Today's Media Pulse
BBC greenlights legal drama “Reputation” on celebrity libel battle
BBC has commissioned a six‑episode series titled “Reputation” that dramatizes a high‑stakes celebrity libel fight. Created by Anya Reiss, the show follows a free‑speech lawyer defending pop star Davina Knight against defamation claims. The drama taps into recent public feuds and aims to blend courtroom tension with pop‑culture intrigue.
Also developing:
Winemiller Scores A Three Rivers LPTV Deal
Jeff Winemiller’s Lowcountry 34 Media, a fast‑growing operator of low‑power TV stations, has secured a broadcast property in Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers market. The acquisition expands the company’s over‑the‑air portfolio after a high‑visibility appearance at the 2026 NAB Show in Las Vegas. By adding a station in a top‑10 U.S. market, Lowcountry 34 Media positions itself to monetize ATSC 3.0 capabilities and localized ad inventory. The deal underscores the rising financial appeal of LPTV assets amid industry shifts toward next‑gen broadcasting.
BritBox Marks DAVID ATTENBOROUGH 100th with Top 10 Shows
Sir David Attenborough turns 100 on May 8, and BritBox is celebrating by launching a curated top‑10 collection of his landmark natural‑history series, including The Blue Planet, Planet Earth and Frozen Planet. The lineup showcases his work across more than 80...
DPP Media Supply Festival 2026
The DPP Media Supply Festival will take place June 9‑10, 2026 in New York, gathering media executives to explore the evolving supply chain from ideas to streaming content. Organizers highlight AI’s dual role in adding complexity and unlocking efficiency across...
Claire Danes to Star in Netflix Romantic Drama Series Lovesick / Casper the Friendly Ghost Is Getting the Live-Action Series...
Netflix is launching a new romantic drama series called "Lovesick" starring Emmy‑winner Claire Danes, created by Sarah Treem of "The Affair" and adapted from a 2024 Israeli hit. The platform is also developing a live‑action adaptation of the classic cartoon...
Val Kilmer Is Back on the Big Screen Via Generative AI. His Family Is Fine With It
Val Kilmer’s likeness is being resurrected with generative AI for the upcoming historical adventure *As Deep as the Grave*. His daughter Mercedes Kilmer gave the family’s blessing, framing the technology as a way to protect the actor’s intellectual property. The...
YouTube Starts Rolling Out Free Picture-in-Picture (PiP) Globally on Android, iOS
YouTube is extending its picture‑in‑picture (PiP) mode to all free users worldwide, after a limited rollout in the United States. The feature will work on both Android and iOS for long‑form, non‑music videos, letting viewers keep content playing while using...
Libsyn Video on Spotify, New Patreon Feeds, & More
Libsyn has enabled video distribution on Spotify across all its hosting plans, letting creators upload MP4 files for a $25‑per‑month fee. Patreon rolled out a redesigned home feed that surfaces creator collaborations, free posts and recommended creators, claiming a five‑fold...
OzTAM Launches New Streamscape Dashboard as TV Viewing Dominates
OzTAM unveiled an interactive Streamscape dashboard alongside its Q1 2026 Total Video data, giving subscribers a self‑serve tool to analyse broadcast, BVOD and streaming performance in one place. The new platform replaces static reports with customizable visualisations, streamlining metric comparison across...
Can Student Influencers Woo Classmates to This District?
Detroit Public Schools announced a $1 million marketing push that includes hiring roughly two dozen student influencers to share district news on TikTok, Instagram and other platforms. Each influencer will receive a $250 monthly stipend, training on social‑media policy, and coaching...
ABC Can Beat Trump FCC's License Threat if Owner Disney Is Willing to Fight
The FCC ordered Disney to file early renewal applications for ABC’s eight broadcast stations, citing possible violations of anti‑discrimination rules. Legal experts note that the 1996 Telecommunications Act makes license denial extremely difficult unless a broadcaster commits willful or repeated...
