Today's Media Pulse
Nexstar CEO warns big‑tech dominance threatens local broadcasters
Nexstar Media Group’s chief says platforms like YouTube now capture one‑eighth of U.S. TV viewing and TikTok delivers news to a quarter of young adults, eroding local TV audiences. He notes that five digital firms are projected to control 65% of a $260 billion advertising market by 2026, and points to the Nexstar‑TEGNA merger covering over 130 communities as a defensive move.
32.6 Million Watched Trump’s State of the Union Address, Nielsen Says
About 32.6 million people tuned into President Trump’s 107‑minute State of the Union address, according to Nielsen. The audience size is essentially identical to President Biden’s final 2024 address, which drew 32.2 million viewers, but it fell short of the 36.6 million that watched Trump’s joint‑session speech in 2025. Fox News captured the largest share of the television audience, delivering more than nine million viewers, while CNN and MSNBC each attracted over two million. The ratings suggest a stable, though slightly declining, broadcast viewership for major political events.
Use $280M Fee to Fund Next‑Gen Investigative News
Dear Ted, Take 10% of the $2.8B breakup fee—roughly $280 million—and go hire the best investigative journalists in the world. Build a next-gen 60 Minutes. A better CNN. Think of the revenge possibilities.
Rachel Perkins to Steer First Nations Strategy at SCREEN AUSTRALIA
Screen Australia has appointed acclaimed filmmaker Rachel Perkins as its inaugural Director of First Nations Strategy, effective 2 March 2026. Perkins, an Arrernte and Kalkadoon woman and co‑founder of Blackfella Films, brings over three decades of experience creating Indigenous‑focused television...
X Invites Advertisers To Recycle Creative From Other Platforms
Elon Musk's X has launched a new ad feature that lets advertisers upload existing social‑media creatives and automatically apply expanded aspect ratios, including 4:5 and 2:3, without needing AI‑driven editing. The tool is available through Media Studio, Composer, and the...
Samba: Essentials, Utilities Tally Most Ad Impressions in 2nd-Half 2025
Samba TV’s H2 2025 advertising report shows a sharp pivot toward essential and infrastructure categories, with utilities ad impressions jumping 48%, insurance up 18% and pharma rising 12%. Discretionary sectors such as career services, apparel and food & beverage posted double‑digit...
Tube Trends: MrBeast Uses Giveaways To Hit New Highs
Jimmy Donaldson, known as MrBeast, has leveraged giveaway‑centric videos to set new viewership records on YouTube. In the past 90 days his "Subscribe For An iPhone" clip topped U.S. charts with over a billion views, while a holiday $100K giveaway...
AI-Generated YouTube Shorts Flood Kids with Unhinged Content
can attest that my kid tells me the most unhinged stuff he sees is on YouTube Shorts https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/26/us/ai-videos-children-youtube.html?unlocked_article_code=1.PFA.qpas.CuJAM3oRnyix&smid=url-share
Edison Research to Present The Infinite Dial 2026
Edison Research, now part of SSRS, will unveil The Infinite Dial 2026 in a March 12 webinar backed by SiriusXM Media. The annual survey, the longest‑running study of U.S. digital‑media behavior since 1998, now includes unprecedented data on AI usage alongside metrics...
Okayplayer’s 2x Webby Award-Winning Podcast The Almanac Of Rap Announces Season 4, Launching February 26th
Okayplayer’s *The Almanac of Rap* podcast returns for Season 4 on February 26, releasing new episodes every Thursday. The award‑winning series, hosted by rapper‑turned‑DJ Donwill, will feature hip‑hop heavyweights such as Bun B, Raekwon, Havoc, 9th Wonder and crossover guest actor Jharrel Jerome. Episodes alternate...
WonderMan's Modest Debut: 10.3M Hours, Hopes for Longevity
#WonderMan debuted to 10.3M U.S. hours, per @nielsen. As a ~half hour binge release, that's not awful but it's not great. Longer hit shows tend to premiere to 20M+ hours. I hope it has legs and can stay on the...
