Today's Media Pulse
Publicis resumes recommending The Trade Desk after fee dispute
Publicis has lifted its ban and is again recommending The Trade Desk to advertisers, ending a months‑long clash over alleged hidden ad‑tech fees. The dispute had driven The Trade Desk’s shares down roughly 13% and prompted the exit of its chief marketing officer. Both firms issued a joint statement confirming the reconciliation.
Also developing:
By the numbers: K-LOVE acquires Baltimore station in undisclosed deal
Greece Bans Social Media Under 15, UK Campaigners Debate Lower Age to Be Raised in House of Lords
Greece has enacted a law that will prohibit anyone under 15 from accessing social‑media platforms, with enforcement beginning in January 2027. The measure is framed as a public‑health response to sleep disruption, anxiety and other mental‑health risks linked to addictive design. In the United Kingdom, campaigners are urging lawmakers in the House of Lords to raise the minimum age for a social‑media account to 16, mirroring moves in Australia and other jurisdictions. The debate arrives as U.S. courts scrutinise tech CEOs over child‑safety practices, adding pressure on European regulators.
Four Ways to Level up Your YouTube Live Engagement
YouTube is expanding its Live platform with four new engagement tools. Viewers can now send gifts on both horizontal and vertical streams, and the feature is rolling out to creators in Canada, Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, Australia and New Zealand. Purchases of...
Sam Levinson and ‘Euphoria’ Cinematographer on How the Show’s Harrowing Opening Scene Was a Metaphor for Rue: ‘One False Move...
After a four‑year break, HBO’s "Euphoria" returns with a daring opening sequence that sees Rue attempting to drive a car over a makeshift border wall, a visual metaphor for her precarious drug‑smuggling life. Creator Sam Levinson rewrote the script after...
Dropbox Enlarges Big Spaceship's Scope As Social AOR
Dropbox has elevated Big Spaceship from project‑based work to its official social agency of record, expanding the scope to full‑funnel duties and IRL activation content for 2026. The partnership has already driven quarter‑over‑quarter engagement gains among Dropbox’s 700 million users, supported...
'Extreme' Reveal: TDA Boulder Unboxes Orijen Freshprey
TDA Boulder launched Orijen Freshprey with "The World’s Most Extreme Unboxing," filming at 12,000 feet in Colorado’s San Juan Mountains. The campaign partners with outdoor creators Wander with Willow and showcases the product in a rugged, outdoor setting, diverging from...
Orban's Traditional Media Grip Falters on Social Platforms
Politico - Orbán lost on social media: Orbán dominated traditional media channels, where Fidesz is estimated to control roughly 80 percent of the landscape, by installing loyalists in public media and enabling Fidesz-aligned business figures to acquire hundreds of regional...
NBA Playoffs Set to Leave Local TV Behind in Streaming-Heavy Shift
The NBA’s postseason will be shown exclusively on national networks and streaming platforms, ending local TV coverage for the first round. The Play‑In Tournament moves to Amazon Prime Video, while first‑round games split among NBC, Peacock, Amazon, ESPN and ABC...
The Purpose Of An Investigative Report
Investigative reports are the definitive record of an inquiry, translating findings into actionable outcomes such as disciplinary measures, training programs, or legal proceedings. They must be clear, comprehensive, and free of extraneous detail to protect the organization from liability. A...
Tucker Carlson Launches Book Imprint With Skyhorse
Tucker Carlson, former Fox News host and podcaster, has launched a new book imprint called Tucker Carlson Books in partnership with Skyhorse Publishing. Skyhorse, which has issued memoirs by Woody Allen and Melania Trump, will handle distribution and editorial support....
Archer Teams with ‘Mandalorian and Grogu’ for First Entertainment Deal
Archer Meat Snacks announced its first entertainment partnership, teaming with the upcoming theatrical release *Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu*. The multi‑channel campaign includes three co‑branded snack packs, a 30‑second ad spot on Disney+ and sports playoffs, and a QR‑code reward that gives...
Student Journalists May Produce a Quarter Million Bylines a Year. Here’s What that Looks Like
Student journalists are set to generate roughly a quarter‑million bylines in 2026, based on an AI‑driven analysis of 870 RSS feeds that represent about 80% of U.S. college newspapers. The data shows a dramatic rise in output, with some campuses...
