Today's Media Pulse
Online video subscriptions top 2.2 bn, revenue hits $176B
Omdia reports global online video subscriptions reached 2.24 billion at the end of 2025, a 17.6% year‑on‑year rise. Revenue grew 13.5% to $176 billion, overtaking pay‑TV for the first time as pay‑TV revenue fell to $170 billion. Growth is expected to slow to single‑digit rates in 2026, prompting operators to focus on monetising existing users.
Global News Announces Moves for Ben O’Hara-Byrne, Rob Fai
Corus Radio announced that veteran broadcaster Ben O’Hara-Byrne will leave its national weekend morning show to become Global News BC’s legislative anchor and reporter in Victoria, starting March 16. O’Hara-Byrne returns to Global after a career spanning Global News Ottawa and Asia bureaus, CTV’s London bureau chief role, and a stint at CHEK News and BCIMC. Rob Fai, a longtime Vancouver talk‑radio host, will take over the weekend program beginning March 21, maintaining the show’s live‑call and debate format. The transition underscores both networks’ reliance on seasoned journalists to drive regional news coverage.
CASTING | Apply to Marry a Returning MAFS Star in New Spin Off
The reality‑TV franchise Married at First Sight is launching a spin‑off titled Second Marriage at First Sight, inviting everyday singles to marry returning veterans of the show. Eight former participants – four from the UK and four from Australia –...
The Morning Show Dives Deeper, Adds Jeff Daniels
Lord. I can't think of a series that jumped the shark more decisively than The Morning Show. Now it is joined by the star of the show that started on the wrong side of the shark, The Newsroom. Jeff Daniels to...
Shure Audio Solutions Deliver Super Bowl Win
Shure’s audio ecosystem powered every facet of Super Bowl LX, from stadium entertainment to the Apple Music halftime show. The company supplied Axient digital wireless, PSM 1000 in‑ear monitors, TwinPlex lavaliers and the SM39 headset microphone used by Bad Bunny. Over 16 wireless...
QuickLink’s StudioEdge Models to Make North American Debut at 2026 NAB Show
QuickLink announced that its full StudioEdge product line will debut in North America at the 2026 NAB Show in Las Vegas. The lineup includes the StudioEdge‑1,‑2,‑4 and the high‑end StudioEdge‑2110, positioned as a direct replacement for the discontinued Skype TX. The...
Fox News Media Sees Two Years of Record Ad Revenue Growth, Exec Says
Fox News Media reported its seventh straight quarter of advertising revenue growth, positioning the division for two full years of record earnings. Executive John Nallen highlighted that the network’s ad rates are roughly 50% lower than broadcast television, creating significant...
Foreign Facebook Pages Have Been Promoting One Nation. It Wants Them to Stop
ABC News Verify identified a network of at least 20 overseas Facebook pages, largely run from Vietnam, that publish AI‑generated, fabricated stories about Australian politics. The posts combine real and synthetic images, targeting figures such as Pauline Hanson and Senator Payman,...
Kate Walsh to Star in CBS Family Comedy Pilot The Tillbrooks / Keith David Joins Jake Johnson’s NBC PI Comedy...
CBS is moving forward with "The Tillbrooks," a multi‑camera family sitcom pilot starring Kate Walsh as the ambitious matriarch. NBC is developing an untitled private‑investigator comedy pilot featuring Emmy‑winner Keith David as the agency head. Hulu is developing "Double or...
How Starter Story Grew From a Side Project Into a Multi-Million Dollar Media Business (and Why HubSpot Bought It)
Starter Story began in 2017 as a side‑project blog interviewing founders and quickly grew into a bootstrapped media company. By leveraging detailed case studies, the platform amassed over 800,000 YouTube subscribers and generated millions in revenue through premium courses and...
Patreon's CEO Says AI Will Be a 'Bloodbath for the World's Creative People' Unless Tech Companies Pay Up
Patreon CEO Jack Conte warned that AI could devastate independent creators unless tech firms compensate them. He highlighted the lack of licensing infrastructure for creators compared with media companies and called for regulation or a rights‑management model similar to YouTube’s...
