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
Lyor Cohen Isn’t Your Best Friend — But He’s Getting Serious Results at YouTube Music
Lyor Cohen’s aggressive push at YouTube Music is beginning to close the gap with Amazon Music, as the platform posted the fastest paid‑subscriber growth among U.S. streaming services in 2025. Although YouTube Music still holds less than 9% market share and remains fourth behind Spotify, Apple and Amazon, its subscriber base is accelerating thanks to new AI‑driven radio, UI upgrades, TikTok integration, and a strategic bundle with YouTube Premium. Amazon Music, despite a larger base, is seeing subscriber erosion after a recent price hike. Cohen’s ecosystem‑centric strategy appears to be paying off, positioning YouTube Music for a potential market shake‑up.
Rare Michigan-Duke Clash Delivers Latest Big College Hoops Audience
The Michigan‑Duke men’s basketball game delivered an average 2.0 rating and 4.32 million viewers on ESPN, peaking at 5.4 million. This made it the largest ESPN‑network audience for a men’s game since the 2019 Duke‑North Carolina showdown and the seventh‑most‑watched ever on...
Court Rules Against Justice Dept. Search of Reporter’s Computers
A federal magistrate in Virginia ruled that the Justice Department cannot conduct an unsupervised search of seized devices belonging to a Washington Post reporter. The judge ordered that any examination of the material be overseen by the court, rejecting the...
Paramount Welcomes WBD Talks, Details New Elements Of Sweetened $31-A-Share Offer
Paramount has sweetened its bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, raising the cash offer to $31 per share and adding several protective clauses. The revised terms include an accelerated quarterly ticking fee, a $7 billion regulatory termination fee, and a commitment to...
Thompson Spencer Appoints Ex-OMG Group Director As Head Of Performance
Thompson Spencer announced the appointment of Sam Casey, former OMG Group Director of Media Implementation, as its new Head of Performance. Casey brings extensive experience in programmatic, paid social and search across New Zealand, Australia and global markets. The hire coincides...
Saturday TV Ratings: 48 Hours, WWE Legends, NBA Basketball, Milan Cortina Olympics 2026, NCAA Basketball
The Saturday, February 21 2025 ratings report shows CBS’s true‑crime series 48 Hours airing new episodes alongside a heavy lineup of live sports, including coverage of the upcoming Milan‑Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, NCAA basketball, WWE Legends featuring Stone Cold Steve Austin, and...
20/20: Season 48 Ratings
ABC’s long‑running newsmagazine 20/20 concluded its 48th season amid modest Nielsen performance. Season 47 recorded a 0.21 rating in the key 18‑49 demographic and attracted 2.46 million total viewers. As of Feb 25 2026 the series has received neither a renewal nor a cancellation...
Home & Away Nudges 1m Viewers, MAFS on Top.
Australian television ratings for Tuesday, 24 February 2026 show Nine’s reality hit Married at First Sight dominating the night with 1.86 million viewers. Home & Away nudged 975,000, climbing to second place in its timeslot, while Seven News led the news segment with 1.37 million. Other...
Frisco King: Taylor Sheridan To Write All Episodes Of Retitled Tulsa King Spin-Off
Paramount+ confirmed that acclaimed creator Taylor Sheridan will pen all eight episodes of the new spin‑off series "Frisco King," starring Samuel L. Jackson as Russell Lee Washington Jr. The show, originally titled "NOLA King," shifts its setting from New Orleans...
