BSW, Lawo Partner For U.S. Radio Offerings
Broadcast Supply Worldwide (BSW) has entered a distribution agreement with German‑based Lawo to bring the latter’s IP‑based radio production and broadcast infrastructure to U.S. stations. The partnership introduces BSW’s “Lawo crystal Radio Solution Packages,” which bundle pre‑configuration, remote commissioning, and ongoing technical support. BSW will handle system design, logistics, and post‑sale service, working with certified integration partners to ensure optimal installations. Together, the firms aim to accelerate the shift toward scalable, future‑ready IP studios across the American radio market.
Drinks Firms Pull Wireless Festival Sponsorship over Kanye West Booking
Diageo and AB InBev have withdrawn their sponsorship of the 2026 Wireless Festival after Kanye West was announced as the headline act. The controversy surrounding West’s recent antisemitic remarks and extremist imagery prompted other sponsors, including Pepsi, Rockstar Energy, and...
GridBank Raises $6-Million Seed Round to Monetize the Videos in Your Camera Roll
GridBank, a Montreal‑based startup, closed a $6 million seed round led by StandUp Ventures to build a marketplace for user‑generated video clips. The app lets smartphone owners upload authentic short videos, which brands and ad agencies purchase for organic‑looking marketing campaigns....
The Scandal of the Sharenting Economy
Family‑centered content creators, or “momfluencers,” monetize everyday childhood moments through brand partnerships, affiliate marketing, and ad revenue, often generating millions annually. The industry faces serious ethical concerns, including exposure to pedophiles, AI‑generated child sexual‑abuse material, and the exploitation of children’s...
WNBA Reveals Playbook Behind ‘GOAT’ Marketing Campaign for Season 30
The WNBA unveiled the marketing playbook for its 30th season, launching a "GOAT" campaign that spotlights legends like Sheryl Swoopes. The rollout follows a unanimous Board of Governors vote approving a new seven‑year collective bargaining agreement that raises player salaries,...
Pepsi, Paypal, Diageo, AB InBev Pull Out of Wireless Festival After Ye Booking
Pepsi, Diageo, PayPal and AB InBev have withdrawn their sponsorship of the Wireless festival after Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, was confirmed as headliner despite his recent antisemitic remarks. The pull‑back followed intense public backlash, pressure from Jewish organisations...
ABC Drops Sponsorship of LGBTQ+, Disability and Diversity Groups Including Acon
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) announced it will terminate its sponsorships with three diversity and inclusion groups – Acon Health’s Pride in Diversity programme, the Australian Disability Network, and the Diversity Council of Australia. The move follows years of Senate...
The NFL Names U.S. Bank As Its First Bank and Wealth Management Sponsor
The NFL announced a multi‑year partnership with U.S. Bank, making it the league’s first standalone banking and wealth‑management sponsor in three decades. The deal breaks the former all‑encompassing Visa agreement into three separate categories, with American Express taking payments and a peer‑to‑peer...
High Power Transmitter Switching, Simplified
Broadcast Devices Inc. (BDI) has launched the PCC‑300 3 Switch Combiner Controller, a 1 RU SNMP‑enabled platform that centralizes control of up to three motorized RF switches in high‑power dual‑cabinet transmitter systems. The device supports four common operating modes, provides built‑in...
Stream of Consciousness: How CTV and Household Targeting Keeps Brands Top of Mind
Streaming television overtook broadcast and cable in May 2025, capturing 44.8% of U.S. TV viewing and climbing to a 47.5% peak in December 2025. The surge has accelerated ad‑supported models, with Netflix’s ad tier rising from 26% to 40% of...
Pershing Square Proposes UMG Acquisition via SPAC Deal
Bill Ackman's Pershing Square Capital Management has proposed acquiring Universal Music Group through a SPAC merger that would move UMG’s listing from Amsterdam to New York. The offer provides €5.05 in cash plus 0.77 new shares for each UMG share,...
Leveraging SGAI for Longtail Live Sports
FloSports is piloting Server‑Generated Ad Insertion (SGAI) to tackle quality and revenue challenges in long‑tail sports streaming. The platform gains end‑to‑end observability of its video pipeline, allowing it to monitor performance without blind spots. SGAI also enables side‑by‑side programmatic ads...