Best Free TV Streaming Services: Roku Channel, Tubi and More
Free, ad‑supported TV streaming services are reshaping cord‑cutting, offering live news, on‑demand movies, and original content without subscription fees. Tubi emerges as the overall leader thanks to its expansive library, intuitive interface, and dedicated kids section. Pluto TV and The...
USA Today Names Jamie Stockwell as Next Top Editor
USA Today announced Jamie Stockwell as its new vice president of news, replacing the traditional editor‑in‑chief title. Stockwell, a former deputy managing editor at The Washington Post and former executive at The New York Times and Axios Local, will start on March 30. She...
Fox Entertainment Hires Media Veteran Billy Parks to Lead Creator Studios Division
Fox Entertainment appointed veteran media executive Billy Parks to head its newly formed Fox Creator Studios division. The unit, launched at CES 2026, focuses on partnering with top digital creators to build cross‑platform franchises and monetize audience engagement. Parks, formerly...
Ran Tellem Exits The Mediapro Studio
Ran Tellem, the architect of The Mediapro Studio’s international content strategy, is leaving the Madrid‑based studio after steering its rapid expansion since 2019. His exit follows the departures of general manager Laura Fernández Espeso and Disney+ Latin America head Daniel Burman, marking...
Vox Appoints Stephen Heuser as Executive Editor
Vox announced that Stephen Heuser will assume the role of executive editor on March 23, reporting to Editor‑in‑Chief Swati Sharma. He will direct the Politics, Policy & Ideas, Even Better & Lifestyle, and Today, Explained & Explain It to Me...
Exhibitor Viewpoint: Veritone at the 2026 NAB Show
Veritone chief revenue officer Sean King says AI has rapidly shifted from a novelty to a business essential, with autonomous agents now handling end‑to‑end tasks. At the 2026 NAB Show the company will showcase its aiWARE‑powered suite—including the Digital Media...
Strictly's Carlos Gu Teases "Extraordinary" Journey on Celebrity Hunted with "Bestie" Amy Dowden
Carlos Gu and Strictly Come Dancing star Amy Dowden will team up for the upcoming season of Channel 4’s Celebrity Hunted, filmed last summer and set to air in 2026. The pair describe a volatile 24‑hour chase that evolved from heated arguments into a brother‑sister‑like bond....
New Competition Offers £12k Cash Prize to the Next Star of Magazine Journalism
The British Society of Magazine Editors, partnered with author Caitlin Moran, has launched the Young Writers’ Prize targeting aspiring magazine journalists aged 18‑25. The competition awards a £12,000 cash prize, a year‑long mentorship with Moran, work experience from leading UK...
2026 NCAA Men’s Tournament Ad Sales Seeing ‘Tremendous Demand’
CBS Sports and TNT Sports announced that ad demand for the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament is "tremendous," though they withheld specific pricing or inventory numbers. Executives emphasized that live sports continue to cut through the clutter, driving revenue across...
RECAP | Is MARRIED AT FIRST SIGHT Stuck Replaying the Same Fight?
Episode 23 of Married at First Sight 2026 follows the couples retreat in Kiama, NSW, where a heated fallout from Bec’s toast about Rachel and Steven dominates the narrative. The group repeatedly re‑hashes the same argument, with alliances forming against...
Live with The New World: Matt Kelly and David Aaronovitch
In this live episode of The New World, editor‑in‑chief Matt Kelly chats with Substack writer David Aaronovitch about the chaotic fallout from recent Middle‑East crises, especially the U.S.‑Iran confrontation and its ripple effects on oil markets, Russia, and global geopolitics....
Brenda Blethyn's Yorkshire-Set Drama Branded "Engrossing" With Comparisons to Downton and Rivals
Channel 4's new eight‑episode drama "A Woman of Substance" premieres tomorrow, starring Jessica Reynolds as Emma Harte with Brenda Blethyn in a supporting lead. Early reviews from Metro and the Financial Times praise its engrossing storytelling and production, likening it to...
A ‘Mega’ Radio Deal Is Finalized
Mega 94.3, a 3 kW Class A FM station serving Carrizo Springs and Crystal City, Texas, has been sold to a new owner. The transaction is pending FCC approval, which will determine the final transfer of the broadcast license. The deal underscores...
Should Your Brand Start a "Side Quest" Account?
The article proposes that brands launch dedicated "side quest" social media accounts rather than cramming all content onto a single main page. It notes that platform algorithms now surface fresh accounts quickly, citing creators who amassed millions of views within...