Bari Weiss Offers Big Contracts, Still Can't Lure Talent
Scoop: As Bari Weiss works to recruit high-wattage stars to CBS News, she's dangling lucrative contracts in front of potential hires. They're still turning her down. Details in @get_status: https://www.status.news/p/bari-weiss-cbs-news-recruiting-hiring-struggles
Filter Teams Risk Bias When Opposing Press Freedom
“The concern that a filter team may err by neglect, by malice, or by honest difference of opinion is heightened where its institutional interests are so directly at odds with the press freedom values at stake.” https://t.co/unH2hznN3D
Men’s Gold Medal Hockey Game Averaged 18.9 Million Viewers Across NBC, Peacock
Team USA secured a 2‑1 overtime victory over Canada to claim its first men’s Olympic hockey gold since the 1980 Miracle on Ice. The game averaged 18.9 million viewers across NBC and Peacock, peaking at 26 million during Jack Hughes’ winning goal,...
NPR Urges Bipartisan Dialogue, Even with Rush Limbaugh
Not clear on what you're on about here, Richard. FWIW NPR has broadcast plenty of calls to push past partisanship. We once did a series calling "Crossing the Divide." My contribution was an extended interview with Rush Limbaugh. He loved...
CBS News Owner Eyes Acquisition of CNN Parent Company
Among other things, this is the controlling owner of CBS News, looking to buy parent company of CNN
Braves Embracing Solo Field
The Atlanta Braves announced BravesVision, a proprietary broadcast platform designed to replace third‑party distributors amid the decline of Main Street Sports. The move leverages the club’s expansive multi‑state television territory to capture more advertising and subscription revenue. MLB’s national media...
NXST Media and TEGNA TV Deal Worth $6.2 B
🚨 The total value of the @NXSTMediaGroup / @TEGNA TV station transaction is $6.2 billion
FCC Takes a Swing at the State of Sports Broadcasting
The FCC’s Media Bureau issued a public notice seeking comment on the evolving live‑sports distribution landscape, highlighting concerns over consumer access and the ability of local broadcasters to fulfill public‑interest duties. The notice asks whether market fragmentation—driven by streaming platforms...
The Sidemen Formula: Why TV Formats Belong on Creator Channels
The article argues that broadcasters should embed traditional TV formats within creator channels rather than merely licensing talent. By leveraging creators’ repeatable engagement formulas, formats like Family Fortunes can be re‑imagined for social‑first audiences, as demonstrated by the Sidemen partnership...
Sinclair Inc (SBGI) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
Sinclair Inc. reported Q4 2025 revenue of $836 million, a decline from the prior year’s $1.0 billion, primarily due to a steep drop in political advertising. Core advertising revenue grew 14% year‑over‑year, boosted by live‑sports programming and the Digital Remedy acquisition....
Emotive Boss Simon Joyce Bought Agency From ARN Media for One Dollar, Accounts Reveal
Emotive’s founders Simon Joyce and Ben Keep acquired the agency from ARN Media for a nominal $1, with a contingent $1.5 million earn‑out tied to future performance. The firm reported $10.8 million in revenue and a modest $72 k pre‑tax profit in 2024,...
Love Island Voting Figures Reveal Just How Close the Final Was
Love Island: All Stars concluded on 23 February with Ciaran Davies and Samie Elishi crowned winners, securing just over 35% of the public vote. Runners‑up Zac Woodworth and Millie Court earned just over 23%, while third‑place Leanne and Scott captured around...
Kochava Launches First Supply Performance System for Premium Publishers
Kochava unveiled Atlas Performance, the industry’s first Supply Performance System built for premium publishers and platforms. The solution plugs directly into existing ad servers, SSPs and DSPs, avoiding costly technology overhauls, and is powered by the StationOne AI workspace for...
Dawn of ‘A New Day’ at Mid-West Family’s Magic 98 in Madison
Mid‑West Family Broadcasting has launched a new local morning program, “A New Day with Lanette & Charlotte,” on Madison’s Magic 98 (WMGN). Veteran voice Lanette Hansen, who has spent over twenty years at the station, is paired with former WISC‑TV anchor...
Tim Daly To Romance Wife Téa Leoni In NBC Pilot Newlyweds, Doubling As Madam Secretary Reunion
Tim Daly has been cast opposite his wife, Téa Leoni, in NBC's new comedy pilot "Newlyweds." The series follows a recently divorced professor and a free‑spirited woman whose chance encounter leads to an unexpected whirlwind wedding. The project is co‑created...