How Advertisers Can – And Cannot – Get In Front Of Chatbot Shoppers
Advertisers face a stark reality: there is no paid gateway to appear in most LLM‑driven shopping chats. Google’s AI Overview (AIO) ads are the sole open‑market option, automatically surfacing in search results without exclusion controls. ChatGPT’s ad pilot remains a...
Grass Valley Expands Studio Berlin Deal For Cinematic Live Workflows
Grass Valley is expanding its partnership with Studio Berlin by delivering a new batch of 24 LDX cameras—12 LDX 135 UHD/HDR units and 12 LDX 180 Super 35mm systems, including two compact C180 models. The cameras will be integrated into Studio...
AIP, Castlabs To Demo Next-Gen Streaming Ad Formats
Ad Insertion Platform (AIP) and Castlabs will demo next‑generation streaming ad formats at the NAB Show in Las Vegas (April 18‑22). The showcase centers on AdBlendr, AIP’s server‑guided ad insertion engine, paired with Castlabs’ PRESTOplay player to deliver non‑intrusive formats such as...
How to Operationalise Platform Policy at Scale
Alice Hunsberger’s third Trust & Safety Insider guide tackles the often‑overlooked challenge of operationalising platform policy at scale. While policy writing accounts for roughly 20% of the effort, the remaining 80% involves translating rules into actionable guidance for human reviewers,...
Turn Job Hunt Downtime Into a Value‑Building Venture
Without meaning to be insensitive: Really find it hard to get inside the brain of someone sitting around applying for jobs for six months, waiting to be hired. It for sure doesn't take all day to apply. You have unbelievable amounts of...
Poser: Jaime Ray Newman, Jessie Cohen, and More to Recur on Netflix Drama Series
Netflix’s drama series Poser has expanded its ensemble, adding four recurring actors—Jaime Ray Newman, Jessie Cohen, Tess Paras and Candace Allen—to portray Jess, Jenny, Samantha and Melissa respectively. The show, created by Lauren Iungerich, follows a toxic female friendship and already stars Daisy Jelley, Sadie Stanley, Annie Murphy,...
Dan Stevens, Felix Kammerer and Agnes O’Casey Join ‘Legacy of Spies’ as BBC/MGM+ John Le Carré Series Starts Production
BBC and MGM+ have begun filming "Legacy of Spies," an eight‑part series that weaves John le Carré’s Cold War novels *The Spy Who Came in from the Cold* and *A Legacy of Spies* into a new thriller. Matthew Macfadyen returns as Michael Smiley, while...
BBC & MGM+’s ‘Legacy Of Spies’ Adaptation Finds Its Bill Haydon & Casts ‘All Quiet On The Western Front’ Star...
BBC and MGM+ are launching an eight‑part adaptation titled “Legacy of Spies,” based on John le Carré’s Cold War novels and the 2017 prequel sequel. Dan Stevens leads the cast as the enigmatic double‑agent Bill Haydon, joined by Felix Kammerer as Stasi enforcer...
Visionular’s Auroravision Aims To Bring Tier-1 Live Production To Standard GPU Servers
Visionular has unveiled AuroraVision, an AI‑native production platform that delivers Tier‑1 live‑production features on standard GPU servers. The software provides real‑time slow‑motion replay, AI‑driven video reframing, 4K/8K up‑scaling and object tracking without specialized cameras or signal‑chain hardware. AuroraFlex extends the...
The Chatbot Closed the Sale. The Publisher Created the Demand. That’s a Problem.
Criteo has embedded sponsored product placements directly into ChatGPT answers, turning AI responses into a new ad inventory. The move sidesteps traditional attribution because the publisher content that shaped the recommendation never appears as a clickable URL, leaving creators without...
Neither Debt Nor Equity: How Copyright Capital Is Funding Creators Banks Won’t Touch
Copyright Capital, founded by former M&A banker Jack Ojalvo in 2022, offers a novel financing model for digital creators that sidesteps traditional debt and equity. The Geneva‑based firm evaluates creators primarily on actual revenue, not subscriber or view counts, and...
CURRENT ISSUE: April 13, 2026
Radio Ink’s April 13, 2026 issue spotlights MediaCo CRO Brian Fisher in its cover story, exploring his strategic vision for the company. The issue also publishes the annual Radio’s Top 20 Leaders 2026 list, ranking the most influential radio executives....