Paramount Skydance CEO Discusses Historic Warner Bros. Deal
A historic merger- I sat down with Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison for an exclusive interview about his company’s acquisition of Warner Brothers Discovery. Check it all out on CNBC and cnbc.com
The Best T&S Insider Reads From the Last Two Years
Ben Whitelaw celebrates two years of the Trust & Safety Insider newsletter, highlighting five standout articles that trace the field’s evolution from generative AI breakthroughs to new European regulations. The pieces showcase shifting priorities toward prosocial design, global policy tensions,...
Perion’s AI Agent Outmax Now Available for TikTok, Delivering up to 25% Greater Media Performance in Early Results
Perion Network announced the launch of its Outmax AI agent on TikTok, reporting up to a 25% lift in media performance during early trials. The integration brings Perion’s AI‑native infrastructure to TikTok’s 1.6 billion‑user ecosystem, allowing advertisers to move beyond platform‑standard...
Limelight Inc Hires Programmatic Heavyweight Oshri Raz as VP USA Strategic Alliances
Limelight Inc has appointed Oshri Raz as Vice President of USA Strategic Alliances to accelerate the rollout of its white‑label programmatic tools across the United States. Raz brings deep ad‑tech experience from his senior roles at EX.CO, where he helped...
48 Years Ago Today: The ‘The Incredible Hulk’ Premiered on CBS
On March 10, 1978 CBS premiered the regular episodes of “The Incredible Hulk,” following two successful pilot movies from the previous year. Developed by Kenneth Johnson, the series starred Bill Bixby as Dr. David Banner and Lou Ferrigno as the...
YouTube Filling With Horrifying AI Slop for Children
A New York Times probe of over 1,000 YouTube Shorts reveals that roughly 40 percent of videos recommended to toddlers are AI‑generated, often masquerading as educational alphabet or animal lessons. The platform’s algorithm favors these low‑cost, hyper‑realistic clips, pushing them ahead of...
PR Must Fund Media to Preserve Third‑Party Validation
I almost cancelled my @WashingtonPost subscription. Being in PR, I try to support media by paying but with so many people I worked with now gone, I was on the fence about it. I already pay for: @NYTimes, @WSJ, @Business,...
Get Expert Media, Radio, Playlist Support for Releases
If you’re planning a new release and want help reaching more media outlets, radio shows, and playlists, I’d be happy to help. I’ve spent decades working with artists at every stage of their careers. Feel free to reach out at...
German Publishers Push Regulators To Fine Apple Over App Tracking Transparency
German publishers and advertising groups have asked the Bundeskartellamt to fine Apple over its App Tracking Transparency (ATT) system, claiming it unfairly blocks third‑party access to advertising data while Apple’s own apps remain exempt. Apple responded with proposals to use...
Netflix Move Stalls Barstool's YouTube Growth, Fans Upset
Only two months after some @barstoolsports podcasts went to Netflix, their YouTube growth has seriously slowed. Audiences also aren’t happy with the change. This is the trade-off shows have to consider — little growth on YouTube vs. reach on Hollywood’s biggest streamer...
Roku to Disclose Platform Revenue Segments for First Time
⚡️ Roku to Breakout Platform Revenue for the 1st Time Ever ⚡️ Investors have been asking @Roku to breakout the components of platform revenue for as long as we can remember. Earlier today, at an investor conference, $ROKU CFO, Dan Jedda,...
IAB Tech Lab Announces CoMP Framework to Ensure LLMs Have Commercial Agreements with Publishers Before Content Crawling
The IAB Tech Lab released the Content Monetization Protocol (CoMP) Specification v1.0, a standardized framework that requires AI systems to secure commercial agreements with publishers before crawling content. The draft is open for public comment until April 9, 2026, inviting...
Gracenote Sues OpenAI over Stolen Metadata Structure
Scoop: Nielsen's Gracenote sues OpenAI for copyright infringement —Lawsuit is unique because it alleges not just that OpenAI stole its metadata, but that it also stole the proprietary sequence/structure that organizes that data & makes it useful @axios https://t.co/eeupqVybEE
Philo Relaunches $25 Plan After Price Backlash
In a recent video, I asked if Philo pushed it too far with its $33/month price. Now, the service has brought back a $25/month plan + free trial. The cheaper plan has no additional apps. Smart move. Here is my...