The Week in Stupid | First Draft with Susan J. Demas & Wonkette's Rebecca Schoenkopf
The Week in Stupid podcast episode featuring Susan J. Demas and Wonkette’s Rebecca Schoenkopf dissects a series of recent political blunders, from a satirical proposal to place Donald Trump’s image on U.S. passports to the ongoing mishandling of the Iran...
Parents Fight To Reinstate 'Choking Challenge' Suit Against Google, TikTok
A coalition of parents has asked the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to revive a lawsuit against Google and TikTok, alleging the companies’ reporting tools are defective and misrepresented. The suit, originally dismissed under Section 230 immunity, claims the platforms failed to...
Amazon Hits $70 Billion in Ad Revenue Over the Past 12 Months
Amazon’s advertising division generated $70 billion in revenue over the trailing twelve months, with Q1 2026 ad sales hitting $17.2 billion, a 24% year‑over‑year increase. The growth helped lift total net sales to $181.5 billion, up 17% YoY. The company also reported delivering one...
Meta to Spotlight AI-Powered Ad-Serving in Earnings Call
$META will highlight its AI investments in ad-serving on tonight’s earnings call. I’ve spent a lot of time recently synthesizing their disclosures to better understand these systems. I'll share some resources in this thread that are hopefully useful in making...
Last Chance to Watch—What's Leaving Netflix in May 2026
Netflix announced that eight of its flagship series will leave the platform in May 2026, including "Wednesday", "Dark", the live‑action "One Piece", "K‑Pop Demon Hunters", "Squid Game" and "Stranger Things". The removals were highlighted in a quiz‑style article that paired...
Publicis Gets Santander Moving with Ant and Dec Still on Board
Santander has officially brought Publicis Groupe on board to run its creative and media work, debuting the first "It starts here" campaign aimed at first‑time home buyers. The new effort keeps long‑standing ambassadors Ant & Dec, whose warm, relatable style is blended...
Unchosen Season 2: Cast, Rumours & Release Date
Netflix’s thriller *Unchosen* surged to the top of global charts with 10.4 million weekly views, becoming the most‑watched English‑language series in 40 countries. The six‑episode first season has drawn praise for its unsettling cult premise and strong performances, especially from Fra Fee...
Howdy's Dated $3/Month Ad-Free Streaming Service Said to Have 1M Subscribers
Roku's Howdy, a $3‑per‑month ad‑free streaming tier launched in August, has surpassed one million subscribers within six months, according to research firm Antenna. The service now represents 23% of all SVOD subscriptions made through The Roku Channel and has expanded...
Turn AI-Generated UGC Into High-Converting Ads
How to create AI UGC ads that actually convert: A full breakdown 00:24: How to find proven UGC examples in your niche 01:08: Why UGC still beats every other ad format 01:55: How to create your first AI UGC character 04:51: How to turn...
What the Supreme Court Just Did to Louisiana—And Why It Matters *Far* Beyond the State 💣
The Supreme Court struck down Louisiana’s 2026 congressional map, ruling that its two majority‑Black districts were drawn primarily on race, violating the Constitution. The decision fell along partisan lines, with the six justices appointed by Republican presidents voting to invalidate...
Maryland Legislature Passes Advertising Set-Aside Legislation for State News Outlets
Maryland’s General Assembly approved a bill that obligates state agencies to allocate at least 50% of their advertising budgets to Maryland‑based news outlets, making the state the first to enact a formal advertising set‑aside. The legislation, driven by the Rebuild...
Radio FCC Fees to Go Up 5% Under Proposal
The Federal Communications Commission has proposed a 5% increase in regulatory fees for commercial AM and FM radio stations for fiscal year 2026, raising the annual collection target to roughly $416 million. Fees would rise from $395 for the smallest Class D...