Do TV Shows or Movies Show More Streaming Ads?
Ampere Analysis reports that streaming movies carry about 40% fewer ads than TV series. On average, movies see roughly three minutes of ads per hour versus just over five minutes for shows, giving viewers 36 minutes of uninterrupted content between...
Monday Memo: The 2026 Case for Weekend Talk Radio
Consultant Holland Cooke argues that as podcast listening surpasses traditional spoken‑word radio, podcasters should leverage weekend talk radio to boost credibility and efficiency. Broadcast radio provides an established, trusted audience and makes it easier to attract guests. A live call‑in...
Nate Lundy Show Debuts on The Bet in Denver
Audacy’s Denver sports‑betting station KAMP‑AM, branded as The Bet 1430, has added the "Mile High Sports" show hosted by veteran broadcaster Nate Lundy to its weekday lineup. The program will air from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm, positioning the station to capture...
EBay Taps Fashion Influencers to Stock NYC Pop-Up Market
eBay is launching a three‑day pop‑up called “The NYC Edit Market” in SoHo from April 17‑19, showcasing pre‑loved items curated by ten local fashion influencers. The event blends physical retail with eBay’s digital platform, allowing visitors to list items on‑site...
Creator Economy NYC Partners With Social Media Week to Host Creator Economy Exchange Session on April 16
Creator Economy NYC is teaming with Social Media Week to host a "Creator Economy Exchange" during ADWEEK’s New York conference on April 16. The half‑hour session will feature eight rotating stations covering topics such as long‑form content, AI workflows, partnership...
Top News/Talk Media Stories Over the Weekend (April 11-12)
Talk radio’s weekly roundup highlighted five headline‑grabbing stories that dominated the airwaves from April 11‑12. Listeners heard intense debate over Iran’s nuclear talks and a potential U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, alongside the Rep. Eric Swalwell scandal. The weekend...
CAA, YouTube, Meta, and Rivian Among Speakers at Brand Innovators’ Creator Economy Summit in LA
Brand Innovators will host its Creator Economy Summit on April 23, 2026, at Dhar Mann Studios in Burbank. The one‑day event gathers senior marketers from Fortune 500 firms and fast‑growing brands to explore brand‑creator collaboration, monetization, and full‑funnel content strategies. High‑profile...
Alien: Earth: Season Two; Peter Dinklage Joins FX Sci-Fi Series
Alien: Earth announced that Oscar‑winner Peter Dinklage will join the cast as a series regular for its second season. Production shifts to London next month after the first season was shot in Thailand. FX renewed the series in November, with...
Snapchat Partners With Los Angeles Dodgers to Bring AR Lens Experiences to Dodger Stadium
Snap Inc. has teamed with the Los Angeles Dodgers to roll out Snapchat’s augmented‑reality lenses throughout Dodger Stadium this season. The deal adds in‑stadium branding, on‑site photo experiences and a dedicated AR photobooth at select games, leveraging Snap’s Cam Lens...
Meta Is Closing in on Google's Title as the World's Largest Digital Ad Platform
Meta is projected to generate $243.46 billion in net ad revenue in 2026, narrowly surpassing Google’s $239.54 billion and claiming the title of the world’s largest digital‑ad platform for the first time. The social‑media giant’s growth is driven by a 24.1% ad‑revenue...
Comedian Sebastian Maniscalco Getting His Own New Channel & Show On SiriusXM
Comedian Sebastian Maniscalco has signed a multi‑year agreement with SiriusXM to launch his own 24/7 comedy channel, Channel 99, on April 20. The channel, branded Sebastian Maniscalco’s Comedy Radio, will replace SiriusXM Raw Comedy and feature the flagship The Sebastian Maniscalco Show...
Ready, Set, Goal: Capturing Peak Attention on Soccer’s Biggest Stage
Integral Ad Science released a cross‑channel playbook titled “Ready, Set, Goal” to help advertisers capture peak attention during soccer’s biggest stage, such as the 2026 World Cup. The guide provides data‑driven benchmarks that have delivered up to three‑times return on...
Roblox Defends New Age Checks Amid Misclassification Worries
Roblox defends expanded age‑checks after parents raise concerns over errors Roblox is defending expanded age checks after parents warned kids are misclassified as adults. The system uses facial analysis and claims ~1.4-year accuracy for under-18s. Mistakes could weaken safeguards and expose children to...
