Oliver Darcy
Media/business reporter; analyzes leadership, ownership, and strategy inside major news and tech companies.
Fox News Loses Its Grip as Conservative Media Anchor
"The split between Fox News and others in the right-wing echo chamber has underscored that the network no longer serves as the undisputed gravitational center of conservative media," @nataliekorach writes.
White House Correspondents' Dinner Do-Over Still Possible, Delayed
Scoop: A do-over White House Correspondents' Dinner is still *very much* on the table. WHCA board has been privately meeting this week and weighing its options. A do-over is not likely to happen within 30 days as Trump initially wanted. Window...
Tony Dokoupil's CBS News Hits Record Low Viewership
Scoop: Tony Dokoupil's "CBS Evening News" ratings keep getting worse. Last week was his lowest-rated week on record, averaging only 3.7 million viewers. He has now posted three consecutive weeks under 4 million viewers—reliably slipping below a once-unthinkable threshold.
Bari Weiss Claims CBS News Bias Equals Hamas
Scoop: When she started as editor in chief in October, Bari Weiss believed CBS News journalists were so biased against Israel that she quipped “they might as well be Hamas.”
FCC Chair Brendan Carr Invited to White House Correspondents' Dinner
Scoop: FCC Chair Brendan Carr—who has used his post to chill the speech of Trump's critics—has been invited by a media organization to attend the White House Correspondents' Dinner.
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Hollywood Fears Retaliation After Anti‑Paramount Letter
"The worry is that this letter, and people who signed it, end up becoming Larry Ellison’s blacklist." Brian Lowry's latest column for @get_status is about Hollywood's growing concerns with Paramount WBD deal—and how major figures are speaking out, even though they...
Mediaite Accused of Fabricating Stories and Misattributing Sources
We found more than a half-dozen instances in which Dan Abrams' Mediaite appeared to invent stories out of thin air, fabricate quotes, or misattribute reporting to the wrong person or outlet.
Mediaite Suspends Founding Editor over Fabricated Stories
Scoop: Mediaite has suspended its founding editor Colby Hall after a series of instances we raised about significant errors and outright fabrications in his work. Full story in @get_status tonight.
Industry Fears News Consolidation Turning CNN Into Fox
"They're also very concerned about the consolidation of the news. They look at what has happened at CBS—and many of them have said, is CNN going to turn into Fox News?" https://www.status.news/p/hollywood-actors-directors-david-ellison-paramount-warner-bros-merger
Athletic Leadership's Aggressive Defense Raises Serious Internal Review Questions
"The timeline has raised uncomfortable questions for leadership at The Athletic, starting with a basic one: if the matter was serious enough to warrant an immediate internal review...why did Ginsberg rush out such an aggressive public defense?" More from @nataliekorach in...
Insiders Weigh Dunesday’s Clash With Avengers Impact
Is "Dunesday" good for the movie industry? Or will it be a disaster? And what are insiders saying behind the scenes about the looming showdown between "Dune: Part Three" and "Avengers: Doomsday"? @get_status' Brian Lowry has the story: https://www.status.news/p/dunesday-dune-avengers-release-date-december-18
CNN Chief Reveals Clear Succession Plan Amid Low Coverage
Scoop: CNN chief Mark Thompson made his succession plan rather clear this week, in a little-noticed—but very significant—move. Details in @get_status: https://www.status.news/p/cnn-alex-maccallum-mark-thompson-succession-plan
CBS Invites Pete Hegseth, Sparks Journalist Backlash
CBS News inviting Pete Hegseth to its White House Correspondents' Dinner table is—as would expect—sparking backlash. “What a slap in the face to the journalists at CBS News,” an exec from a rival network told @nataliekorach. Much more in @get_status: https://www.status.news/p/whcd-dinner-trump-officials-invites-parties
60 Minutes Staff Fear Producer’s Ouster;
Inside "60 Minutes," the staff is anxious about the possibility the show's top producer might be thrown overboard. Meanwhile, Bari Weiss has raised The Free Press during discussions about the program.
