Murph Dawg and Phathead Get ‘Fresh’ Syndication Via JVC
JVC Broadcasting has launched Country Fresh Radio, a syndicated show that highlights brand‑new country releases from established stars and emerging artists. Hosted by veteran programmers Murph Dawg and Phathead, the program airs on JVC’s Florida and New York stations and Hall Communications’ WCTY in Connecticut. The format is designed to give fresh tracks a dedicated spotlight without disrupting core playlist rotations. Both hosts bring years of country radio experience, positioning the show as a credible discovery platform.
Influencer Marketing 2025: Balancing AI Efficiency, Budget Pressure, and Human-Centric Creativity
Influencer marketing in 2025 is being reshaped by AI-driven tools that automate influencer discovery, content creation, and performance analytics. Brands confront tighter budgets and heightened demand for measurable ROI, prompting a shift toward performance‑based contracts. Despite technological advances, human‑centric creativity...
Indispensable and Essential: Broadcasters Peacock At NAB Affair
The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) convened its annual State Leadership Conference at the Salamander in Washington, D.C., gathering 570 broadcast executives and policymakers. NAB President Curtis LeGeyt called for modernizing antiquated regulations that hinder local stations against global tech...
‘Mercy’ Tops DEG Digital Transactions Chart for Week of Feb. 22
Amazon MGM Studios’ sci‑fi drama *Mercy* claimed the top spot on the Digital Entertainment Group’s weekly digital sales and rentals chart for the week ending Feb. 22, according to GfK Entertainment data. The film outperformed Disney’s animated sequel *Zootopia 2* and Sony’s...
Highguard Will Shut Down Forever On March 12
Highguard, Wildlight's ambitious live‑service shooter, announced its permanent shutdown for March 12, ending just over a month of operation. The title debuted at The Game Awards but faced widespread criticism and mixed reviews, leading to a rapid decline in player numbers....
TEGNA Inks FCC Consent Decree To Resolve OPIF Fail
Tegna has resolved a recent online public file (OPIF) rule violation by entering into a consent decree with the FCC’s Media Bureau. The agreement clears a key regulatory obstacle that has delayed its proposed sale to Nexstar Media Group. With...
Comcast CEO Eyes Peacock Remaining a U.S. Streaming Platform on Path to Profitability
Comcast co‑CEO Michael Cavanagh said Peacock will stay U.S.-only, aiming profitability. The service added 3 million paid subscribers in the last quarter of 2025, ending the year with 44 million paid subs, while revenue rose to $1.6 billion and operating loss widened to...
Luxury Movie Theater Chain iPic Files for Bankruptcy
Luxury cinema chain iPic Theaters has entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, reporting a $20 million loss on $112.5 million revenue and assets between $10 million and $50 million. The filing follows a steep decline in ticket sales, heightened competition from streaming services, and lingering effects...
Excellence, Actually Joins Backyard Ventures to Expand Premium Brand Partnerships
Backyard Ventures becomes the exclusive brand‑partnerships representative for the "excellence, actually" podcast, marking the first time the three‑year ad‑free show opens its inventory to sponsors. The Austin‑based agency will manage premium sponsor integrations across audio and digital platforms. Hosted by...
Damon Whiteside to Step Down as Academy of Country Music CEO
Damon Whiteside will step down as CEO of the Academy of Country Music in June 2026, transitioning to CEO Emeritus for the remainder of the year. During his six‑and‑a‑half‑year tenure, ACM achieved its largest, most diverse membership base and saw...
Grandson Says O2 Forum Kentish Town Wouldn’t Let Him Bring Bob Vylan Out on Stage
Grandson announced that the O2 Forum Kentish Town barred Bob Vylan frontman Bobby Vylan from joining his Inertia tour show on March 2. The venue, operated by Academy Music Group, cited local police concerns about protest‑related safety as the reason for...
Syndicate of Sounds Announces Telos Integrations
Syndicate of Sounds announced that its Deja Vu stereo‑to‑5.1 upmixer is now embedded in three Telos Alliance platforms – the ZipStream R/20, Linear Acoustic LA‑5300 and UpMax ISC. The integration aligns with the company’s OEM strategy, allowing broadcasters to automatically...