A Digital Radio Network Opportunity Arising At NAB Show
At this year’s NAB Show, industry leaders highlighted a burgeoning opportunity for digital radio networks built on IP‑based infrastructure. Broadcasters and technology vendors demonstrated new platforms that promise higher audio quality, lower latency, and scalable distribution. The showcase emphasized data‑driven...
Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square Launches Bid for Universal Music Group
Bill Ackman's Pershing Square has launched a $63.5 billion takeover bid for Universal Music Group, proposing a merger that would create a new US‑listed entity and replace UMG’s Amsterdam listing. Shareholders would receive $5.05 in cash plus 0.77 shares of the...
Former HYBE Execs Behind BTS Launch Global K-Pop Audition, Eyeing 2027 Debut for First Boy Group
Former HYBE executives have launched a new entertainment venture, Retopia Salon, and announced global auditions across 18 cities to form its first boy group slated for a 2027 debut. The auditions, open to applicants born between 2008 and 2014 of...
Big Fortnite Crew Changes Are Coming in June 2026
Epic Games announced that starting June 2026 the Fortnite Crew subscription will deliver only 800 V‑Bucks per month instead of the current 1,000, a 20% reduction. The monthly fee remains $11.99, and the price of individual V‑Buck packs is unchanged,...
The Long Game in FAST: Market by Market
Wedotv, originally launched as Watch4 in 2018, has pursued a patient, ad‑supported streaming strategy that contrasts with the subscription‑driven hype of the era. By first consolidating operations in the DACH region and then expanding deliberately to the UK, Italy, the...
The Curious Case of a Pint-Sized Sleuth’s Box-Office Phenomenon
The 29th Detective Conan film, Fallen Angel of the Highway, opens in Japan on April 10, continuing a three‑decade run of annual releases that have turned the pint‑sized sleuth into a box‑office juggernaut. The franchise has amassed over ¥100 billion (about $667 million)...
Where to Watch: The Masters 2026
Nine Radio has secured Australia’s exclusive audio rights to stream The Masters 2026, delivering live coverage from Augusta National Golf Club via pop‑up channels on its 2GB, 3AW, 4BC and 6PR apps. The service will run each round from midnight...
The Opportunities in Print Magazine Publishing
The print magazine market is experiencing a revival, driven by consumers seeking distraction‑free, luxury media. Publishers can achieve profitability by keeping production costs low and charging premium cover prices—£5 (≈ $6) to make a title and selling it for £10 (≈ $13)...
Scott Dettrick: Everyone’s a Creator Now. So, Let’s Make It Mean Something
Scott Dettrick argues that the creator economy is reshaping how ideas are produced and consumed, with anyone able to launch a brand or cultural moment from a phone. He highlights examples like Australia’s Aunty Donna and Korean influencer YUQI, showing...
The Business of Comedy Conference – an Australian First
The Business of Comedy Conference, held 16‑18 April 2026 at Melbourne’s Crowne Plaza, is Australia’s first event dedicated to the economics of comedy. Organisers Morry Morgan and Lily Geddes expect more than 450 attendees from government, media, tech, advertising and the comedy...
Picsart Now Lets Creators Make Money From Their Designs
Picsart, the AI‑powered design platform with 130 million users, has unveiled a creator monetization program that lets any user earn money by posting campaign‑specific content on social channels. Payouts are calculated from views, comments, shares and reach, and creators can monitor...
Samantha Saunders Appointed CMO Of Dreamworld Parent Company
Coast Entertainment Holdings Group, owner of Dreamworld and related attractions, has returned to positive EBITDA after a multi‑year restructuring. To capitalize on this momentum, the board appointed Samantha Saunders as chief marketing officer and Luke Ingles as chief strategy officer....
'The American Prospect' Says It Will No Longer Run Programmatic Ads
The American Prospect announced it is removing all programmatic advertising from its website, citing concerns over reader privacy, site performance, and security vulnerabilities. The outlet said personal data deserves greater respect and that programmatic ads slow pages and disrupt the...