AI Overviews Now Favor YouTube, Reddit Over Listicles
This is still anecdotal, but I'm seeing fewer listicles and a lot more YouTube, Reddit and older content appearing in AI Overviews the past few days. Are others seeing the same? https://t.co/INXk4X6yLv
Leonine Secures German‑Language Rights for Jason Statham’s ‘The Beekeeper 2’
Leonine Studios confirmed it will distribute Jason Statham’s sequel ‘The Beekeeper 2’ across German‑speaking Europe, outside Prime Video’s Pay‑1 window. The move follows the first film’s 800,000‑plus domestic admissions and signals confidence in a mid‑budget action franchise that blends global star...
Kier-La Janisse Expands Her Spectacular Optical Label Into Distribution
Canadian genre specialist Kier‑La Janisse has turned her Spectacular Optical imprint into a full‑service theatrical, streaming and home‑video distribution label. The venture launches this month with Severin Films handling U.S. home‑video releases, starting with Christopher Morris’s 2023 documentary A Year...
Vlast Relaunch Offers Rare Kremlin Insight Amid War
The newsletter led by the great @faridaily_, the best-sourced reporter on the Russian elite, has relaunched as @vlast. As Putin's war grinds on and access to reliable information about the Kremlin gets even harder, there couldn't be a better time...
NYT Connections #1037 and Wordle #1759 Boost Daily Game Engagement on April 13, 2026
The New York Times rolled out Connections puzzle #1037 on April 13, 2026, pairing theater, magic, TV surnames and a “caps” wordplay theme, while Wordle #1759 delivered the rare word “ELFIN” with an average of 5.3 guesses. Both games attracted...
Judge Dismisses Trump's Lawsuit Over WSJ Epstein Story
NEW: A judge has granted The Wall Street Journal's motion to dismiss President Trump's complaint over its Epstein reporting https://t.co/VWqnnfh1I3
Marketing Director
FlightStory, a media company and investment fund focused on creator‑led IP, is hiring a Marketing Director to build a systematic marketing engine across its portfolio. The role will design virality frameworks, channel strategies, and owned‑audience systems that turn attention into...
Wavelength Appoints Matt Kline as Chief Growth Officer Amid LA Campus Expansion
Wavelength announced the hiring of Matt Kline as Chief Growth Officer as it opens a new 10,000‑square‑foot campus in Los Angeles. The move pairs a seasoned brand‑commerce executive with a physical hub designed to accelerate the studio’s branded‑entertainment projects across...
Podcast Ad Sales Account Executive
Realm is hiring a Podcast Ad Sales Account Executive for its direct‑sales team, targeting candidates in Chicago, New York/New Jersey, or California. The role manages the full sales cycle, from prospecting and pitch‑deck creation to campaign optimization and billing, while collaborating with...
5 Ways to Turn Instagram Demand Into Direct Bookings
GuestCentric warns that many hotels treat Instagram as a siloed channel, missing out on direct bookings. A €250 ($275) stay can lose $41‑$68 in OTA commissions when guests are diverted from Instagram to third‑party sites. The article outlines five tactics—clear...
Prime Video's New Ultra Plan Officially Launches
Amazon has rebranded its ad‑free tier as Prime Video Ultra, launching it officially in April. The new plan costs $14 per month as a standalone service or adds $5 to existing Prime memberships, with an annual option at $46. Ultra...
Creator Partnerships Lead
Supercast, the podcast subscription platform behind shows like Huberman Lab and This American Life, has been acquired by Red Seat Ventures, a Fox Corp. company, signaling a new phase of investment and expansion. The firm is hiring a Creator Partnerships...
Hearst Built A Unified Ad Marketplace To Simplify Omnichannel News Buys
Hearst announced a unified programmatic ad marketplace that bundles inventory from its TV stations, newspapers and digital news sites into a single offering. The new Hearst News network lets agencies buy across the company’s local‑news footprint using their existing DSPs,...
Robert P. Richardson Named WHBQ VP-GM
Rincon Broadcasting Group has appointed Robert P. Richardson as vice president and general manager of WHBQ (Fox 13) in Memphis. Richardson previously led ABC affiliate WICS‑WICD and oversaw Fox and CW stations in the Champaign‑Springfield market. His career spans senior sales...