Cities: Skylines Is Getting New Free Content On Xbox Game Pass, Console Sequel Still Delayed
Paradox Interactive announced a free patch for the original Cities: Skylines on Xbox Game Pass, arriving March 10 and adding roadside fences and an Employment Info View. The update coincides with new paid expansions for the 2015 title. Meanwhile, Cities: Skylines 2...
Versant Media Reports 2025 Revenues of $6.69 Billion
Versant Media Group reported 2025 revenues of $6.69 billion, generating $930 million in net income. Linear distribution contributed $4.09 billion, ad sales $1.58 billion, platforms $826 million, and licensing $193 million. Adjusted EBITDA reached $2.42 billion, and the board approved up to $1 billion in share repurchases alongside...
CFO Hugh Johnston: Disney+ Looking to Up Viewer Engagement Through Expanded Content Offerings
Disney CFO Hugh Johnston said Disney+ will boost viewer engagement by expanding content offerings. The service now has 131.6 million global subscribers, with 59.3 million in North America, but growth will come from increasing weekly watch hours. Disney plans targeted investments in...
YouTube TV Is Adding New Channels to Its Entertainment & Family Packages
YouTube TV is adding Adult Swim as a standalone channel to its Entertainment package while moving Cartoon Network exclusively into the Family tier. The shift mirrors DIRECTV’s recent bundling changes, separating mature‑rated programming from child‑friendly content. By placing Adult Swim in the...
"We Now Have a Clear Vision for How Sumo Fits Into the New World" - Inside the Slimmed-Down Sumo Group
Sumo Group, now owned by Tencent, has shed roughly 15% of its workforce, closed its Timbre Games studio and sold several subsidiaries to concentrate exclusively on co‑development and work‑for‑hire services for external IP. The co‑CEOs, Gary Dunn and Andy Stewart,...
Chinese Billionaire Buys Miami Dolphins Stake at $12.5B Valuation
Chinese billionaire Lin Bin, co‑founder of Xiaomi, agreed to purchase a 1% stake in the Miami Dolphins' holding company, valuing the franchise at $12.5 billion. The NFL finance committee has cleared the transaction, but a full owners’ vote is still pending....
It’s a Megadeal: Banijay, All3Media to Merge, Creating New Indie Production Giant
Banijay and All3Media announced an $8 billion merger that will combine two of the world’s largest independent TV producers into a single entity. The deal gives each side a 50 percent stake, with Banijay’s Marco Bassetti becoming CEO and Jeff Zucker chairing...
Moments Lab To Feature Agentic AI For Video Workflows At 2026 NAB Show
Moments Lab will unveil its next‑generation multimodal, agentic AI capabilities at the 2026 NAB Show in Las Vegas. The company’s Discovery Agent lets video teams retrieve clips, quotes and precise moments using plain‑language prompts, reporting over 50% user adoption and...
Luc Besson’s ‘Dracula’ Available for Digital Rental and Sale March 10 From Vertical
French filmmaker Luc Besson’s fantasy‑horror romance “Dracula” will hit digital platforms on March 10, offered for rental and purchase through Vertical. The film, which Besson directed, wrote and produced, has accumulated $41.8 million at the global box office. It follows a...
Roku Adds Apple TV to Premium Subscriptions Platform
Roku announced that Apple TV is now available through The Roku Channel’s Premium Subscriptions platform, letting users sign up with their existing Roku account. The service costs $12.99 per month or $99 per year and includes a seven‑day free trial....
Peter Kail Becomes New CEO of Canal+ Austria
Canal+ Österreich has named Vienna‑born Peter Kail as its new chief executive. Kail, who rose from managing director at Eviso Austria to director of telecom partnerships at Canal+ International, will steer growth in the Austrian pay‑TV market. The appointment follows a leadership...
Creators – Assistant
Creative Artists Agency (CAA) is hiring an Assistant to support the Head of Podcasts in its Los Angeles‑based Creators department. The role combines high‑volume administrative duties, financial tracking, and cross‑department coordination, with an hourly wage of $20‑$22 plus benefits and...