RAAS LAB & The Trade Desk Partner to Bring Real-Time Relevance to Programmatic Advertising
RAAS LAB announced a partnership with The Trade Desk, integrating its AI‑driven contextual intelligence into the demand‑side platform. The joint solution lets advertisers evaluate tone, sentiment and placement environment at the impression level, backed by URL‑level reporting. Brands and agencies...
Serena and Joe Launch Unwell Podcast on Love, Age Gap
‘Bachelor in Paradise’ Couple Serena Pitt and Joe Amabile Team With Alex Cooper’s Unwell Network for Video Podcast About Their Relationship (and Age Difference), Reality TV and Pop Culture, and More https://t.co/Xwsr104A0l via @variety
Live Oscar Preview on Y100 FM with Scott N Sports
🚨🆕 I'm going on 📻 @Y100FM 𝐍𝐎𝐖 with @ScottNSports for 📺 #TVTuesday to preview 🎬🍿 the 98th Annual #AcademyAwards #Oscars on @ABCNetwork and @hulu hosted by @ConanOBrien 🎧 𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐍 𝐍𝐎𝐖 🔊 🗣“Play KUYY” or "Play Y100" 📱 💻 https://t.co/nlxHQ15c7o https://t.co/uUUzGc0YYF
Walmart Is Making a Big Change to Vizio TVs Now That Vizio Is a Walmart Private Label Brand
Walmart has fully integrated Vizio into its private‑label portfolio, making the brand exclusive to Walmart and Sam’s Club stores. New Vizio smart TVs now require a Walmart account during setup to unlock full streaming and personalization features, while existing owners...
Whalar Launches Lighthouse Studios, Partners with Lyrical Lemonade
Whalar Group Launches Lighthouse Studios to Build a TV-Like Schedule of Creator Content, Sets Joint Venture With Cole Bennett’s Lyrical Lemonade https://t.co/V4y1XtspOC via @variety
CNN and Variety Reunite for Oscars Red Carpet Pre-Show
After Viral Timothée Chalamet Town Hall, CNN and Variety to Partner Again on Oscars Red Carpet Pre-Show https://t.co/Wa14dUYbni
Matthew Henick On Why OEMs Need Better Ad Infrastructure, Not More Middlemen
Matthew Henick, SVP of Consumer Products at The Trade Desk, unveiled the Ventura Ecosystem – an OS‑level ad infrastructure designed to streamline the CTV supply chain. He argued that too many intermediaries erode OEM revenue and obscure transparency for advertisers....
Why Tecovas Made a Short Film About Texas Instead of a Traditional Ad
Western bootmaker Tecovas is shifting its marketing play by releasing a 14‑minute short film titled “Love Letter to Texas,” written and directed by Jeff Nichols and starring Ryan Bingham with narration by Sissy Spacek. The film premiered at the South‑by‑Southwest...
A Renewed Capital Investment For Sinclair In South Carolina
Sinclair Broadcast Group is reviving a two‑hour local morning news slot on WACH‑57 in Columbia, South Carolina. The station had dropped its local program in March 2023 in favor of the national‑focused The National Desk. The reinstated show will air...
You Are Being Lied to About Algorithms
In a new Section 230 mini‑series episode, host and legal commentator interviews Santa Clara Law professor Eric Goldman to dismantle the myth that algorithmic curation should strip platforms of their Section 230 immunity. The discussion clarifies that even a reverse‑chronological...
“Talking Real Money” Goes Podcast Only
Seattle’s long‑running financial talk show "Talking Real Money" is leaving its home on Lotus Communications’ KNWN‑AM/FM to become a podcast‑only program. Co‑hosts Don McDonald and Tom Cock say the move aligns with the shift toward on‑demand audio, offering listeners flexibility...
Currys on Why Channel 4’s Subtitles Mandate for Ads Is a ‘No Brainer’ for Inclusivity
Channel 4 has mandated subtitles on all new TV ads, pushing brands toward greater accessibility. Currys, praising the move, added closed captions to its “The Sigh of Relief” campaign, citing a potential reach of 18 million UK viewers with hearing loss. The...