Audacy’s Eagle To Be Guided By A Hawk In Sacramento
Audacy Sacramento has expanded Andy Hawk’s responsibilities, naming him brand manager for ALT 94.7 (KKDO), 96.9 The Eagle (KSEG) and 98 Rock (KRXQ), effectively consolidating the market’s rock portfolio under a single leader. Hawk, a Sacramento native who began as an intern at...
Will Karadec's Feelings For Morgan Come Between Him And Lucia On High Potential? Showrunner Weighs In
Showrunner Todd Harthan reveals that Will Karadec’s renewed feelings for his ex‑fiancée Morgan could jeopardize his budding romance with Lucia as Season 2 of ABC’s High Potential returns on March 3. He explains Karadec has finally evolved, putting Lucia first, but the...
‘One Piece’ Season 2 Getting A Limited Theatrical Release In Select Countries
Netflix announced a limited theatrical release of the first two episodes of One Piece Season 2, titled “Into the Grand Line,” in the United States, Canada, and Japan on March 10, 2026. The screenings coincide with the series’ global streaming debut on Netflix...
Casting News: Girls5eva Reunion On Cupertino, Aimee Lou Wood Is Jane Eyre, And More
Busy Philipps joins CBS’s upcoming legal drama "Cupertino" as Natalia, the ex‑wife of an AI billionaire seeking revenge. The series, created by Robert and Michelle King, pits two fired attorneys against Silicon Valley tech titans and received a series order...
New York Times, AP, Guardian And Others Urge Court To Block FTC Probe Of Media Matters
Major news organizations, including The New York Times and the Associated Press, have filed an amicus brief urging the D.C. Circuit Court to block the Federal Trade Commission from resuming its investigation of Media Matters for America. The FTC’s demand...
NETFLIX, PRIME VIDEO, DISNEY+ Hold Firm in Australia’s Streaming Race
JustWatch’s Q4 2025 data shows Australia’s streaming hierarchy remains largely unchanged, with Netflix holding the top spot at 22 percent engagement, followed closely by Prime Video at 20 percent and Disney+ at 19 percent. Local platform Stan posted a notable...
MIW Releases 25th Gender Analysis Study
Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio (MIW) released its 25th annual gender analysis, tracking female leadership in U.S. commercial radio. The study shows women holding 22 % of general‑manager roles nationwide, up from 15 % in 2004, and 24 % in the top‑100...
ESPN Exec Announces End of Sue Bird-Diana Taurasi Altcast for Women’s Final Four
ESPN senior vice president Meg Aronowitz announced at the NCAA women’s Final Four preview that *The Bird & Taurasi Show* will end after six years on ESPN2. The alt‑cast, anchored by Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi, drew 1.4 million viewers for the...
Podcasts Overtake Spoken-Word Radio in Key Metric (Edison Research)
Edison Research’s Share of Ear study shows podcasts have finally overtaken spoken‑word AM/FM radio in daily listening time, a shift that began in 2015 when radio commanded 75% of the audience and podcasts held just 10%. Over the past decade,...
RAIN Notes: February 24
The 2026 Ambies awards, delayed by weather, will stream live tonight from Brooklyn’s On Air Fest, directly competing for viewers with the 9 p.m. State of the Union address. Simultaneously, veteran podcast executive N’Jeri Eaton announced the launch of Type C Studios, a...
ZDF Studios Brings Premium Drama & Factual to London
ZDF Studios showcased three flagship titles at MIP London, highlighting the detective drama Benidorm Is Murder, the true‑crime series Take the Money and Run, and the docuseries Mammals: Life before Dinosaurs. The company used the event to promote its premium...