Ozzfest ‘Absolutely’ Will Return In 2027, Sharon Says
Sharon Osbourne announced at MIDEM in Cannes that Ozzfest will return in 2027, marking the first festival since the 2018 show that was cancelled due to Ozzy Osbourne’s illness. She confirmed ongoing talks with Live Nation to relaunch the metal‑focused brand, emphasizing that...
Sales Planner – Newsletters
Backyard Ventures, an Austin‑based media partnership agency with over 200 clients, is hiring a Sales Planner for its newsletter vertical. The role blends advertising operations, campaign reporting, client management, and introductory sales tasks, allocating roughly 80 % of time to execution...
Nordic Networking? Come Meet PGC Summit Malmö 2026 This May 27th and 28th
The PG Connects Summit Malmö × MeetToMatch, powered by Xsolla, will run on May 27‑28, 2026 alongside Nordic Game 2026. Hosted in the MeetToMatch Publisher Lounge at the Comfort Hotel, the two‑day event offers pre‑arranged, high‑value B2B meetings for developers, publishers, investors...
Zoom Taps PMG As First Media AOR
Zoom Communications has appointed Dallas‑based PMG as its first global media agency of record, committing an estimated $25 million annual media spend. The partnership aligns with Zoom’s transition from a meeting platform to an AI‑first workplace, leveraging PMG’s Alli operating system...
Compass Media Networks Presents Big 10 Basketball Tournament Action
Compass Media Networks announced exclusive radio coverage of the 2026 Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament, running from March 10 through the championship on March 15. The tournament’s recent expansion to six days provides a packed schedule of high‑stakes games. General...
Tony Van De Berkt Appointed CEO of Universal Music Netherlands
Universal Music Central Europe has named 8Ball Music founder Tony van de Berkt as the new CEO of Universal Music Netherlands, effective immediately. He succeeds Kees van der Hoeven, who will retire in December 2025, and will report to Frank Briegmann, Chairman & CEO of Universal...
Onsocial
OnSocial repositions influencer marketing as a social‑data problem, offering a toolkit that includes creator discovery, analytics, sponsored‑post tracking, audience overlap analysis, and an always‑on API. The platform targets agencies and brands that need defensible, data‑driven creator selections rather than an...
Billable Hours Are Dead, AI Killed Them, Here's How To Survive
A new VoxComm report shows agency profit margins have collapsed from a historic 30% to roughly 10% as AI accelerates production and erodes the value of billable‑hour models. The authors argue that agencies must abandon effort‑based pricing and adopt solution‑based...
Analyst Claims New Xbox Console Is ‘Already Dead’ as Microsoft Backs Game Pass
Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter warned that Microsoft’s aggressive push toward Game Pass could render the next Xbox console “already dead.” He argues the company’s focus on high‑priced subscription tiers, especially a rumored $30 Ultimate plan, undermines traditional hardware sales. While...
Killing Floor Dev Tripwire Interactive Lays Off 23 Employees
The UK's Insomnia Gaming Festival, scheduled for 30 April‑3 May 2026, has been cancelled. Organisers say reduced investment from major technology and hardware brands left insufficient sponsorship and exhibitor presence. The event, to be run by a consortium that includes Modern Wolf,...
These Developments Are Reshaping FM Infrastructure
Broadcasters are moving toward fully IP‑centric FM infrastructures, embedding IP audio and MPX decoders directly in transmitters and shifting MPX generation to virtualized, ST 2110‑based server environments. The Ecresco AiO series exemplifies native IP decoding, eliminating external STL hardware and reducing...
X Turns Dormant Usernames Into Digital Real Estate
X has launched a Handles Marketplace that lets Premium+ and Premium Business subscribers claim dormant @handles. Handles are split into free Priority names and paid Rare names, the latter fetching $2,500 to over $1 million. Paid Rare handles remain with the...
YouTube Shopping Guide for Brands (Not Just Creators)
YouTube Shopping has expanded in 2026 to let brands turn any video—Shorts, long‑form, or Live—into a direct storefront. By linking a product catalog through Google Merchant Center, brands can tag SKUs within videos, letting viewers purchase without leaving the platform....
