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
Why “Magic Links” And Passcodes Are Taking over News Logins
News publishers are increasingly replacing passwords with email‑based magic links or one‑time passcodes. Small‑scale outlets using platforms like Ghost, Substack, and Beehiiv cite reduced security overhead and faster onboarding as primary benefits. Industry voices argue that magic links combat password fatigue while also lowering the risk of credential leaks. Emerging passkey technology is being positioned as the next step to further streamline authentication without compromising safety.
AiMCO Wants to End the ‘Wild West’ Era of Influencer Marketing in Australia With Its 2026 Summit
The Australian Influencer Marketing Council (AiMCO) will host its 2026 Summit on Feb 26 in Sydney, aiming to shift the perception of influencer marketing from a “Wild West” to a disciplined, brand‑ready channel. The not‑for‑profit body, which introduced Australia’s first influencer...
Digital Media Company Raptive Crosses $4B In Publisher Payouts
Raptive, the ad‑management platform for independent sites, announced it has paid $4 billion to its publisher partners, confirming its status among the top‑10 global media companies. The network now spans more than 6,500 premium sites, reaching 223 million unique monthly visitors and...
Valerie Bertinelli Launches Subscription Direct-to-Fan Platform ‘Valerie’s Place,’ Including New Episodes of ‘Home Cooking’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Former Food Network star Valerie Bertinelli has launched a subscription‑based direct‑to‑fan platform called Valerie’s Place, priced at $2 per month. The service, built on Visible Things’ technology, offers new episodes of her show Home Cooking, original programming, podcasts, live streams,...
ITV Studios Produces the Spanish Version of Parents’ Evening for Atresmedia
ITV Studios announced that its hit UK celebrity game show Parents’ Evening will be adapted for the Spanish market by Atresmedia, with production handled by ITV Studios Iberia. The format, created by Ranga Bee Productions and hosted by Romesh Ranganathan...
ABC News Is No. 1 Broadcast Network for Coverage of the State of the Union, Beating NBC by 1.4 Million...
ABC News topped all broadcast networks in live‑plus‑same‑day viewership for the 2026 State of the Union, drawing 4.912 million total viewers. The coverage outperformed NBC by 1.43 million viewers and CBS by 1.65 million, while also beating Fox and the combined cable audience...
Apple Could Monetize Default AI Like Safari Search
AI Tracking Transparency In November, Apple updated its App Store developer guidelines to require developers to obtain affirmative, opt-in consent from users before sending “personal data” to third-party AI services. A pertinent question is: if Apple is able to dissuade developers...
IHeartMedia and Charlamagne Tha God Announce the Fourth Annual Black Effect Podcast Festival Presented by State Farm® on April 25...
iHeartMedia and Charlamagne Tha God announced the fourth annual Black Effect Podcast Festival in Atlanta on April 25, 2026. The day‑long event, presented by State Farm, will feature hosts Charlamagne Tha God, DJ Envy and Loren LoRosa, with tickets on...
Progressive Talk Media Star Thom Hartmann Interviewed
Thom Hartmann, a leading progressive talk‑radio host, appears as Michael Harrison’s guest on the Up Close Far Out video series hosted by TALKERS magazine. Hartmann’s daily program airs on hundreds of terrestrial stations, SiriusXM Progress 127, Free Speech TV, Substack,...
TV Agency Launches Book Division Targeting YA, Romance, Women’s Fiction
Recently, the LA-based TV literary agency Kaplan Stahler brought on Jillian Davis to start their book department. She focuses on authors of YA, romance, and women’s fiction. I’m grateful to Jillian for answering a few questions about the unique space she’s...
The Art (And Science) Of Measurement with Extreme Reach’s Sherman Li
Extreme Reach (XR) operates as a full‑stack ad‑operations hub, handling everything from payroll and asset management to multi‑platform delivery. The company recently announced a digital integration with Nielsen One, allowing advertisers to attach audience measurement data directly to each ad....
AudioUK Appoints Chris Baughen as Chief Executive Officer
AudioUK announced that Chris Baughen will assume the role of Chief Executive Officer on 30 March 2026. Baughen arrives with more than two decades of experience at Wondery, Spotify, Global and Deezer, spanning radio, streaming and podcasting. His appointment coincides with a...
