Sony Group’s Blueprint for AI Music Detection Tech Is Promising. Here’s What It’s Working On…
Sony AI is advancing AI‑generated music detection through three research strands: attribution via an "unlearning" technique that isolates training songs influencing a generated track, segment‑level recognition with CLEWS that matches musical snippets as short as ten seconds, and protection using the RAW‑Bench framework which shows current audio watermarks collapse under neural‑codec compression. The papers were accepted at NeurIPS, ICML and INTERSPEECH 2025, underscoring academic validation. While no product has been announced, the work lays a technical foundation for future copyright‑enforcement tools. Sony AI also aims to publish over ten papers at ICLR 2026, expanding its generative‑music portfolio.
Hawaii’s New West Broadcasting Integrates Tieline Solutions
New West Broadcasting, operating six stations on Hawaii’s Big Island, has upgraded its transmission and remote broadcast infrastructure with Tieline’s suite of IP codecs and management tools. The company now uses Bridge‑IT, Gateway, ViA, and MPX codecs, complemented by a...
Mainframe Studios, Cookbook Media Form Strategic Partnership
Vancouver‑based Mainframe Studios has teamed up with franchise‑management firm Cookbook Media to create an integrated commercial and business‑development engine for its original IP and work‑for‑hire slate. The partnership will drive new production partnerships, global distribution, licensing, merchandising and digital extensions,...
2026 Ambies Winners, Podcasts Top Spoken Word Share of Ear, & More
The 2026 Ambies crowned Wisecrack as Podcast of the Year while industry data showed podcasts overtaking AM/FM radio for the first time, capturing 40% of U.S. spoken‑word listening. Research from Triton Digital and Cumulus Media reveals 80% of monthly listeners...
F1 CEO Defends Apple Leap: ‘Bigger’ Reach With ‘Other People’
Formula One has shifted its U.S. broadcast rights from ESPN to Apple, securing a $140 million per‑year deal that eclipses ESPN’s $80‑90 million payments. CEO Stefano Domenicali argues the Apple partnership will ultimately reach a larger audience, especially among cord‑never viewers, by...
Mayra Berenice Joins Lotus’ 980 La Mera Mera for Afternoon Drive
Mayra Berenice has been hired to host the afternoon drive slot on Lotus Communications' 980 La Mera Mera in Los Angeles. The move is part of Lotus's broader effort to staff every major daypart with live, local on‑air talent. The station also added...
Less Tools, More Visibility: TAG Video Systems at NAB 2026
TAG Video Systems announced a suite of new capabilities for its IP‑native Realtime Media Platform at NAB 2026, aimed at consolidating broadcast monitoring tools into a single interface. The rollout includes the Lens visual‑service health analyzer, expanded QC Station colour and...
Nexstar Lays Off Local TV Journalists Including KTLA's Glen Walker and Lu Parker
Nexstar Media Group announced layoffs of longtime KTLA anchors Glen Walker and Lu Parker, along with veteran meteorologist Mark Kriski, as part of a company‑wide cost‑reduction drive. The cuts extend to other major‑market stations such as Chicago’s WGN and New York’s WPIX, reflecting...
Samsung Taps Gracenote for AI-Powered Discovery
Samsung has partnered with Gracenote, Nielsen’s content‑data unit, to embed its extensive entertainment metadata into Samsung Smart TV’s AI stack. The collaboration will power large‑language‑model (LLM) driven search, enabling conversational queries that surface TV shows, movies and sports more intuitively....
GameSquare Named Title Sponsor of EsportsNext 2026
GameSquare (NASDAQ: GAME) has been announced as the title sponsor of EsportsNext 2026, the premier esports trade conference scheduled for April 29‑30 in Fort Worth, Texas. The two‑day event will convene senior executives, investors, and brand leaders to discuss industry trends...
Fernando Szew on the Importance of Partnerships
Fernando Szew, president of FOX Entertainment Studios, highlighted the studio’s core strength: marrying creative ambition with disciplined business practices while leveraging FOX’s distribution network. He outlined a talent‑first strategy that includes first‑look deals with established stars and emerging digital creators,...
How Stepping Away From Esports Helped SoaR Gaming Outlast the Competition
SoaR Gaming, founded in 2011 as a Call of Duty trick‑shot collective, grew into a multi‑title esports organization before being acquired in 2019. After the purchase, the new ownership divested all competitive rosters, exiting esports entirely. The company redirected resources...