CBS To Fill 'Colbert' Time Slot With 'Comics Unleashed'
CBS announced that the 11:35 p.m. "Late Show" slot will be taken over by Byron Allen's improv comedy series "Comics Unleashed" beginning May 22, a day after Stephen Colbert's final episode. The move follows CBS executives' admission that Colbert's program had become...
Aussie Indie Crashes US Podcast Charts, Takes on NYT and NPR
Mashed Pumpkin Productions, a Queensland indie, has entered the U.S. podcast arena with its series “What I Survived,” reaching #31 on the overall Apple Podcasts chart. The show also topped the Documentary chart and placed fourth in Society & Culture...
Major Sponsors Pull Out of Kanye West’s London Gigs
US rapper Kanye West, now known as Ye, will headline three nights of London’s Wireless Festival in July, reigniting controversy over his past anti‑Semitic statements. Beverage giants Pepsi and spirits group Diageo have both withdrawn their sponsorships of the event,...
Who Decides What News Means?
Matt Brittin, a former Google executive, has been appointed BBC director‑general, bringing platform and digital‑audience expertise rather than a journalism background. The article argues his tech savvy is crucial as AI and algorithmic news delivery reshape how Britons consume information,...
The League of Legends KeSPA Cup Will Air Globally on Disney+
Disney+ has secured a global streaming partnership with the Korea Esports Association, making the 2026 League of Legends KeSPA Cup and other major Asian esports tournaments available on its platform. The deal also includes live coverage of Esports Champions Asia...
Tommy Hilfiger Enlists Travis Kelce As Ambassador, Collaborator
Tommy Hilfiger has signed NFL star Travis Kelce as a global ambassador and creative collaborator. Kelce will star in a fall‑2024 ad campaign and co‑design a capsule collection that blends Hilfiger’s classic prep aesthetic with his bold, athletic style. The...
Questions Linger About the Long-Term Viability of X
X’s ad revenue has slumped to $2.26 billion in 2025, down from $4.14 billion in 2022, while active users in Europe fell 15% in the second half of 2025. The platform survives thanks to a March 2025 merger with Musk’s AI venture xAI,...
Meta Looks to Grow Threads in Japan
Meta has launched an official Japan‑specific Threads profile to share localized updates on Threads, Instagram, Meta AI and Meta Quest, signaling a direct challenge to X’s dominance in the country. X currently enjoys the highest daily active users and time‑spent metrics globally,...
Instagram Chief Debunks Popular Engagement Hack
Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri clarified that reposting feed content to Stories does not meaningfully increase a post's reach, debunking a widely circulated engagement hack. He emphasized that the Feed algorithm offers broader exposure through the Explore page and permanent visibility,...
ESPN+ Lands Rock League Rights as Curling’s First Pro League Launches
ESPN+ has secured exclusive streaming rights for the inaugural Rock League season, the world’s first professional curling league. The league launches on April 6 with six mixed‑gender franchises spanning Canada, Europe, Asia‑Pacific and the United States. A roster of 60 athletes...
3 TV Advertising Myths DTC Brands Should Ignore
Direct‑to‑consumer brands are confronting rising acquisition costs and saturated digital channels, prompting a shift toward streaming TV. Connected‑TV now accounts for nearly 18% of U.S. adult viewing time, yet only 7.4% of media budgets target it, creating a sizable growth...
Hearst’s WDSU to Air Million Dollar Rodeo Competition
Hearst-owned NBC affiliate WDSU in New Orleans has secured exclusive rights to air the Hondo Rodeo Fest’s three‑night, million‑dollar competition from April 10‑12 at the Caesars Superdome. The event blends high‑stakes rodeo, a multi‑day concert lineup featuring Jason Aldean, Creed and other...
With TRO Hearing Tuesday, DirecTV Chimes In On TEGNA Sale
DirecTV has filed a 15‑page petition in Sacramento federal court requesting a modification of the order that currently blocks Nexstar Media Group from fully integrating the assets it acquired from TEGNA. The request, signed by at least twelve attorneys, aims...
