Today's Media Pulse
US DOJ clears $111 bn Paramount‑Warner merger
The Justice Department approved Paramount Skydance’s $111 bn acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, citing $6 bn of projected synergies and concluding the deal is unlikely to harm competition. The clearance ends an eight‑month antitrust probe, but the UK Competition and Markets Authority has opened its own investigation with an Aug 7 deadline. The merger now moves forward pending any further challenges.
Also developing:
By the numbers: K-LOVE acquires Baltimore station in undisclosed deal
NBCU’s Peacock Is Officially On Its Way To Profitability
NBCUniversal’s streaming service Peacock added 2 million net subscribers in Q1 2026, bringing its base to 46 million and driving a 71% revenue jump that pushed quarterly earnings past $2 billion. The surge was powered by a "Legendary February" sports lineup—including the Winter Olympics, Super Bowl LX and NBA All‑Star Game—that generated roughly $2.2 billion in advertising sales. Overall, Comcast’s Q1 revenue rose to $31.5 billion, up 11% year‑over‑year, with media revenue up 13% excluding the marquee events. Executives say Peacock is on track to reach profitability next quarter.
X Is Shutting Down Communities because of Low Usage and Lots of Spam
X announced it will permanently retire the Communities feature, citing usage by fewer than 0.4% of its users and accounting for 80% of spam, scam and malware reports. The shutdown is scheduled for May 6, 2026 with an extended migration deadline of...
How to Edit Audio for Podcast: A Pro Workflow
Podcasters are urged to move beyond a simple trim‑and‑export approach and adopt a "minimum effective edit" that targets the most noticeable flaws. Poor audio can cause a 25‑50% listener drop‑off in the first minute and up to 70% of listeners...
Why Digital Platforms Still Feel Local in a Supposedly Global Internet
Digital platforms project a universal façade, yet local laws, licensing and market‑specific rules shape what users actually see. Apple’s regional app availability and Netflix’s country‑specific catalogs illustrate how legal frameworks fragment the experience. When a service’s access hinges on jurisdiction,...
Clinch Brings AI-Driven Creative Personalisation to Pause Ads Through OpenGlass Partnership
Clinch and OpenGlass have certified Clinch’s ad‑serving tags for pause‑ad formats across major CTV publishers such as Paramount, Tubi, and Plex, enabling AI‑driven creative personalization in real time. The integration collapses the historically fragmented, publisher‑by‑publisher workflow into a single tag...
Study: Honda Drivers Use AM/FM for Ad-Supported Listening
Cumulus Media’s Audio Active Group, citing Edison Research Share of Ear data, found that 83% of Honda drivers’ ad‑supported listening in their cars is on AM/FM radio, with podcasts trailing at 8%. Across all environments—home, work, and other locations—Honda owners...
Podtrac Releases March Multi-Channel Podcast Ranker
Podtrac released its March Multi‑Channel Podcast Ranker, the third monthly chart that blends audio, video and short‑clip consumption to rank U.S. podcasts. Meidas Touch Network’s “The Meidas Touch” held the top spot, while “The Joe Rogan Experience” remained steady at...
Sara Cox Replaces Scott Mills on Radio 2 Breakfast Show
BBC Radio 2 announced that Sara Cox will succeed Scott Mills as the flagship breakfast presenter, taking the role in the summer. Cox, who has hosted the station’s teatime slot since 2019, expressed excitement about the move, which makes her the second...
How to Watch the 2026 London Marathon
The 2026 TCS London Marathon will be held on Monday, April 20, 2026, with the women’s elite race kicking off at 9:05 a.m. London time (4:05 a.m. ET) and the men’s elite at 9:35 a.m. (4:35 a.m. ET). In the United Kingdom, live coverage...
![Brittany Allen On Bringing Honor to Roxie’s Final Hours on ‘The Pitt’ [VIDEO INTERVIEW]](https://hixhlmpcokxhartfkpyi.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/images/thumbnails/1d1a3f75cb2c35774c27bf9090c48416.webp)
Brittany Allen On Bringing Honor to Roxie’s Final Hours on ‘The Pitt’ [VIDEO INTERVIEW]
Brittany Allen joins the Emmy‑winning drama *The Pitt* for a multi‑episode arc in its second season, portraying Roxie Hamler, a woman battling advanced cancer in the hospital’s emergency department. The series has surged in popularity, with Season 2 viewership up roughly...