Gen Z Overlooks Bottom‑Placed ChatGPT Ads
Interested in ChatGPT Ads and what Gen-Z thinks of them? Check out this post from a college student at @penn_state explaining what he thinks of ChatGPT ads (based on seeing many in his chats). He also polled his friends with...
Former X CEO Linda Yaccarino: ‘X’s Ads Business Is Not Falling Short’
Former X CEO Linda Yaccarino told Adweek that the platform’s advertising business is not underperforming, despite reports that ad revenue has slashed roughly in half since Elon Musk’s 2023 takeover. She highlighted X’s role as the go‑to source for breaking...
AI-Powered Tools Are Reshaping Ad Tech and Monetization
This was fun … great chat on RiskReversal Media w Dan Nathan and Michael Nathanson MoffettNathanson LLC We talked about - is programmatic going away? Are agents replacing ad tech stack as we know it? If Claude can get your...
AI-Driven Supply Paths Transform Premium CTV Activation
Where Premium CTV Meets Smarter Activation Jon Mansell from @FreeWheel and Dru Sil from Stagwell join @JeremyBloomHere and @sam_khoury1 from @marketecturetv at @PossibleEvent to discuss how premium CTV activation is evolving through supply path innovation, AI enabled workflows,...
The Illusion of Choice: How Streaming Algorithms Limit What You Watch
The post argues that streaming platforms use recommendation algorithms that create an "illusion of choice," nudging viewers toward familiar content and trapping them in echo chambers. It cites a University of Pennsylvania study showing YouTube’s sidebar recommender forgets partisan bias...
James Burke's 1978 TV Shot Named Greatest Ever
James Burke's perfectly timed shot on television in 1978 is hailed as one of “The Greatest Shot In Television History” https://t.co/kCnADUMZep
The Bear's Season 5 Becomes Hot Chicken Country Joint
Season 5 of the Bear: they turn it into a hot chicken joint that plays country music.
EXCLUSIVE: JIMMY KIMMEL WILL LEAVE ABC WHEN HIS CONTRACT EXPIRES IN 2027
ABC publicly backs Jimmy Kimmel after his recent Melania Trump joke, but insiders say the network has already decided not to renew his contract when it expires in May 2027. The late‑night host’s ratings have been soft and each political...
Apple TV Debuts Two New Original F1 Series
Apple TV launches two new original F1 series. Circuits in Focus puts Nico Rosberg & Emelia Hartford on track preview duty. After the race, The POV, with ex-Red Bull technician Calum Nicholas & engineer-creator Christina Roki break down key moments.
Access 48M Brand Newsletters for Competitive Intel
a client just put me onto https://t.co/q5DHTEB883. it indexes every newsletter a brand sends, historically. 48 million emails across 100k+ brands. want to see what your competitor emailed last Black Friday? it's all there. competitive intel gold mine.
Indie Film Has an Audience Problem
Independent producer Daren Smith reveals that his recent indie releases attracted only 25,000‑50,000 theatergoers, far short of the 250,000‑500,000 tickets needed to recoup costs and fund future projects. He attributes the shortfall to a misaligned audience‑building strategy, arguing that traditional...
Publish Unique, Non‑commodity Content to Survive Google Zero
What kind of websites will survive "Google Zero" as AI answers dominate? Because many will thrive Google says you need "Non-commodity Content" So what kind of content should publishers focus on? https://t.co/rS64kOaEnE
No Actor Has Turned Guest Win Into Supporting Win
No actor in Emmy history has won guest drama actor and then converted a supporting drama actor nom for the same role into a win. Bradley Whitford and Christian Clemenson made similar guest-win-to-supporting-nom moves but neither won supporting. https://t.co/ItAjoozK39 @variety https://t.co/oI3KDQ4i2l
The Boys Season 5, Episode 5 Kills Off A Major Member Of The Seven
In the fifth episode of Season 5, titled “One‑Shots,” The Boys eliminates Firecracker (Misty Gray), a former member of The Seven. After Soldier Boy reports her doubts to Homelander, the latter shoves her head into an eagle statue, killing her on...