Marybeth Sprows Returns To Hallmark Media; Tatiana Erasme Promoted
Hallmark Media has bolstered its leadership team by rehiring Marybeth Sprows as senior vice president of Original Series and promoting Tatiana Erasme to vice president of Casting and Talent. Sprows, who previously led Sony Pictures Television’s faith‑and‑family division, returns to...
TikTok, SoundOn Aim To Further Protect Musicians' Licensed Work
TikTok and its music‑distribution partner SoundOn have launched an AI‑powered “Derivative Works Detection” service built by ACRCloud to identify copyrighted tracks even after user modifications. The system adds pre‑ and post‑distribution reviews, human photo‑ID checks, and works alongside TikTok’s own...
Red Seat Ventures Launches Speakeasy, Why Podcasts Work for Sports Fans, & More
Red Seat Ventures introduced Speakeasy, an all‑in‑one podcast hosting, distribution and monetization platform that supports RSS, HLS and video formats. Industry experts highlighted podcasts as a powerful channel for sports fans, noting that 76% of sports podcast listeners stay with...
Derek Blum Joins Arise Artists Agency As Unscripted TV Agent
Derek Blum has joined Arise Artists Agency as an Unscripted TV Agent, adding more than a decade of experience across major firms such as Innovative Artists, A3 Artists, UTA, Paradigm, and APA. At Arise, he will focus on staffing, representing...
Dollywood’s Appreciation Days Return as Theme Parks Get Strategic with Deals
Dollywood is reviving its Public Employee Appreciation Days, offering one‑day tickets for $59 plus tax from April 13 through May 17, 2026. Eligible guests—military, first responders, teachers, healthcare and government workers—must verify status via ID.me and can buy up to six tickets...
TCL’s Internet Services Arm Partners With AdTech Agency Affinity for Smart TV Advertising
Chinese electronics maker TCL’s internet services division, TCL FFalcon, has teamed up with ad‑tech firm Affinity to serve as the primary demand partner for its Smart TV advertising platform. The integration will enable global brands to programmatically buy inventory across...
MSG Entertainment Enters Talks for Sphere Concept in Tokyo
Madison Square Garden Entertainment and Japan’s SBI Holdings have entered negotiations to build a Tokyo version of the Las Vegas‑style Sphere, a massive immersive arena. The project is projected to cost between ¥350 billion and ¥500 billion (approximately $2.2‑$3.1 billion) and would seat...
The AP Is Offering Buyouts in a Pivot Away From Newspapers
The Associated Press announced voluntary buyouts for about 120 U.S. journalists as it pivots away from its traditional newspaper client base. Newspaper‑derived revenue now represents only 10% of AP’s income and has fallen 25% over the past four years after...
Lego Calls In Real-Life Luke To Hype Smart Bricks
Lego has enlisted Star Wars icon Mark Hamill as its Junior Executive Director of Information to promote the new SMART Play line, a suite of interactive bricks that embed sensors, sound and wireless charging. U.S. fans can call a toll‑free...
‘Peacemaker’s Sol Rodriguez Signs With Strand Entertainment
Actress Sol Rodriguez, best known for her role as Sasha Bordeaux on HBO Max’s DC series *Peacemaker* and as the female lead in Netflix’s *Holiday in the Vineyards*, has signed a management deal with Strand Entertainment. The agreement adds Rodriguez...
Why Even Major Piracy Takedowns Show the Industry Must Put Greater Emphasis on Proactive Protection Efforts
The U.S. Department of Justice recently seized domains of several high‑traffic piracy platforms that collectively drew tens of millions of visits and facilitated millions of illegal downloads. These sites operate like sophisticated, cloud‑based businesses, offering user experiences that mirror legitimate...
Wireless Festival Loses Diageo and Rockstar Energy Sponsorships Over Kanye West Booking
Wireless Festival’s 2026 edition has lost three major sponsors—Diageo, Rockstar Energy and Pepsi—after the organizers announced Kanye West as a headliner. The withdrawals follow public criticism of West’s past antisemitic remarks by UK political leaders. The festival’s website now shows no...