Former Sister Networks NBC News, MS NOW Now Talent Rivals
NBC News and MS NOW were once sister networks. Now they are competitors fighting over talent, giving way to significant tension behind the scenes, @nataliekorach reports.
Bari Weiss Plans to Overhaul “60 Minutes” After CBS Pushback
Status Scoop: Bari Weiss wanted to make changes to "60 Minutes" earlier this year, but was talked down by CBS News President Tom Cibrowski and other senior leaders. But with the show's current season ending in May, she plans to...
CNN CEO Brings Digital Creators Into Executive Strategy Sessions
"In recent months, CNN chief executive Mark Thompson convened a series of internal workshops in which the network invited digital creators to hold court before a room of senior executives," @nataliekorach reports. https://www.status.news/p/cnn-podcast-style-shows-nyt-video
Biden's Pentagon Ban Sparks Fox's Outrage over Press Freedom
Imagine for a moment how Fox News would respond if Joe Biden kicked out critical reporters from the Pentagon—and then did not follow a judge's ruling to let them back in.
CBS Ratings Plummet: A Complete Catastrophe Exposed
Nellie Bowles mocked our CBS News reporting this week. But there's no other way to describe the network's cratering ratings other than a complete catastrophe. Our response on Power Lines: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0185sL5Dzy0
David Simon Says Billionaire Owners Lack Capacity to Sustain Journalism
"The Wire" creator David Simon calls out billionaire newspaper owners Jeff Bezos and Patrick Soon-Shiong, telling @get_status that they have "no capacity for sustaining journalism" or finding a way to modernize it and help "it survive.”
Business Insider Subscriber Base Is Shrinking, Not Expanding
Scoop: I obtained Business Insider's internal subscription figures for the last several years—and the data shows that not only is the digital outlet struggling to grow its subscriber base, but that it is actually sliding backwards.
CBS Evening News Hits Record Low Q1 Ratings
Status Scoop: With the first quarter set to wrap at week’s end, Bari Weiss’ relaunched “CBS Evening News” with Tony Dokoupil is on track for its lowest-rated first quarter of the 21st century in both total viewers and the advertiser-coveted...
CNN to Cut Jobs, Shift Toward Digital Future
Scoop: CNN is expected to lay off some staffers this week as network chief Mark Thompson works to push the network away from linear television and into the digital future.
Subscribe to Power Lines Podcast for Weekly Media Insights
If you're not already listening to our weekly media podcast Power Lines, consider checking us out and subscribing on Apple Podcasts. Your support really helps grow the show. Direct link to the show's page here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/power-lines-with-oliver-darcy-and-jon-passantino/id1823949547?i=1000756309336
Access Hollywood’s Axing Highlights Linear TV’s Decline
"Telling your entertainment news program that they’re gone the weekend before the Oscars is very weird," one insider told Status Hollywood correspondent Brian Lowry. Lowry details what the cancellation of "Access Hollywood" says about the state of linear television—and why Trump’s...
Alienating Viewers Drives CBS Evening News Ratings Crash
The "CBS Evening News" dipping below 4 million viewers must be setting off alarm bells inside the network. But when you alienate the audience, loyal viewers will leave. Watch Power Lines on YouTube: https://youtu.be/g4zHWZFi9ec?si=2fbPGf9Rlu5jxiCx
BuzzFeed's Collapse Could Jeopardize HuffPost's Future
What will become of HuffPost, should BuzzFeed go under? @nataliekorach has the reporting in @get_status: https://www.status.news/p/buzzfeed-bankruptcy-huffpost-future
MS NOW Chief Teases Major Dayside Schedule Overhaul
Scoop: MS NOW boss Rebecca Kutler is on the precipice of announcing some major dayside programming changes. Details on what is in store for the network in @get_status: https://www.status.news/p/ms-now-programming-changes-alicia-menendez-rebecca-kutler
Washington Post Confronts Bezos over Amazon’s ‘Melania’ Documentary Deal
WaPo staffers pressed Jeff Bezos about Amazon picking up the “Melania” documentary at an off the record meeting hosted at the billionaire’s DC residence. All the details from inside the meeting via @nataliekorach in @get_status: https://www.status.news/p/jeff-bezos-washington-post-meeting-layoffs-melania
Gayle King's CBS Deal Only One-Year, No 2027 Lock
Scoop: Gayle King's new deal, which CBS News triumphantly announced last week, is only a one-year renewal, I've learned. It does not lock King into the network past 2027.