Softcore History Joins Backyard Ventures’ Roster, Bringing Comedic History to Premium Brand Partners
Backyard Ventures announced that the comedic history podcast Softcore History, hosted by Rob Fox and Dan Regester, has joined its creator roster as the exclusive representative for premium brand partnerships. The deal covers both audio and digital platforms, positioning the...
Podcast Movement Announces First-Ever New York City Flagship Event at Terminal 5
Podcast Movement announced its flagship conference will move to New York City, hosting the 2026 event at Terminal 5 from September 14‑18. The program splits into a two‑day Sounds Profitable Business Summit for executives and media buyers, followed by creator‑focused sessions and networking events....
Independent Australian Kids Podcast Reaches 2.47M Global Monthly Listens and Launches Silly Stories Spectacular Live Show
Australian creator Sam Ramsden’s independent podcast Silly Stories for Kids logged 2.47 million monthly listens, 1.373 million downloads and over 21.8 million listening minutes in the last 30 days. Audience composition is roughly 52% North America, 26% Australia‑New Zealand and 13% United Kingdom, underscoring its...
Data Broker Kochava Reaches Privacy Deal With FTC Lawyers
Kochava, a mobile‑data broker, has reached a privacy settlement with the Federal Trade Commission over allegations it sold precise geolocation data linked to sensitive venues. The agreement, still pending approval by FTC commissioners, requires Kochava to implement a two‑year privacy...
ATSC Appoints Anil Bhardwaj Tech, Strategy Director For India
ATSC has named Indian broadcast veteran Anil Bhardwaj as its Technology & Strategy Director for India and Emerging Markets, reinforcing the group’s push for next‑generation standards. Bhardwaj will lead ATSC’s engagement with the Telecommunications Standards Development Society of India (TSDSI) and...
CMB Seeks Nominations for 2026 Christian Radio Mentoring Class
Christian Music Broadcasters (CMB) is opening nominations for its 2026‑2027 Leadership Mentoring cohort, a seven‑month program limited to 18 participants. The initiative targets current and emerging leaders across Christian radio, including on‑air talent, fundraisers, marketers, and technical staff. Led by...
Ron Corning and Miranda Suarez to Host KERA’s ‘NTX Now’
KERA, North Texas’ public radio station, will launch NTX Now, a live weekday morning talk show debuting this summer. The one‑hour program is co‑hosted by veteran TV journalist Ron Corning and KERA reporter Miranda Suarez, focusing on civic life and community...
SiriusXM Revs Up Full-Season IndyCar Coverage for 2026
SiriusXM will broadcast every IndyCar race, practice and qualifying session for the 2026 NTT IndyCar Series on its IndyCar Nation channel, covering all 18 events starting March 1 in St. Peterburg. The satellite‑radio service will also continue weekly shows like Brick‑by‑Brick with...
The New York Times Is Adding Another Daily Crossword, because Why Not
The New York Times introduced a new subscriber‑only "Midi" crossword, a 9×9 puzzle that sits between its Mini (5×5) and Daily (15×15) offerings. The move expands the Times Games portfolio, which already serves over one million games‑only subscribers and generates roughly $50 million in...
The SoCal Sound Licenses to Consolidate Under CSUN Ownership
California State University, Northridge (CSUN) will assume ownership of KSBR’s FCC license, consolidating it with KCSN’s under the CSUN University Corporation, pending FCC approval. The move formalizes a simulcast partnership that began in 2017, covering Orange and Los Angeles counties, while...
“Same Values, Same Mission, Same Ethics”: How the Houston Chronicle Chooses Creators to Work With
The Houston Chronicle is testing creator collaborations, beginning with food‑video creator Shawn Singh, to drive newsletter sign‑ups, pay‑wall subscriptions and social follows. Success is measured both by hard metrics and by the willingness to experiment and adopt a creator mindset....