Firefly Expands Programmatic Capabilities Through Integration with VIOOH
Firefly, the world’s largest mobile out‑of‑home network, announced an integration with VIOOH, a leading DOOH supply‑side platform. The partnership lets advertisers access Firefly’s 60,000 moving screens through major demand‑side platforms, enabling real‑time, data‑driven buying of mobility‑based inventory. By embedding moving...
Pubstack Unveils ‘Spark for Publishers’ to End Publisher Inventory Commoditisation
Pubstack, the supply‑intelligence platform for digital publishers, launched Spark for Publishers, a new layer that lets publishers curate, signal, and package inventory for programmatic buyers. The solution adds signal‑based packaging and traffic‑shaping to existing monetisation stacks, aiming to reduce bid...
Amazon Ads & Global Announce Integration Bringing the UK’s Biggest Commercial Audio Brands to Amazon DSP
Amazon Ads and Global have launched a programmatic integration that connects Amazon’s demand‑side platform (DSP) with Global’s DAX exchange, giving advertisers direct access to the UK’s leading commercial audio brands such as Heart, Capital and Smooth. The partnership blends Amazon’s...
Aerie Ups Commitment to Authenticity with Enhanced Creator Program
Aerie has launched the Realmakers Community, a creator program that invites U.S. influencers with at least 1,500 followers on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube or Pinterest to earn commissions, receive product seeding, and attend brand‑led events. The initiative, built with the Duel...
Sally Ramirez, WMAQ-WSNS Chicago SVP Of News, To Be Inducted Into NAHJ Hall Of Fame
Sally Ramirez, senior vice president of news for NBC 5 Chicago and Telemundo Chicago, will be inducted into the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) Hall of Fame on July 25, 2026. The honor recognizes her three‑decade career, which includes five Edward R. Murrow Awards,...
Instagram Testing BeReal‑style App, Not yet US‑available
Instagram seems to be testing a new app - maybe like BeReal - but unfortunately not available in the US
Cold War Space Race Gets a Twist in First Trailer for Apple TV’s Star City
Apple TV+ unveiled the first trailer for "Star City," an eight‑part alt‑history drama set in the same universe as "For All Mankind." The series flips the Cold War space race, depicting a Soviet Union that lands on the Moon before...
From AI Fear to Action
Neal Bloom’s Rising Tide Partners hosted a Burbank Tech Talks session highlighting how AI is unsettling long‑standing media roles. Attendees, seasoned in film and TV production, recognize AI’s impact but struggle to translate their existing skills into the new landscape....
Atlanta News First & Atlanta Dream Announce Full-Season Local TV Broadcast Partnership
Atlanta News First, Peachtree TV and Peachtree Sports Network have renewed a full‑season local television partnership with the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream. The agreement ensures that every Dream game not carried nationally will air on WANF, WPCH or the Peachtree Sports...
Vevo Refines Upfront 2026 Strategy
Vevo has revamped its 2026 Upfront strategy, emphasizing bespoke, high‑impact products such as Artist Franchise and Attention Guaranteed. The Artist Franchise program, which aligns brands with top musicians on premieres and exclusive content, has more than tripled in sales year‑over‑year....
Advertising as Toruture? Marketing Hits a New Low
Spotify has launched a bold ad campaign that dramatizes the experience of ad‑filled streaming as a form of torture. The visuals—ice‑cold water, feathers, sweat droplets—were created by the agency Machine_ without AI assistance. The campaign, titled “ad‑free music listening,” earned...
Thrad Launches Managed Service for ChatGPT Ads
Thrad, an advertising infrastructure firm for AI, has launched a managed service that lets brands place ads inside ChatGPT. The platform reaches more than 900 million weekly users, many of whom now turn to the chatbot for product recommendations and brand...
ComicScene Paid Substack for Free
ComicScene’s Kickstarter for its 2027 Yearbook is in its final week, offering backers a £10 (≈$13) reward for the 100‑page yearbook or a £20 (≈$26) tier that adds a 48‑page Summer Special and a free paid Substack subscription. The campaign...