If the Bot Lies, Who Pays?
A federal court in Georgia dismissed Mark Walters’ defamation lawsuit against OpenAI, finding the complaint lacked the required fault element. The ruling underscores that AI systems themselves cannot be liable for defamation because they lack intent and legal personhood. Liability...
TV Media Buyers Want Outcomes – So Nielsen Is Introducing More Advanced Audiences
Nielsen announced the addition of more than 200 advanced audience segments to its Nielsen ONE cross‑platform dashboard, drawing on Scarborough’s extensive U.S. consumer surveys. The new segments span demographics, purchase behavior and lifestyle categories, and are intended to improve TV...
EE and Kevin Bacon Part Ways After 14 Years
EE announced it is ending its 14‑year partnership with actor Kevin Bacon, who has been the brand’s voiceover since 2012. The telecom giant will replace Bacon with popular radio and TV presenter Nick Grimshaw, who will begin recording new ads...
Jameson Celebrates St. Patrick’s Day with Activations
Jameson Irish Whiskey marked St. Patrick’s Day with a series of high‑visibility activations across the UK, featuring a branded food‑truck, pop‑up bars, and a multi‑media partnership with the English Football League (EFL). The campaign leveraged live match broadcasts, digital content,...
Week of Feb. 9 Evening News Ratings: Nightly News Gets Olympic Boost
NBC Nightly News anchored from Milan posted week‑to‑week gains in both total viewers and the coveted Adults 25‑54 demo, buoyed by its Milano‑Cortina 2026 Olympic coverage. The broadcast recorded 7.797 million total viewers and 1.24 million demo viewers, up 8% and 13% respectively,...
FIPP Announces a Trio of AI-Related Actions for Its Members
FIPP has launched three AI‑focused initiatives to help its publishing members navigate the rapid rise of generative AI. An AI Working Group, led by Elsa Esparbé and Tim Bulley, will craft a strategic framework to protect IP and audiences. The federation also...
How The New York Times Covers the SOTU Under Intense Deadline Pressure
The New York Times deploys more than 50 journalists to cover each State of the Union, anticipating both scripted content and spontaneous incidents. Editor Elizabeth Kennedy, who heads the White House team, coordinates reporters, photographers, and digital staff to meet...
Dale Anglin Tells Us How Press Forward Is Leveraging Local News to Build Community
Press Forward, led by inaugural executive director Dale Anglin, is a philanthropic initiative that provides grant funding to local news organizations across the United States. Anglin, formerly vice president for grantmaking at the Cleveland Foundation, emphasizes community restoration through hyperlocal...
Dystopian Drama with "Gut-Wrenching Twists" Said to Be 'Unlike Anything on TV' Is Coming to Netflix
Amazon Prime’s acclaimed dystopian series The Man in the High Castle will debut on Netflix on March 11, nearly seven years after its original finale. Created by Frank Spotnitz and starring Rufus Sewell, the show reimagines a world where the Nazis...
WAN-IFRA Introduces the NextGen AI Leaders Programme to Equip Emerging News Executives with Practical AI and Leadership Skills
WAN-IFRA has launched the NextGen AI Leaders Programme, a tuition‑free 12‑week initiative aimed at equipping 24 emerging news executives aged 25‑40 from Europe, the Middle East and Africa with practical AI and leadership skills. Backed by the Google News Initiative,...
Philadelphia’s New Brand Platform Positions Cream Cheese as Kitchen Staple
Philadelphia Cream Cheese unveiled its biggest ever marketing push, the “Really Philly Good” platform, developed by Johannes Leonardo. The campaign introduces a cowboy‑esque brand character, Phillyboy, featured in 19 short spots across linear TV, streaming, YouTube, social and audio. Targeting...
A Data-Driven Approach to Subscriber Satisfaction
Newsday, a Long Island‑based multiplatform news outlet, has leveraged the American Press Institute’s Metrics for News (MFN) analytics tool since 2018 to turn data into subscriber growth. By tracking audience enthusiasm for niche beats, the paper launched new content initiatives,...
