. The cable company replaced MTV with Video Jukebox Network, with which viewers pay a fee to request videos.
The Chunkendales plan to keep throwing their weight around for charity despite a trademark-violation complaint from a certain troupe of more shapely dancers.
An Albuquerque, N.M., radio station brought the plump male dancers together. The group's founder, KKOB-FM announcer Phil Sisneros, dropped out when the promotion ended about a month ago.
But the five other members decided they wanted to keep tromping for charity. Spokesman Dave Riley said they are getting requests to do benefits out of town.
"Where there are funds to be raised, we will travel," said Riley, a tax-service manager.
He said the group would keep its name despite a letter from an attorney for the Chippendales male dancers complaining that the Chunkendales were violating trademark laws and infringing on the Chippendale name.
A combination of prescribed and over-the-counter drugs caused the accidental death of TV talk-show host Sally Jessy Raphael's daughter, the coroner said Wednesday in Doylestown, Pa.
Allison Vladimir's smoking habit, obesity and a small amount of alcohol contributed to her death early Sunday, Bucks County Coroner Thomas J. Rosko said.
"There is no evidence here that Miss Vladimir intended to end her own life," Rosko told reporters.