WBD Shareholders Say Yes
Warner Bros. Discovery’s shareholders approved the merger with Paramount, moving the deal past the investor‑approval stage. The most significant US antitrust hurdle has already been cleared as the waiting period expired without objection, and Paramount has positioned the transaction to align with...
Fonda Warns Warner‑Paramount Merger Threatens Media Diversity
Jane Fonda on WBD-Paramount shareholder vote: "Today’s decision by Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders to advance a merger with Paramount is a serious setback — for our industry, for the workers who sustain it, for consumers, and for the fundamental democratic values...
If You Can't Beat 'Em: France Télévisions Moves Its News Operation to YouTube
France Télévisions announced a strategic partnership with Google to broadcast its entire news lineup on YouTube, marking a decisive "streaming‑first" shift for the public broadcaster. The move is designed to reclaim advertising revenue that has migrated to digital platforms and...
"Sober and Efficient": France Télévisions Tones Down the Glitz for Cannes 2026
France Télévisions is scaling back its Cannes Film Festival coverage for the 2026 edition, opting for a "sober and efficient" approach. The broadcaster will allocate roughly €30 million (about $32 million) to a streamlined multi‑platform rollout, cutting on‑site staff by 20% and...
I Paired Headphones to My Streaming Stick for the First Time - and Fixed a Big TV Annoyance
The article explains how to pair any Bluetooth headphones with popular streaming sticks—Roku, Amazon Fire, Google TV, and Apple TV 4K—using the device’s Bluetooth settings or a remote’s 3.5 mm jack. It outlines step‑by‑step pairing, highlights that Bluetooth won’t carry Dolby...
How Ceartas Is Turning Creator Brand Protection Into Infrastructure
Ceartas, a Dublin‑based anti‑piracy platform founded in 2021, protects creators from stolen and synthetic content by scanning millions of sites daily, including the dark web. Leveraging AI‑validated takedowns and a manual review team, it can map and remove infringing material...
Measurement Provider DoubleVerify Earns MRC Accreditation For TikTok Video Viewability Reporting
DoubleVerify has become the first measurement provider to receive Media Rating Council (MRC) accreditation for TikTok video viewability reporting. The accreditation validates the company’s direct measurement of impressions, viewable impressions and sophisticated invalid traffic filtration on TikTok’s mobile app. These...
The Great Aggregation: Apple TV+ Touches Down on Prime Video in France
Apple’s streaming service Apple TV+ has been added to the French Amazon Prime Video catalog as of April 21. French Prime Video subscribers can now subscribe to Apple TV+ directly through Amazon for €9 per month, roughly $10. The move...
From Viral to Viable: Heather Weiss Besignano on Reframing PR for the Creator Economy
Heather Weiss Besignano founded ICON PR in 2018 to blend traditional Hollywood publicity with the fast‑growing creator economy. By treating digital talent like legacy actors, she offers long‑term brand architecture rather than one‑off viral spikes. ICON now splits its roster...
These Are Spotify’s Most Streamed Artists, Songs and Albums of All Time
Spotify marked its 20th anniversary by publishing its all‑time most streamed artists, albums and songs. Taylor Swift tops the artist list, Bad Bunny’s 2022 release ‘Un Verano Sin Ti’ leads the album chart, and The Weeknd’s ‘Blinding Lights’ remains the most streamed track. The...
Ozen.fm and Canal Café Brasil Announce Partnership for Content Monetization
Ozen.fm, a global audio monetization platform, has partnered with Brazil’s Canal Café Brasil to handle the commercial management of its podcast and audio portfolio. The deal covers the channel’s three flagship shows—LiderCast, Café com Leite and Cafezinho—totaling nearly 2,500 episodes....
ZOOP Launches Globally as Official Social Platform Partner of Inaugural Enhanced Games
ZOOP, the creator‑centric social platform founded by former OnlyFans executive R.J. Phillips, has launched globally and secured the role of official social platform partner for the inaugural Enhanced Games in Las Vegas on May 24. The service differentiates itself from Meta...
Creator Monetization Platform Passes Rebrands as ‘Creator Accelerator’
Passes, the creator monetization platform founded in 2022, announced a rebrand to “Creator Accelerator,” unveiling a new logo and positioning that highlights its expanded toolset—including subscriptions, paid messages, livestreams, merchandise, and one‑on‑one calls. The company retains its 10% platform fee...