Building Trust Through Strategic Collaborations
Factchequeado, a nonprofit serving over 68 million U.S. Latinos, has become the nation’s largest collaborative effort against Spanish‑language disinformation. By realigning its partnership strategy in 2024, the organization saw a 60% year‑over‑year rise in social media traffic after teaming with a...
Capturing Transformative Impact in Action
The American Press Institute (API) released its 2025 Impact Report, showcasing case studies that illustrate how the organization’s “learning out loud” philosophy is being applied across the media sector. By inviting journalism leaders to share insights, API synthesizes these lessons...
In This Cleveland Newsroom, AI Is Writing (But Not Reporting) the News
Cleveland.com’s editor Chris Quinn created an AI rewrite desk, hiring Joshua Newman to use an in‑house ChatGPT to turn reporters’ notes into polished stories, which humans then fact‑check. The experiment has kept story volume steady while giving reporters an extra...
Semafor Claims Media Trust Amid Controversial Allies
Wha? Semafor wants to restore trust in media (as if media ever had it) with the FCC's chief censor run rampant, the editor who's killing the WaPo, a Sunday host some do not trust, a Fox Sunday host, Germany's Murdoch,...
Gripping and "Dark" Mystery Thriller Branded "Masterpiece" Is Now Streaming on Netflix
Netflix has released the eight‑episode Korean mystery thriller *The Art of Sarah*, starring Shin Hye Sun as a deceptive luxury‑brand executive. The series follows Detective Park Mu‑gyeong as he investigates a body that appears to be Sarah, uncovering a web...
Grey’s Anatomy Star Patrick Dempsey Planned to Reunite with Eric Dane on New Show Before His Death
Patrick Dempsey disclosed that he had been arranging for his late Grey’s Anatomy co‑star Eric Dane to appear as his brother in the upcoming thriller Memory of a Killer. The casting plan collapsed after Dane succumbed to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis,...
Banijay Entertainment and Talpa Studios Present New Format, The Bycicle Race
Banijay Entertainment and Talpa Studios have unveiled "The Bicycle Race," an eight‑episode adventure‑reality format created by EndemolShine Nederland and Talpa Studios for Dutch broadcaster SBS6. The series follows six celebrity duos as they bike across India, facing tactical challenges and...
Screenverse Leaders Share Insight on DOOH Buying Strategy
Screenverse executives David Weinfeld and Montana Accavallo discussed premium buyer expectations on the CX Innovators podcast, highlighting how data‑driven demands are reshaping digital‑out‑of‑home (DOOH) buying. They explained that integration of supply‑side and demand‑side platforms is crucial for securing repeat, high‑value...
Adform Becomes First-Ever DSP to Join ISBA’s Partner Programme, Championing Digital Sovereignty for British Advertisers
Adform announced it is the first demand‑side platform to join the Institute of Shared Business Advertising (ISBA) Partner Programme, positioning itself as a champion of digital sovereignty for UK brands. The partnership aims to give advertisers greater visibility, accountability and...
64 Is The New 54: Is Radio Due For A Demographic Target Reset?
Audacy’s research proposes expanding the core advertising demographic from Adults 25‑54 to 25‑64, adding 33 million listeners and boosting total radio listening by 48 %. The broader slice captures a financially powerful 55‑64 cohort that now accounts for nearly 20 % of U.S. spending....
TelevisaUnivision Narrows Q4 Net Loss Even With US Ad Decline
TelevisaUnivision reported Q4 revenue of $1.323 billion, a 2% decline year‑over‑year, while operating expenses rose 4% to $926.4 million. The company narrowed its net loss dramatically to $234.7 million from $809.7 million a year earlier. US advertising revenue fell 9% (6% excluding political ads),...
What Do We Learn About Local Newsrooms by Looking at Their Olympics Coverage?
Local newsrooms in Indianapolis leveraged the resources of national media conglomerates to deliver extensive coverage of the 2026 Winter Olympics. The IndyStar, part of the USA TODAY Network, and broadcast groups TEGNA and Nexstar used on‑the‑ground reporters in Milan, live‑shot...
Former Mail on Sunday Exec Says Emails From Phone Hacker Don’t Prove Illegality
Former Mail on Sunday associate editor Chris Anderson has denied buying stories from phone‑hacker Greg Miskiw, despite email exchanges that feature tips on Sadie Frost and MP Simon Hughes. The emails are central to a privacy lawsuit brought by Prince...