The Channel Store Integrates FAST Channels on Prime Video in Spain
The Channel Store has become the first technology provider to launch four free‑ad‑supported streaming TV (FAST) channels on Prime Video in Spain. The channels—Anime Visión, Anime Visión Classics, Cines Verdi TV and Cine Feel Good Verdi TV—were technically integrated in...
Avid's New CPO Discusses AI, NAB Show and Newsroom Tech
Avid has appointed Kenna Hilburn as chief product officer and is rolling out Avid Content Core, a cloud‑native platform that links existing broadcast and digital tools for hybrid media teams. The company is embedding AI selectively to automate transcription, search...
How Recent Laws Impact Game Design, From In-Game Chat to Notifications
2026 marks a turning point as a wave of regulations—DMCCA, the EU Digital Services Act, the upcoming Digital Fairness Act, the AI Act and others—target core game mechanics. Dark‑pattern practices, UI prompts, loot‑box disclosures, virtual‑currency pricing and player‑generated communication are...
Legendary Alum Deborah Kaufmann Joins Sipur
Deborah Kaufmann, a former senior vice president of literary affairs at Legendary, has been appointed chief of global content at Sipur Studios. The newly created role tasks her with steering worldwide content development and creative leadership. During her decade at...
Multihyphenate Star Residente Signs With United Talent Agency
United Talent Agency announced a comprehensive representation deal with Grammy‑winning Puerto Rican artist Residente. The deal covers all entertainment areas and includes his newly formed production company, 1868 Studios, which partners with Sony Music Latin‑Iberia and Sony Music Vision. Residente,...
The Creator Economy Builds Its Own Lot
The Lighthouse, a creator‑economy co‑working campus, opened in a renovated Venice post office and a larger Brooklyn location, offering podcast studios, edit bays, and communal spaces. With a $6,000 annual membership, it caps membership at 500 and provides credits for...
Helika and Avalanche Bring Accelerator Demo Day to San Francisco Featuring Top Studios and a First Look at Helika’s Publishing...
Helika and Avalanche are co‑hosting a joint Accelerator Demo Day at Pocket Gamer Connects in San Francisco on March 9, 2026, concluding a 12‑week program that equips game studios with funding, mentorship, and Helika’s data‑driven publishing support. The event will debut Helika’s AI‑powered...
Mark Ruffalo Drama That's "Poised to Break Hearts" With "Perfect" Cast Lands New UK Streaming Home
Hal & Harper, the Mark Ruffalo‑led drama that premiered on Australia’s Stan platform, is arriving in the UK on ITVX on 23 March. The series follows two siblings confronting childhood trauma while navigating adult life, and features Lili Reinhart, Cooper Raiff,...
Stan Acquires Buzzy George Kay Thriller Series GONE for Australia
Australian streaming service Stan has acquired the exclusive rights to the six‑part psychological thriller *Gone* for the Australian market. The series, created by George Kay – known for *Hijack* and *Lupin* – follows elite headmaster Michael Polly, played by David...
BCNEXXT Adds HLG-Based HDR To Vipe Platform
BCNEXXT has integrated live HLG‑based HDR playout into its cloud‑native Vipe platform, supporting UHD 2160p BT.2100 HLG ingest and output. The solution lets broadcasters run HDR and SDR streams side‑by‑side, especially for live sports, while minimizing cross‑conversion steps. Vipe’s architecture...
The Baltimore Beat Experiments with Pay-What-You-Can Ads
Baltimore Beat, a nonprofit news outlet, is introducing pay‑what‑you‑can advertising options. The tiered pricing lets mom‑and‑pop shops pay $50, brick‑and‑mortar stores $150, and larger investors $300 per ad. The paper, which distributes 20,000 free print copies twice a month and...
Clint Hocking, Creative Director of the Next Assassin's Creed, Leaves Ubisoft Following Restructure
Sensor Tower’s State of Gaming 2026 report shows mobile game revenue barely budged, rising just 1% to $82 billion while downloads slipped. In contrast, PC and console revenue jumped 13%, driven by a surge in AA and AAA releases and a record‑breaking...
Get 2 Free Months of Unlimited Listening when You Sign up for Amazon Music Unlimited
Amazon Music Unlimited is offering new subscribers two free months of service through March 2, delivering a $23.98‑$25.98 discount. The standard rate is $11.99 per month for Prime members and $12.99 for non‑Prime users. The plan provides ad‑free on‑demand music, HD...