Acxiom Deepens Amazon Ads Partnership, Making 10,000+ Audiences Available for Immediate Activation in Amazon DSP
Acxiom has expanded its long‑standing partnership with Amazon Ads by making more than 10,000 of its Real ID‑based audiences directly accessible in Amazon DSP’s Audience Hub. The integration, live since March 16, lets advertisers in the U.S., U.K. and Germany activate...
Snap Map Adds ‘Place Loyalty’ Badges to Rank Users’ Most-Visited Locations
Snapchat has introduced a new Snap Map feature called Place Loyalty, which ranks users by how often they visit specific locations over the past year. The top 1% of visitors earn a gold badge, the top 10% a silver badge,...
Libsyn Expands Its Creator Portfolio with Five New Exclusive Podcast Partnerships
Libsyn announced exclusive hosting and advertising deals with five niche podcasts—Locked In with Ian Bick, Unlearned Wisdom with Johnny Chang, Restricted Handling, Was I In a Cult?, and The Joe Vulpis Podcast. The agreements give Libsyn sole rights to host,...
Corsa Digital Expands Into CTV, Appoints Carlo Robles to Lead Programmatic Growth
Corsa Digital announced it is extending its programmatic audio marketplace into connected TV, video, and display, creating a unified omnichannel offering. The move is anchored by the hiring of Carlo Robles as Account Director to spearhead CTV and video growth. Corsa...
Unlock AI Marketing: Practical Strategies for Founders
i'm hosting a live event in berlin on april 28th "the future of ai marketing" from 5-9pm at w3.hub here's what we'll be getting into: > how to use AI marketing as a founder to actually capture attention and get customers (without sounding...
Request to Verify Source Behind White Supremacy Spike
.@grok find the original source of this data and fact check it What story was the cause of the spike in “white supremacy” @WSJ @NYTimesPR @washingtonpost @latimes please vet this and check in https://t.co/jiWxeWQ6BB
2003's All My Children Features First Daytime TV Lesbian Kiss
📺 April 23, 2003: Bianca Montgomery (Eden Riegel) kissed Lena Kundera (Olga Sosnovska) on the ABC daytime drama “All My Children”, which was the first same-sex kiss between two women ever featured on American daytime television. https://t.co/vljk9I70Bc https://t.co/5sjjhHItn8
Sports Powers TV
Front Office Sports Takes Big TV Swing With Daily Syndicated Show: Sports Is ‘What’s Really Driving Broadcast Television These Days,’ Jeff Zucker Says (EXCLUSIVE) https://t.co/zk3rdR1f4P via @variety
Google Uses Click Data to Influence SEO Rankings
How Google's systems treat click data, and the straight facts about what it means for SEO and rankings. https://t.co/3hJjjfp9A9 via @martinibuster, @sejournal
NYT Digital Ads Surge 25% After Video Pivot
Yes, and to add a bit more context: The New York Times Company saw its digital advertising revenue stall -- even decline, as it did by nearly 4% in Q4 2023 -- until it strategically embraced video. In Q4 2025, its...
Connor Tomlinson Launches Video Podcast with PAVE Studios
Connor Tomlinson to Launch Video Podcast in First Project After Leaving 'Love on the Spectrum,' Part of PAVE Studios' New Slate of History Shows https://t.co/ItoPFViZDr via @Variety
ChatGPT‑Generated Thumbnails Boost AI Video CTR to 8%
ChatGPT Images do a great job with YT thumbnails. 8% CTR on a business AI topic is solid. Video was on the implications of ChatGPT Workspace Agents on work. Great for cranking out newsjacking content on the fly. https://t.co/1UXV2GI43i https://t.co/U3t7zaFtRD
OpenAI's TBPN Launches Emmy FYC Campaign
TBPN, the Tech-Bro Show Now Owned by OpenAI, Is Launching an Emmys FYC Campaign https://t.co/Foc8OdkVwf via @variety
AI Chatbot Ad Networks Crowding Limited Inventory
There are a bunch of AI chatbot-focused ad networks chasing the same AI chatbot app inventory.