Unitree G1 Humanoid Robot: Home Future, Risks, Broken Toe
brilliant, clever as always - keep me until the end. loved the ad insertions for Mercury, too. congrats on launch.
120 Million Users Push Front Page Toward Soul‑Selling Compromise
Fascinating post on the self-styled “front page of the internet”, which has now hit 120mn daily active users but may need to sell its soul to grow from here. https://t.co/Ik2E3cIkv5
The Streaming Audience Is Getting Narrower, Not Bigger
The streaming landscape is undergoing a demographic contraction, with audiences concentrating around older, female, and lower‑income viewers. Nielsen reports a 19% YoY rise in U.S. TV‑screen streaming for 2025, yet Greenlight Analytics shows the 25‑34 cohort dropping from 49% to...
Reject YouTube Surveys, Embrace Ungovernable Anti‑Establishment Stance
My anti-establishment get-back comes in the form of never answering those pre-roll YouTube surveys. Become ungovernable.
Shawn Hatosy Moves to Supporting Category After Guest Win
Emmys Surprise: ‘The Pitt’ Star Shawn Hatosy Switches to Supporting Category After Winning Guest for Season 1 https://t.co/ItAjoozK39 via @variety
Marshals Is Still Disappointing Yellowstone Fans
Paramount’s Marshals, a Yellowstone spinoff centered on Kayce Dutton, has drawn sharp criticism from the franchise’s fanbase, who compare it to a generic crime procedural. Despite the backlash, Nielsen data shows the series ranked as the second‑highest scripted linear TV...
New Roku Home Screen Could Boost Q1 Growth
Five Strategic Questions for Roku's Q1 2026 Earnings Call $ROKU #1 How Will New Home Screen Accelerate Growth? Roku has been actively beta testing a new home screen that it plans to launch widely later this year... https://t.co/zh5OcdbwBL
Raw Content Needs Structure, Not Chaos
Raw content is having a moment. But natural doesn't mean unplanned. 👀 The best vloggers freestyle within a framework. The vibe can be casual. The craft should never be. 🎯 https://t.co/Sth01qnyrT
“Deli Boys” Season 2 Teaser Trailer Released
Disney released the first teaser trailer for the second season of the original series “Deli Boys,” slated to premiere on May 28, 2026 on Hulu and Disney+ for U.S. bundle subscribers and internationally on Disney+. The season follows the Dars family as they...
Journalists Must Prove Facts Before Reporting Claims
He actually does have to prove that if he wants to report it as happening. It's what journalists do.
AI Faces Far Fewer Regulations than Sandwich Shops
These comparisons are bizarre. A communication/information platform is nothing like a sandwich shop. A closer comparison would maybe be a bookstore, but even so, often all these comparisons are meant to do is manufacture consent for extreme regulation on speech.
Therapist Urges Parents to Shield Boys From Toxic ‘Manosphere’ in New Book
Psychotherapist Dr. Katie Hurley, author of the newly released "Breaking the Boy Code," is urging parents to discuss emotions, masculinity and media with boys before they encounter the online “manosphere.” She warns that the ecosystem disguises misogyny as self‑improvement and...
UK Launches Official BookTok Bestseller List, Highlighting Social Media’s Power in Publishing
Media Control and TikTok have released the United Kingdom’s first official BookTok bestseller list, using NielsenIQ sales data and TikTok engagement to rank titles for March 2026. Rachel Reid’s Heated Rivalry leads the chart, while Irish author Chloe Walsh claims...
Arsenal Women v Leicester Women Live Stream, TV Channel – Where to Watch WSL on Tv Today
Arsenal Women host Leicester Women in the Women’s Super League on 29 April 2026, with kickoff at 19:00 BST. The match will be broadcast live in the UK on Sky Sports. Arsenal, fresh from a 2‑1 semi‑final win over Lyon, need the three...