Viewers Continue To 'Struggle' With Sports Program Discovery
A recent Reviews.org survey reveals that nearly half of U.S. sports fans struggle to locate the right channel or streaming service for a specific game, and 53% have missed games because of subscription gaps. The study, based on 882 active...
Comedy Meets Culture: Jess a Couple Things Partners With Backyard Ventures
Backyard Ventures announced an exclusive partnership with Jess A Couple Things, the pop‑culture comedy show hosted by Jessie Woo. The deal positions BV as the sole representative for premium brand collaborations across the show’s Instagram, YouTube, podcast and other social channels....
Lionsgate’s ‘The Housemaid’ Remains Atop U.K. Weekly Home Entertainment Sales Chart Through Feb. 25
Lionsgate’s thriller *The Housemaid* retained the No. 1 spot on the U.K. weekly home‑entertainment sales chart for a second consecutive week, underscoring its strong consumer appeal. Disney’s *Zootopia 2* held steady at No. 2 following its recent digital retail launch, while Signature’s *Dracula*...
Broadpeak Launches Multiview For Live Sports at 2026 NAB Show
Broadpeak announced the launch of its Multiview solution for live sports at the 2026 NAB Show in Las Vegas. The technology lets broadcasters, streaming platforms and telecom operators deliver multiple simultaneous feeds on a single screen, offering viewers the ability to...
Carson Roney: Discipline Of An Athlete, Instinct Of A Content Creator
Carson Roney leveraged her athlete’s discipline to build a multi‑platform creator business after college, turning TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat into revenue streams that now outpace her previous wait‑staff job. A surge in posting frequency during the COVID‑19 lockdown sparked rapid...
Unfiltered Media Podcast
Barb CEO Justin Sampson appeared on the Unfiltered Media podcast on 25 February 2026 to examine mounting pressures on traditional media measurement currencies. He explained how fragmented consumption across streaming, social and gaming platforms is eroding legacy TV‑rating models. Sampson...
F1 CEO: Audience Reach on Apple Will Be ‘Even Bigger’ than ESPN
Formula One has signed a reported $150 million per‑year deal with Apple, ending its ESPN partnership that delivered a record 1.32 million U.S. viewers in its final season. Apple TV+ will stream every practice, qualifying, sprint and Grand Prix at no extra cost, while...
ILMC 38 Open Forum: ‘Live Is the Last Frontier of Tangible, Real Experiences’
The ILMC 38 Open Forum brought together newly appointed leaders from Superstruct, Ticketmaster, Pophouse and AEG to debate the future of live entertainment. Speakers highlighted a surge in global touring, especially among Gen‑Z audiences, and the paradox of a digitally...
Valerie Bertinelli Launches Subscription Direct-to-Fan Platform ‘Valerie’s Place,’ Including New Episodes of ‘Home Cooking’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Former Food Network star Valerie Bertinelli has launched a subscription‑based direct‑to‑fan platform called Valerie’s Place, priced at $2 per month. The service, built on Visible Things’ technology, offers new episodes of her show Home Cooking, original programming, podcasts, live streams,...
ITV Studios Produces the Spanish Version of Parents’ Evening for Atresmedia
ITV Studios announced that its hit UK celebrity game show Parents’ Evening will be adapted for the Spanish market by Atresmedia, with production handled by ITV Studios Iberia. The format, created by Ranga Bee Productions and hosted by Romesh Ranganathan...
Germany’s Legendary Club Boothaus Finally Gets Its Own Imprint
Germany’s iconic Bootshaus club in Cologne has launched its own imprint, Bootshaus Music, debuting with OGUZ and Jay Toledo’s track “Euphoria.” The release delivers uncompromising, high‑energy techno that mirrors the venue’s reputation for relentless, bass‑driven nights. Unlike many fledgling labels,...
PlayStation Plus Premium 12-Month Deal: Best Discount Right Now
Sony has launched a limited‑time Lunar New Year promotion that slashes the 12‑month PlayStation Plus Premium subscription by 37%, dropping the price to $99.99 (or £77.99 in the UK). The deal, available until February 26, grants access to the full Game...
The Outer Worlds 2 Vinyl Soundtrack Is Now Available to Pre-Order From Laced Records
Laced Records has opened pre‑orders for a limited‑edition vinyl soundtrack of *The Outer Worlds 2*, priced at $62. The set spans three 12‑inch LPs, offering 44 tracks that align with the game’s three major factions. Two versions are available: a colour‑marble...