Chyron Releases Weather 2.3 With New Data and Automation Features
Chyron has launched Weather 2.3, the newest version of its broadcast‑grade weather‑visualization suite. The update adds UHD, 4K DCI and 2K DCI SDI outputs, a Virtual Globe 3D playlist, and support for custom aspect ratios such as square and portrait. Automation capabilities are...
‘Access Hollywood’s Emily Orozco Promoted To Correspondent In NYC Bureau
NBCUniversal has elevated Emily Orozco to correspondent for Access Hollywood’s New York City bureau. Orozco, an Emmy‑nominated journalist, joined the show in 2017 and has progressed from associate field producer to head of the NY bureau and coordinating producer. She...
Telestream Unveils Production-Ready AI Capabilities Across Its Product Portfolio
Telestream unveiled a suite of production‑ready AI features across its Vantage, Vantage Cloud, EDC, Stanza and Qualify platforms. The rollout adds AI Caption with support for 128 languages, AI Qualify for automated lip‑sync and subtitle validation, AI Speech for real‑time...
Nexstar Expects Tegna Purchase To Close By End Of Q2
Nexstar Media Group expects its $2.5 billion acquisition of Tegna to close by the end of the second quarter, aligning with the anticipated surge in political advertising ahead of the 2026 election cycle. The company reported Q4 net revenue of $1.29 billion,...
IHeartMedia Partners with Middle East State of Qatar for New Podcast Effort
iHeartMedia has signed a multi‑year partnership with Qatar’s Government Communications Office to build a state‑of‑the‑art podcast studio and launch original Arabic shows. The deal will also bring popular global podcasts to Arabic‑speaking audiences and deliver masterclasses for local talent. iHeart...
FCC Chair Warns on Sports Shift, May Sue Network
FCC Chair Unfiltered: Protecting Local News, Sports on Broadcast TV and May Sue a Network @BrendanCarrFCC did not hold back in a wide-ranging, must-watch conversation with @semaforben yesterday. The interview came shortly after Carr issued an FCC Public Notice seeking...
Print Publishers Demand Optimal Length; Ebooks Allow Flexibility
Book length is a lot more important for traditional publishers because too long & it might be too expensive to print, but distributors/stores also don't like super skinny books that much. But someone whose main market is ebooks, as is...
FCC Chair Unfiltered: Protecting Local News, Sports on Broadcast TV and May Sue a Network
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announced a new enforcement push to preserve local news and sports programming on broadcast television. He warned that any network failing to meet public‑interest obligations could be sued under the Communications Act. Carr emphasized the FCC’s...
Markiplier's Indie Horror Proves Creators Can Redefine Hollywood Distribution
From YouTube to $48 million box office hit @markiplier's self-financed indie horror film 'Iron Lung' more than 15x'd it's budget and is a glimpse into how the right creators will redefine distribution in Hollywood 00:00 The Story of Iron Lung 05:54 By...
My December Take on the Netflix‑Warner Bros. Deal
Here’s what I wrote back in December, the day after the Netflix deal with WBD was announced: https://t.co/aiNBd98ACC
Launch HN: Cardboard (YC W26) – Agentic Video Editor
Cardboard, a Y Combinator W26 startup, offers an AI‑powered video editor that transforms raw footage into polished, publish‑ready content in minutes. The platform automates framing, captioning, montage creation, podcast clipping, and more, while allowing users to issue natural‑language edit commands....
Paramount's Full-Asset Bid Keeps WBD Movies and Cable United
So Netflix ending its WBD bid means WBD's movie business and cable channels should stay together. Paramount has sought the whole package even as WBD planned to spin off its cable assets. Lots of sports media angles now with...
CNN Becomes Authoritarian
There goes CNN into the clutches of Bari Weiss and Scott Jennings: state media for the authoritarians. This is fucked. Netflix drops out of bidding after WBD deems Paramount’s takeover bid ‘superior’ https://t.co/BFoQBv1MBa
Director of Customer Success
Fairing, a marketing measurement platform used by more than 3,000 brands, is hiring a Director of Customer Success to own the end‑to‑end post‑sale journey—from onboarding to renewal and expansion. The role centers on net revenue retention, requiring deep expertise in...