Banijay Rights’ Cathy Payne Shares Shares View of the European Market
Banijay Rights CEO Cathy Payne says the European scripted market is grappling with a shrinking U.S. co‑production pipeline, forcing distributors to be more selective about financing risk. Buyers now demand projects anchored by recognizable on‑ and off‑screen talent and strong,...
Will Netflix Counter Paramount’s Potential Walk‑Away Offer?
⚡️ Would Netflix Be Attacking Paramount’s Backers if They Were About to Walk Away? ⚡️ Everyone is asking us the same question: will @Netflix match if the @wbd Board determines @Paramount’s “revised proposal” from earlier today is a “Company Superior...
Netflix Ad Revenue Set to Soar Past $8bn by 2030, Outpacing CTV Rivals: Warc
Netflix’s ad‑supported tier is on track to generate $8 billion in advertising revenue by 2030, far outpacing the broader connected‑TV (CTV) market. The company posted $1.5 billion in ad sales in 2025, more than 2.5 times its 2024 figure, and aims to double...
Fake Quotes Undermine Truth and Stifle Real Critique
New piece. I want to talk about something that keeps happening and that I think is making all of us worse at knowing what's true. There's a real cost to this. Every fake quote displaces the real story. There are legitimate...
Warner Bros. Discovery Anticipates Stronger Offer After $31 Bid
Paramount Skydance raised its bid to $31 per share — Warner Bros. Discovery said the updated bid "could reasonably be expected" to lead to a superior proposal https://t.co/z6F8zlBcky
Ziff Davis Sees Big Hit to Affiliate Revenue in Q4
Ziff Davis reported Q4 2025 revenue of $406.7 million, a modest 1.5% decline, as affiliate commerce commissions fell $25 million, half of which occurred in the quarter. Tech and shopping segments saw revenues drop 18‑19% year‑over‑year, driving a 14% share plunge....
Call Your Rep: Say No to Digital Censorship Bills
CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVE TODAY and tell them: — NO to KOSA — NO to Section 230 reform — NO to the SCREEN Act — NO to the App Store Accountability Act —NO age verification laws —NO to digital ID systems
Paramount's $31 per Share Bid Not Final, WBD Says
Clearly, WBD has been told or is inferring Paramount's $31/shr offer is still not the company's "best and final" offer -- and ongoing saga that still hasn't ended.
Instagram’s TV App Is Launching on Google TV Devices
Instagram’s Instagram for TV app expands to Google TV devices in the United States, following its December launch on Amazon Fire TV. The TV version lets users watch Reels and browse their Instagram feed on a large screen, with auto‑playing...
Disney's Comm Chief Kristina Schake Exits with Iger
And.... some big Disney news too. Chief of comms Kristina Schake will leave on March 18 to coincide with Bob Iger's CEO departure. No replacement named.
WBD Board Holds Off Decision on PSKY vs Netflix
“The Board has not made a determination as to whether the revised PSKY proposal is superior to the merger with Netflix. WBD will engage further with PSKY to determine if a proposal that constitutes a “Company Superior Proposal,” as defined...
The First Version Wins
A fabricated quote attributed to Governor Gavin Newsom – “I’m a 960 SAT guy, I can’t read” – went viral, amassing nearly 55 million views after being posted by the conservative account EndWokeness. The original remarks were about Newsom’s dyslexia and...
WBD Board Says Para Offer May Prompt Superior Bid
Para offer —> $31/shr with $0.25 ticking fee…. WBD board says “Could Reasonably Be Expected to Lead to a “Company Superior Proposal””
Stop Euphemisms: It's a Digital ID, Not Age Verification
We need to stop using industry-friendly PR terms like “age verification” and call it what it is: Digital ID https://t.co/YbejVkq46A
AP to Host Live Capitol Show for SOTU
Just in: Late Night with the Associated Press? AP says it will produce a live show from inside the U.S. Capitol for SOTU, featuring AP reporters and invited guests. Veterans Meg Kinnard and Sagar Meghani will host, and program...