Know What's Happening in Entertainment
Know What's Happening in Entertainment
Midwestern Media Dynasty Faces Internal Power Struggle Over Potential Sale
The Block family, owners of the Pittsburgh Post‑Gazette and Toledo Blade, are locked in a feud as twin heirs John Robinson Block and Allan Block clash over the future of Block Communications. John has commissioned a valuation to explore a possible sale, while Allan, the CEO, opposes any transaction, warning he would "destroy" the company.
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By the numbers: K‑Love seeks FCC approval to acquire WFCC
iHeartMedia and TikTok have launched a joint album‑release framework that merges live radio, social media, and fan‑generated content. The pilot, built around Bruno Mars' first solo album in a decade, streamed the nine tracks via iHeartRadio Talkback and TikTok Live before the official launch. The event was repackaged for broadcast on more than 270 iHeart stations over several weeks, generating over three billion impressions and 36 million likes in a single hour. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, with every song entering the U.S. top 100.
EA announced that Battlefield Hardline will be delisted from Xbox One and PS4 on May 22, 2026, with all associated DLC removed from digital stores. The game’s online servers will be shut down a month later on June 22, 2026, ending multiplayer functionality on those...
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO warned that if the Paramount‑Skydance merger fails, the company will retain $7 billion but still grapple with a $33 billion debt load. The deal is designed to combine two massive content libraries with cloud infrastructure to exploit generative‑AI...
LG Ad Solutions and LG Electronics unveiled a suite of new advertising tools at the IAB NewFronts, featuring a seamless home‑screen experience that embeds full‑frame video directly into the TV interface. The company introduced programmatic home‑screen ad formats, live‑tune‑in previews,...
1996: Marvel was finished. Stock tanked 99%. Stores closed. Fans vanished. They were $700M in debt - and out of ideas. Then came a bizarre gamble no one believed in. Here's how that desperate move created a $50B entertainment empire:
A federal judge in Washington, D.C., dismissed an antitrust lawsuit filed by Helena World Chronicle and Emmerich Newsapers that alleged Google monopolizes the online news market. The court found the publishers’ claim of a 66% market share unreliable, noting the...
Netflix has secured the psychosexual drama series “The Decorator,” beating ten other bidders in a competitive auction. The show, based on Cody Behan’s short story, will be set in the cut‑throat world of luxury interior design in Los Angeles and is entering...
Quebecor Content announced that its original crime drama *Detective Surprenant: Murder on the Island* has been licensed to CANAL+ Poland. The six‑episode series will debut in spring 2026 on the Ale kino+ channel in its original French with Polish audio...
Capcom announced it will actively employ generative AI to accelerate game development while explicitly refusing to ship AI‑generated assets in final products. The company is testing the technology across graphics, sound and programming, leveraging models such as Gemini Pro, Gemini Flash and...
NextTrip announced three senior appointments to accelerate its JOURNY travel network. Casey D’Ambra joins as VP of media and distribution, bringing experience from Brand USA and National Geographic. Assaf Blecher and Nir Haklili become managing directors of NextTrip Media, adding...
OpenAI has hired David Dugan, former Meta ads lead, as vice president and head of global ad solutions. The appointment underscores OpenAI’s ambition to monetize its large language models by expanding advertising within ChatGPT’s free and subscription tiers. Dugan’s move...
Roku announced it will serve as the launch partner for Google’s new Confidential Publisher Match solution, extending identity and measurement capabilities for advertisers on its platform. The integration allows advertisers using Google’s Display & Video 360 to securely match first‑party...
Actress Carrie Anne Fleming, best known for her recurring role on the long‑running series Supernatural, was found dead at age 51. The cause of death was disclosed in a statement, sparking an outpouring of grief across social media and prompting...
Christopher Martinez has been promoted to the newly created Vice President of Advanced Advertising at Hearst Television. In his expanded role, he will oversee digital ad‑product development, platform integration, and the company’s ad‑tech stack while maintaining client relationships. Since joining...
Prairie Winds Broadcasting, a regional group serving the Dakotas and western Minnesota, has upgraded its portfolio to 16 Nautel transmitters, spanning FM NVLT, VX, VS, GV and AM NX, J1000 models, with two additional NVLT‑20 units on order. The migration...
Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced a plan to ban for‑profit ticket touting, proposing amendments to the 2017 Ticket Sales Act. The new law would make it illegal to resell tickets above the original all‑in price, including fees and taxes. The...
SEGA continues to launch critically acclaimed titles, yet its sales lag behind expectations. The company cites mixed factors—pricing uncertainty, fragmented marketing, and a back‑catalog that is hard to access—as contributors to the shortfall. Players have grown accustomed to waiting for...
Production Resource Group (PRG) announced Lawrence Burian as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective April 13, and added him to the board of directors. Burian brings nearly three decades of leadership across entertainment, sports, media, and hospitality, most recently serving...
Hybe Co., the parent of K‑pop megastar BTS, saw its stock tumble 15% after the band’s comeback concert in Seoul attracted just over 100,000 fans, far short of the 260,000 expected. The free event marked BTS’s first live performance in...
The 86th episode of the Week in Mobile Games podcast recaps the key takeaways from GDC, highlighting how the conference is shaping mobile development roadmaps. It breaks down the new Google‑Epic partnership and its implications for cross‑platform publishing, including Fortnite’s...
ESPN’s acquisition of NFL Network will not eliminate the channel’s own NFL Draft telecast. Instead, Disney plans to run four distinct draft presentations—on ESPN, NFL Network, ABC, and Pat McAfee’s streaming show—through the three‑day event. All on‑air talent will become ESPN/Disney...
The article outlines a suite of often‑overlooked tax deductions that independent musicians can claim beyond the usual instrument and travel write‑offs. It details how home‑studio space, software subscriptions, education fees, conference travel, marketing costs, health‑related services, and insurance premiums qualify...
Connoisseur Media has rebranded WSSR‑FM 96.7 in suburban Chicago as “The 9‑6‑7: Chicagoland’s Classic Pop,” shifting from its previous adult contemporary mix to a classic pop format focused on 1990s‑early‑2000s hits. The new lineup targets listeners in their 40s to early...
Bay FC has signed a multi‑year deal with free streaming service Victory+ to become the club’s exclusive local streaming partner through the 2027 NWSL season. Victory+ will broadcast 16 Bay FC matches, including six games restricted to Bay Area viewers,...
In 2010 Rhode Island pledged a $75 million loan guarantee to lure Curt Schilling's 38 Studios to Providence, aiming to spark a tech boom. The studio released *Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning*, selling roughly 1.5 million copies and earning strong reviews, but folded within...
Sacha Gregson has been appointed director of content and talent at VicScreen, commencing on April 7. She arrives with more than two decades of senior leadership experience at the ABC, most recently as head of production in its Screen division. In...
The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear California Crane School’s appeal accusing Google and Apple of a paid‑search antitrust conspiracy. Earlier rulings dismissed the case against Apple and sent Google‑related claims to arbitration, while upholding the arbitration clause in Google’s...
Chicago Sports Network (CHSN) and Weigel Broadcasting’s WCIU will simulcast ten Chicago White Sox games during the 2026 season, marking the second consecutive year of their partnership. The slate features four matchups against the Chicago Cubs and includes CHSN’s full...
Are you optimizing for the moment after the buying decision has already been made? Because, the brands I'm watching right now are winning consideration before anyone opens a search tab. This is the shift: shopping doesn't start at Google anymore....
Netflix US will lose all 26 James Bond movies on April 21, 2026, after a three‑month licensing window that began in January 2026. The titles were added through a short‑term deal with MGM, which Amazon acquired for $8.5 billion, making Prime...
Sportel Asia 2026 convened in Singapore, gathering rights‑holders, broadcasters, streaming platforms and tech vendors for two days of deal‑making. Sessions highlighted soaring rights fees, the surge of streaming services, and the fragmentation of Asian audiences. The agenda also tackled piracy’s...
Remember when music infustry commentators were mocking my suggestion that the Johnny Blue Skies album could sell 100,000 physical copies? First week it sold 59k. It went to #3. I based my estimate on his recent ticket sales,...