Ellisons Aim to Merge Paramount, Warner as Netflix Backs Out
Confirmed: Netflix pulls offer for Warner Bros Discovery's streaming & studio assets The Ellisons look to roll up Paramount and Warner into a Hollywood behemoth Justice Department antitrust regulators have yet to weigh in... but Trump has warming ties to Ellisons
Triple Win: Netflix, WBD, and Paramount All Profit
As I wrote months ago, there was only one “win win win” here … 1) Netflix gets the break fee 2) WBD gets even more money from Para 3) Para gets the bone it wants
Digital Ad Dollar Dip, Less Political Dollars Impact GMG
Graham Media Group, a broadcast arm of Graham Holdings, reported a disappointing Q4 2025 earnings beat, driven by a sharp decline in digital advertising revenue and a notable drop in political ad spending. Digital ad dollars fell roughly 12% year‑over‑year,...
Netflix Rejects Paramount Offer, Cites Brand Stewardship
Netflix declines to match Paramount offer for WBD: We believe we would have been strong stewards of Warner Bros.’ iconic brands, and that our deal would have strengthened the entertainment industry and preserved and created more production jobs in the U.S.
Paramount Ups Bid, Netflix Faces Critical Decision
Axios Pro Rata on Feb. 11: "It feels like the next act already has been written. The 'Davids' get over themselves, Paramount raises its bid and then Netflix has a decision to make."
Tara Brown Investigates Epstein Scandal Fallout
Australian journalist Tara Brown will front a 60 Minutes special titled "The Reckoning: Inside the Epstein Files" airing March 2 on Channel 9 and 9Now. The program examines newly released documents that map Jeffrey Epstein’s network of powerful associates across...
Warner Bros. Chooses Paramount Over Netflix, Matching Window Opens
To explain this in English: Warner Bros. has decided that Paramount's offer is better than its Netflix deal, but Netflix has a window to match or best Paramount. Does Netflix stick with it? Or will it bail? https://t.co/W9rTU1YRbY
Warner Says Paramount Offer Outpaces Netflix, Challenges Sarandos
WBD says Paramount bid > Netflix. Mr Sarandos, the ball is now in your court.
No HDO For El Paso Radio Trio As Questioned Deal Dissolves
A Hearing Designation Order (HDO) that had been issued for the proposed transfer of two AM stations and an FM station in El Paso, Texas, has been terminated. The termination follows a joint request from the buyer and seller to...
Warner Bros Declares Paramount Deal Superior, Challenges Netflix
Warner Bros says the Paramount deal is now superior. The ball is in Netflix’s court.
Censorship Targets Content, Not Platform Design, After OSA
This is how you know it’s about the CONTENT and not the “designs of the platforms” or “addictive features” as proponents of these bans claim. Immediately after OSA passed they began openly targeting and censoring specific content
DIRECTV Warns Of The Danger of Mega ABC, CBS, FOX, & NBC Mergers to Local News
DIRECTV submitted an FCC filing warning that the surge in duopolies, triopolies and even quadropolies among broadcasters such as Nexstar, Sinclair and Gray is eroding local‑news diversity. The analysis catalogued roughly one hundred duopolies, more than a dozen triopolies and...
Colbert’s Texas Democrat Interview Reshapes CBS Political Strategy
Podcast: Why the Colbert interview with that Texas Dem carried outsized importance to CBS -- The NPR Politics Podcast https://t.co/qVlZSMe1Xg
Metacritic's Rising Relevance Threatened by Dwindling Quality Sources
Metacritic has only become more important as algorithms flatten and fracture the internet, but its authority relies on quality inputs from sources that are being hallowed out at an alarming rate. https://t.co/OotCnOjnz5
Podcast Advertising Projected to $1B/Year by 2029 (EMARKETER)
A new eMarketer survey of 100 U.S. marketers shows digital audio advertising is gaining traction, with 67% of respondents already allocating budget to the channel. While only 25% plan to increase spend within the next year, 83% view incremental reach...