Event Network Joins AAM in Museums Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill
Event Network, a leading operator of experiential retail for museums, participated in the American Alliance of Museums' Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill on February 24. The company’s executives joined museum leaders to lobby for continued IMLS funding, the bipartisan Museum...
Instagram “Sends per Reach” Playbook: Designing Posts People Send In DMs
Instagram’s algorithm now prioritizes Sends per Reach (SPR), measuring how often posts are privately shared via DM relative to their reach. Adam Mosseri confirmed SPR as a key ranking signal, shifting focus from likes and saves to intentional private sharing....
MMF Boss Issues Warning on ‘Unspoken Crisis in British Music’
The Music Managers Forum (MMF) chief Annabella Coldrick warned that the UK music scene faces an "unspoken crisis" despite the Brit Awards’ fanfare. Data shows only 15 of the top‑40 albums and 20% of the top‑100 tracks last year involved...
Cross-Posting Matrix: What to Change per Platform
Cross‑posting short‑form videos in 2026 demands platform‑specific tweaks rather than simple duplication. The article outlines a matrix that details required changes in aspect ratios, safe‑zone placement, caption rewrites, and audio licensing for TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts. Brands are...
Telemundo Leads as the Most-Watched Spanish-Language Network in Primetime
Telemundo cemented its position as the leading Spanish‑language network in primetime for 2026, topping Nielsen ratings Monday‑Sunday with an average of 339,000 Adults 18‑49 and 1.1 million total viewers. The network posted double‑digit growth year‑over‑year, up 13% among adults and 17%...
Warner Music Group Strikes Deal with South Korea’s MAINSTREAM – the Management Firm Behind Superstar Lee Young Ji
Warner Music has signed a partnership with South Korean management firm MAINSTREAM, the agency behind artists Lee Young Ji and Kik5o. The deal focuses on talent development, music production and global promotion, with Warner Music Korea taking a leading coordination role. The...
FISSURE Cancels Three Events
FISSURE announced the cancellation of three upcoming tournaments – an April event in Shenzhen, China, and two July events slated for 2026 and 2027. The Chinese tournament conflicted with the IEM Rio kickoff, while the July dates fell during the...
F1 Secures ‘AUS$60m’ Kayo Media Rights Extension Amid Piastri Interest
Formula One has extended its Australian broadcast partnership with Foxtel‑owned Kayo Sports, launching a multi‑year deal from the 2027 season. Foxtel will pay roughly AUS $60 million per year, up from the previous A$45 million arrangement, to deliver every race, qualifying and practice...
Paramount–Skydance Looks Set to Buy Warner Bros. Discovery
Paramount‑Skydance has submitted a US$111 billion offer to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, aiming to combine two of the industry’s largest content libraries. Netflix announced it will not counter the bid, leaving Paramount‑Skydance as the sole serious suitor. The proposal would bring...
Sonic Survival Kits V2: The Latest Radio Imaging Auditory Boost
Auditory FX has launched Sonic Survival Kits V2, a comprehensive radio imaging library featuring 309 tracks and more than 100 custom music beds, priced at $89.99. The new edition expands on the 2019 V1 release, delivering a complete, subscription‑free package...
BBC COO Leigh Tavaziva To Exit As Leadership Upheaval Continues
BBC chief operating officer Leigh Tavaziva announced she will leave the broadcaster in September, marking the third board‑level exit within four months. Tavaziva, who joined the BBC in 2021, oversaw its multi‑billion‑pound budget, production pipelines, and digital transformation. Her departure...
MoMe Deploys Synamedia to Power First Spanish-Built CDN Service for Streaming
Spanish systems integrator MoMe has launched the country’s first streaming‑optimised content delivery network, using Synamedia’s Fluid EdgeCDN platform. The service spans eight data centres, placing edge nodes close to viewers to minimise latency and improve reliability. Integrated ingest, encoding and...
German Event Series ‘The Widow Killer’ Lands More European Deals With Canal+ & SVT
German event series ‘The Widow Killer’ has secured multiple European distribution deals ahead of its German debut on ARD. Canal+ acquired rights for the Netherlands, Belgium, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania, while Sweden’s SVT purchased the series for its...