TV Media Buyers Want Outcomes – So Nielsen Is Introducing More Advanced Audiences
Nielsen announced the addition of more than 200 advanced audience segments to its Nielsen ONE cross‑platform dashboard, drawing on Scarborough’s extensive U.S. consumer surveys. The new segments span demographics, purchase behavior and lifestyle categories, and are intended to improve TV...
Week of Feb. 9 Evening News Ratings: Nightly News Gets Olympic Boost
NBC Nightly News anchored from Milan posted week‑to‑week gains in both total viewers and the coveted Adults 25‑54 demo, buoyed by its Milano‑Cortina 2026 Olympic coverage. The broadcast recorded 7.797 million total viewers and 1.24 million demo viewers, up 8% and 13% respectively,...
AMC Is Closing More Theaters: List of Doomed Cinema Locations Will Grow in 2026 as Meme Stock Craze Sputters
AMC Entertainment announced it will continue closing more theaters than it opens, citing a weak financial outlook. Q4 2025 revenue slipped to $1.28 billion, a 1.4% decline, while global attendance fell nearly 10% to 56.3 million. U.S. attendance dropped 7.5% and international attendance...
WAN-IFRA Introduces the NextGen AI Leaders Programme to Equip Emerging News Executives with Practical AI and Leadership Skills
WAN-IFRA has launched the NextGen AI Leaders Programme, a tuition‑free 12‑week initiative aimed at equipping 24 emerging news executives aged 25‑40 from Europe, the Middle East and Africa with practical AI and leadership skills. Backed by the Google News Initiative,...
Film Festival Alliance Appoints Mallory Martin Its Next Executive Director
Film Festival Alliance (FFA) announced Mallory Martin as its new executive director, succeeding Barbara Twist. Martin was chosen from a pool of 250 candidates and will assume the role on March 9, 2026. She brings more than 15 years of festival leadership, most recently serving...
Dubai Esports & Games Festival Returns on May 8th as the City Doubles Down on Its Gaming Ambitions
The Dubai Esports & Games Festival is set to return on May 8 2026, reinforcing the emirate’s ambition to become a global gaming hub. Organized under Dubai’s digital‑economy strategy, the event will host competitive tournaments, influencer appearances, and interactive fan zones that...
The Great Escape Lines up Mel C, Ian Murray MP for Keynotes
The Great Escape returns to Brighton from 13‑16 May for its 20th anniversary, featuring live‑music industry sessions, debates and a showcase of over 400 emerging acts. Global pop icon Melanie C and DCMS Minister Ian Murray MP have been confirmed...
Miley Cyrus Asks Court to Dismiss ‘Flowers’ Copyright Case, Calling Similarities to Bruno Mars Hit ‘Commonplace’ and Unprotectable
Miley Cyrus’s legal team filed a motion to dismiss Tempo Secured Music Rights Collateral’s copyright lawsuit alleging her 2023 hit “Flowers” copies elements of Bruno Mars’s 2013 ballad “When I Was Your Man.” Tempo, a music‑rights fund now controlled by Warner Music Group,...
Fewer Guests, Looming Debt Weigh on Six Flags' New CEO's Agenda
Six Flags Entertainment, the largest regional amusement‑park operator in North America, is confronting a sharp decline in attendance across its 26 theme parks and 15 water parks. The company’s debt has ballooned to $5.1 billion, tightening its financial leeway. New CEO...
Sony Music Publishing Launches in the Philippines, Appoints Stephanie Ortiz as General Manager for the Market
Sony Music Publishing has launched its first Philippine office in Manila, appointing Stephanie Ortiz as General Manager. Ortiz reports to newly named Asia President Roslyn Pineda, who operates from Hong Kong. The office will serve local labels, collection societies, and...
Min Hee-Jin Proposes to Forgo $18M Court Win in Exchange for HYBE Dropping All Lawsuits Against Her, NewJeans, Ex-Employees and...
Min Hee‑jin, former ADOR CEO, offered to forgo a KRW 25.6 billion (≈US $17.9 million) court award in exchange for HYBE dropping every civil and criminal lawsuit involving her, NewJeans, former staff and fans. The proposal follows a Seoul court ruling that ordered HYBE...
Amazon Continues Its Games Cull, Dropping Driving Game From Forza Horizon Devs
Amazon Games has terminated its publishing agreement with Maverick Games, the UK studio founded by former Forza Horizon developers, leaving the open‑world driving title without a backer. Maverick will now seek a new publisher to bring its narrative‑driven driving experience...