AWS Introduces New AI Service for Vertical Video Viral Moments
Amazon Web Services launched Elemental Inference, a fully managed AI service that automatically converts live or on‑demand horizontal video into vertical formats in real time. The platform leverages multimodal AI to analyse both audio and video, delivering converted streams with...
Limelight Inc.’s Case Study: Adaptive Rules Centre Delivers Near-3x Revenue Uplift & 10x Fill Rate Improvement for APAC Ad Exchange
Limelight Inc. released a case study showing its Adaptive Rules Centre (ARC) boosted a leading APAC ad exchange’s revenue by 289% and lift fill rates tenfold. The exchange replaced manual reporting with two account‑wide automation rules that dynamically adjusted QPS...
Hear Aldous Huxley Read Brave New World. Plus 84 Classic Radio Dramas From CBS Radio Workshop (1956–57)
The article spotlights the CBS Radio Workshop, a 1956‑57 series that produced 86 meticulously scripted radio dramas, including Aldous Huxley’s own reading of Brave New World. It highlights the program’s literary breadth—featuring works by Ray Bradbury, Robert Heinlein, Mark Twain, and others—and notable...
Digest: UK VOD Services to Face New Ofcom Regulation; Canva Buys Animation and Marketing Startups; OOH Hit Record Revenue in...
The UK government is extending the Media Act 2024 to bring major video‑on‑demand services under Ofcom’s oversight, designating platforms with over 500,000 users as Tier 1 providers. New rules will enforce a broadcasting‑style code, introduce a complaints channel, and impose accessibility quotas...
Retail Media Measurement: Absence of Evidence Is NOT Evidence of Absence
Retail media measurement is often portrayed as broken, yet the same sampling‑based, attention‑agnostic methods underpin TV, radio and outdoor metrics. Industry bodies such as IAB Europe and the MRC have already issued standardized frameworks that enable closed‑loop attribution and incrementality...
Longtime Big Issue Deputy Becomes Editor
Big Issue has promoted deputy editor Steven MacKenzie to editor, succeeding Paul McNamee after a 19‑year tenure, effective March. MacKenzie, who began as a volunteer in Glasgow nearly 15 years ago and has served as deputy for almost six years, will lead the...
CEO Sets Out the Case for Beehiiv versus Substack
Beehiiv CEO Tyler Denk argues the platform diverges from Substack by giving publishers full ownership of their audience and charging flat monthly fees instead of a revenue share. Beehiiv bundles newsletters, website hosting, ad networks, growth tools and soon podcasts...
Risk Intelligence: Futureproofing Print Through People
Risk Intelligence, the ability to perceive and act on risk, is being highlighted as a critical capability for the print and distribution sector facing disruption. Dr. Aarti Anhal explains that everyone possesses risk intelligence, which balances threat and opportunity, and...
Bettman Seeks Better Timeslot for Next Olympic Hockey Final
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman urged a later start time for the next Olympic men’s hockey final after the 2026 gold‑medal game aired at 8 AM ET, the earliest since Sochi 2014. The match drew 18.6 million viewers, far below the 28 million who...
No Traffic, No Moat: How AI Breaks The Economics Of Destination Publishing
Google’s AI Overviews launched in May 2024 sharply cut referral traffic to publisher‑owned sites, exposing the fragility of the destination‑publishing model. Fixed costs—CMS, ad tech, analytics, compliance—remain while traffic‑dependent ad and subscription revenues collapse. Only publishers with strong brands, durable subscriptions,...
Simple Setup, Sounds, Formats Drive Sync Placements
All of these sync placements were created using ↴ → Simple setup → Simple sounds → Simple format(s) I'll walk you through the process
Andrew Marchand Analyzes MLB Rights, ESPN Sunday, NBC Olympics
New pod: @AndrewMarchand returns to gab about MLB media rights, ESPN's Sunday night strategy and NBC's Olympic performance. https://t.co/unMXYcxV6h
Wired's “Gay Mafia” Cover Sparks Editorial Backlash
Wired's cover displays shockingly bad editorial judgment. 'Wired' cover on tech's 'gay mafia' ignites controversy https://t.co/RPQthrkQGm