Senators Warn Tencent-Backed Warner Deal Threatens Security
Scoop: Senators Richard Blumenthal & Elizabeth Warren are raising fresh concerns about David Ellison's expected use of foreign money to finance his takeover of Warners—this time, from China's Tencent. "Designated by the DOD as having ties to the Chinese military, Tencent’s...
Scott MacFarlane Quits CBS, Citing Frustrations with Bari Weiss
Why did CBS News Justice correspondent Scott MacFarlane decide to exit the network? He didn't say in his farewell note to colleagues. But, privately, he had been more candid about his frustrations under Bari Weiss. Details in @get_status: https://www.status.news/p/scott-macfarlane-cbs-news-exit-bari-weiss
Ellison Offers Vague Platitudes on Paramount's CNN Future
After nearly a week of being mum about it, David Ellison *finally* commented on CNN's future under Paramount—but he offered little more than empty platitudes and dodged the larger questions that loom over the network. More in @get_status: https://www.status.news/p/david-ellison-cnn-cbs-news-future
Josh Elliott Poised to Join CBS Mornings Lineup
Status Scoop: Former “GMA” host Josh Elliott has eyed as a possible new host on “CBS Mornings.” I’m told in the coming weeks, several special guests will be rotating on the show, and Josh will likely be one of those...
Scott Jennings' False Iran Claim Debunked, Sparks Newsroom Drama
Scott Jennings peddled an absurd Trump talking point on Iran to the masses over the weekend. Then the actual journalists at CNN did reporting that undercut the claim. The episode has led to some drama behind the scenes, @get_status has...
CNN Faces Moral Test Under MAGA‑Friendly Leadership
Will anyone at CNN take a principled stand as David Ellison reshapes the network to be more MAGA friendly? Or will everyone just go along with the new direction? Watch the full episode of Power Lines on YouTube: https://youtu.be/nWEG5jUrP2Q?si=H_0XcKiJMFeLe3fe
CNN Staff Panic as Major Media Deal Looms
Suffice to say, the mood inside CNN is not good tonight. “We are doomed," one staffer texted me. “The panic at CNN right now is off the charts,” an insider added. Details in @get_status: https://www.status.news/p/cnn-david-ellison-trump-paramount-wbd-netflix-deal
Bari Weiss Offers Big Contracts, Still Can't Lure Talent
Scoop: As Bari Weiss works to recruit high-wattage stars to CBS News, she's dangling lucrative contracts in front of potential hires. They're still turning her down. Details in @get_status: https://www.status.news/p/bari-weiss-cbs-news-recruiting-hiring-struggles
Senator Blumenthal Demands FCC Records Over Colbert Censorship Claim
Scoop: Sen. Richard Blumenthal has written a letter to David Ellison demanding answers and records pertaining to Stephen Colbert's claim of FCC censorship. Details in @get_status: https://www.status.news/p/stephen-colbert-blumenthal-letter-david-ellison-fcc
Rebecca Kutler Plans Overhaul of MS NOW Dayside Lineup
Scoop: MS NOW chief Rebecca Kutler is set to make changes to the network's dayside lineup, I'm told. Details in status.news: https://link.status.news/3MSNqnG