To be clear I’m not doubting that initiatives like a16z’s media arm might end up being highly successful. They have cash (obviously), clout (in certain circles) and they can view media as a loss leader. What I am arguing is...
UEFA is exploring a league‑owned global streaming service for Champions League matches, targeting a pilot in Asian markets next year and a broader rollout by 2027. The concept echoes Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez’s free‑to‑air vision from the failed Super...
Amid accelerating media consolidation, Hub Entertainment Research finds U.S. consumers struggling to differentiate streaming services. Confidence in major SVOD brands fell in 2026, with declines ranging from 1% for Hulu and Prime Video to 5% for Apple TV. Around two‑thirds...
Democratic Senators Demand FCC Conduct Foreign Investment Review of Paramount-Warner Bros. Deal Over Backing by Middle Eastern Funds, China’s Tencent https://t.co/hEDGRnqwMl via @variety
All3Media International has secured a robust slate of pre‑sales for the espionage thriller *Secret Service*, produced by Potboiler Productions. The series will debut on ITV1 and ITVX in the UK this spring and will premiere exclusively on Spain’s Movistar Plus+....
Just in: Bruce Springsteen authorizes ACLU to use 'Born in the USA' in a new ad campaign that debuts as the organization figures in a Supreme Court case that could deny birthright citizenship to children born in the United States...
French football officials report that 59% of fans watched Ligue 1 matches via illegal streams this season, costing the league’s Ligue 1+ platform and partner BeIN Sports hundreds of millions of euros. The loss follows the collapse of the LFP’s...
Xbox announced the departures of two senior leaders: Lori Wright, the vice‑president of partnerships, business development and marketing, and Haiyan Zhang, general manager of gaming AI. Their exits come just weeks after Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer retired and Xbox...
Filmmaker Karan Johar announced that his agency, Dharma Cornerstone Artist Agency, will prioritize in‑house talent after actress Janhvi Kapoor left for another firm. The move highlights a broader pattern of Bollywood actors frequently switching representation. Johar described the industry as...
Supercell has begun testing its Store gift‑card system in Brazil and Germany, extending the feature that debuted earlier this month in select European markets. The digital cards let players add prepaid balance to their Supercell ID, which can be combined...
The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) has publicly demanded greater transparency after Skydance Media’s merger with CBS triggered a second round of layoffs and the shutdown of CBS News Radio. The union warned that the rapid changes, announced only...
The Atlantic has struck a three‑year partnership with luxury cruise line Seabourn, embedding its writers, editorial programming, and subscription access aboard the line’s voyages starting this fall. The deal combines advertising, sponsorship, and a subscription enablement model, culminating in a...
TEGNA no longer exists as a stock trading on Wall Street … how do you expect to unscramble the egg? https://t.co/8ZraFbK3Sd
Publicis Groupe posted nearly $10.5 billion in total new media business for 2025, dwarfing rivals. IPG Mediabrands came in second with $1.75 billion, while Dentsu, Havas Media Network and Omnicom Media trailed. At the agency level, Publicis’ Starcom led with $2.7 billion, followed...
Halo: Campaign Evolved is being co-developed by Halo Studios, Abstraction and Virtuos, with Abstraction handling level and technical design since summer 2023. The partnership also sees Virtuos managing collaboration between the studios. The remake will feature sprint, 4‑player co‑op, visual...
The Your Morning Coffee podcast episode 294 (March 23, 2026) breaks down three hot music‑industry topics: the IFPI Global Music Report 2026, U.S. wholesale recorded‑music revenue hitting $11.5 billion in 2025, and the waning relevance of pre‑save campaigns. The IFPI data...
Frammer AI, founded by former NDTV executives in 2023, has secured a deal with ABS‑CBC, one of Asia's largest media groups. The partnership replaces the long‑standing European platform Wildmoka, consolidating ABS‑CBC's live and edited video workflows under Frammer's AI‑driven system....
Primary Wave Music has agreed to acquire Kobalt, a leading independent publishing and technology platform, in a deal valued at over $1.5 billion. Brookfield will co‑invest, reinforcing a partnership that began with a $2 billion funding arrangement in 2022. Kobalt will stay...
