Know What's Happening in Media
Know What's Happening in Media
Indian TV market braces for sales dip as production costs surge
Rising RAM prices, higher plastic and ocean‑freight costs linked to the West Asia crisis, and a weakening rupee have pushed entry‑level 32‑inch TV prices up about 20% to $133, up from $108 six months ago. Counterpoint Research expects shipments to fall 5‑6% as consumers down‑trade to smaller screens.
Also developing:
By the numbers: K-Love seeks FCC approval to acquire radio station WFCC
Andy Powell, CEO of Conscious Media, reflects on the UAE’s digital media evolution from the 2009 Maktoob‑Yahoo! deal to today’s vibrant ecosystem. He highlights the region’s youthful, mobile‑first audience and the influx of global tech giants that have built talent pipelines. Post‑COVID, a wave of agile SMEs and agencies have introduced proven European and US technology to the market. Amid current regional tensions, Powell urges brands to lean on trusted local partners to sustain growth and revive tourism.
The latest critique targets Dr. Robby’s conduct, which critics say is dragging down the second season of the streaming drama The Pitt. Viewers and industry observers note a dip in ratings as the creator’s “douchery” overshadows the show’s narrative. Meanwhile,...
The Campaign Gaming Summit argued that gaming should be viewed as an ecosystem rather than a conventional media channel. Speakers highlighted a global player base of roughly 3.5 billion active users, underscoring the scale of opportunity. Brands often approach games as...
OpenEvidence and DoxGPT are offering free, AI‑driven literature‑review tools for physicians, funded by advertising. The model shifts costs from doctors to pharma, potentially lowering barriers compared with subscription services like UpToDate, which charge $550 per physician annually. Clear separation and...
Hong Kong’s Companies Registry struck off Apple Daily Limited, Apple Daily Printing Limited and AD Internet Limited, designating them as prohibited organisations under the city’s national security framework. Each firm was fined HK$3,004,500 (approximately $385,000 USD) for breaching the law,...
Motivate Media Group has relaunched Gulf Business with a faster, AI‑enabled website that integrates video, podcasts, newsletters and a continuous newsfeed. The overhaul, timed with the title’s 30th anniversary, emphasizes mobile performance, SEO and accessibility for senior GCC decision‑makers. Early...
Seven Network has appointed veteran journalist Rahni Sadler as Executive Producer of its flagship current‑affairs program 7NEWS Spotlight, succeeding Gemma Williams who will become Managing Editor of 7NEWS. Sadler returns to Seven after a senior producer stint at the ABC,...
KSI will stream Dagenham & Redbridge's National League South match against Hampton & Richmond on March 28 via his YouTube channel, offering free worldwide access. The partnership involves DAZN and the National League, aiming to make the fixture the most‑watched...
TechCentral has become the go‑to source of technology‑business news for South Africa’s senior tech executives, including CIOs and CTOs. The publication distinguishes itself by delivering accurate, independent reporting and in‑depth analysis rather than click‑bait content. Its audience consists of decision‑makers...
Remember when X started showing the location of accounts and everyone found out that a bunch of pro-Trump influencers were actually based in other countries? Now the company says it's changing up its revenue sharing program so people will only...
Penny Chapman, co‑founder of Matchbox Pictures, will deliver the Hector Crawford Memorial Lecture at the Screen Forever conference on the Gold Coast from April 28‑30, 2026. The lecture, titled “creative courage in turbulent times,” will examine the evolution of Australia’s...
Utah lawmakers have passed a bill that taxes "targeted advertising"—digital ads that use individualized data profiles— and earmarks the proceeds for youth sports, literacy, mental‑health and foster‑care programs. Governor Spencer Cox has not yet signed the measure, and the state...
Philadelphia Cream Cheese, owned by Kraft Heinz, has halted paid search on Google, shifting roughly $495,000 of its digital spend to retail‑media networks and focusing on e‑commerce search placements. In 2025 the brand spent $31.8 million on U.S. digital ads, with...
Marketers are reallocating a growing share of search spend toward generative engine optimization (GEO) as AI reshapes how users discover brands. A Scribewise survey shows 55% of U.S. marketers now budget for GEO, with 70% assigning 11%‑20% of their search...
Samsung has equipped Trilith Cinemas in Georgia with its Onyx direct‑view LED system, deploying a 14‑meter flagship screen and several smaller panels across nine luxury auditoriums. The installation meets the latest DCI standards, marking the first multiplex‑scale rollout of cinema‑grade...
JioStar released a BARC‑Nielsen study of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 showing that television and digital advertising audiences overlapped by less than ten percent. The low duplication indicates that integrated TV‑digital campaigns deliver substantial incremental reach, reaching distinct...
Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (ZEEL) is overhauling its sales organization to create an integrated, data‑driven monetisation engine that serves both traditional TV and fast‑growing digital platforms. The restructuring, led by COO Sandeep Mehrotra, appoints new chief sales officers for regional...
Status Scoop: With the first quarter set to wrap at week’s end, Bari Weiss’ relaunched “CBS Evening News” with Tony Dokoupil is on track for its lowest-rated first quarter of the 21st century in both total viewers and the advertiser-coveted...
India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has extended the suspension of BARC television rating points for news channels by four weeks, citing concerns that sensational coverage of the US‑Iran conflict could fuel public anxiety. The pause, now entering a second...
The recent layoff of senior nonfiction editors at Simon & Schuster highlights a broader contraction in the long‑form literary nonfiction market. Sales of nonfiction titles have dropped 8.4% year‑over‑year, double the decline seen in fiction, while reading rates continue to fall,...
In this episode of Computer Says, journalist Julia Angwin and her attorney Peter Romer‑Friedman discuss Grammarly’s controversial "Expert Review" feature, which used AI to mimic the editing style of real experts—including Angwin—without their consent. Angwin explains how she discovered the...
Publicis Groupe announced it will no longer recommend The Trade Desk after a third‑party audit alleged transparency failures, prompting The Trade Desk to defend its platform. Omnicom has launched its own audit, while WPP and Dentsu have already reduced reliance...
OpenAI announced the shutdown of its Sora video‑generation app, prompting Disney to abandon its $1 billion investment and licensing deal. The split ends a high‑profile attempt to embed Disney characters in AI‑generated video and forces both firms to rethink AI strategy.
India’s media and entertainment industry crossed the ₹2.78 trillion ($33.5 bn) mark in 2025, a 9% YoY rise, and is forecast to reach ₹3.3 trillion ($39.8 bn) by 2028. The expansion is anchored by digital advertising, which grew 26% to ₹94,700 crore ($11.4 bn) and now...
YouTube introduced a Gemini‑powered Creator Partnerships suite that automates discovery, matching and campaign management for brands and creators. The launch at IAB NewFronts signals a push to remove infrastructure bottlenecks that have limited the scale of creator marketing.
The News Media Alliance (NMA) has signed a licensing agreement with Bria AI to compensate roughly 2,200 small U.S. publishers for AI‑generated content use. At the same time, WAN‑IFRA released a four‑imperative roadmap for AI adoption, and Reuters and PA...
The Federal Communications Commission gave the green light to Nexstar's $6.2 billion purchase of Tegna, forming a broadcast empire that reaches 80% of U.S. TV households. The approval triggered sharp criticism from California Governor Gavin Newsom and a coalition of state...
Paramount and Skydance have lodged a $111 billion hostile offer for Warner Bros. Discovery, prompting veteran tech journalist Kara Swisher to publicly declare she will leave CNN if the deal closes. Her remarks underscore growing unease about tech‑billionaire ownership of news...
Netflix has terminated negotiations to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery's studio and streaming assets, ending a multi‑billion‑dollar transaction that had engaged top investment banks. The collapse leaves both companies to reassess strategy as Netflix focuses on ad‑supported growth and WBD pivots...
Peacock’s original sitcom “Ted” features Alanna Ubach as Susan Bennett, the well‑meaning mother of protagonist John. Ubach previously delivered a standout guest performance on FX’s “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” playing Roxy, a brash sex worker who becomes the object of...
Saturday, March 21, 2026 TV ratings were released, highlighting a mixed slate of new episodes, specials, and live sports. The CW’s new episode of "48 Hours" anchored the night, while specials like "I Am Raquel Welch" and the theatrical release...
OpenAI is retiring Sora, or as it will forever be remembered… …just kidding it will not be remembered.
Apple TV+ announced that its sci‑fi drama *For All Mankind* will conclude with a sixth season, making it the streamer’s longest‑running series alongside *The Morning Show*. Season 5 launches on March 27, followed by the spin‑off *Star City* on May 29. The creators...
LG Electronics unveiled a slate of new exclusive programming for its LG Channels during the NewFronts event in New York. The lineup includes a puppy‑soccer tournament called World Pup, a culinary lifestyle channel “All Chewed Up,” an expanded Fantasy Life sports...
South Korean megastar BTS reunited on a Manhattan rooftop for the Spotify X BTS: Seaside concert, marking the group's first full U.S. appearance in almost four years. The intimate show featured new tracks from their "Arirang" album and was limited...
From Grok to Grammarly, more and more people are finding that AI systems have appropriated their identities for financial gain. I wrote about another of those companies — Spotify — taking a belated step to do something about it https://www.platformer.news/spotify-artist-profile-protection/?ref=platformer-newsletter
lol, Alex, Alex, don’t sleep on the mess she was a lead architect on which every other reputable outlet is now covering. A second decision likely tmw. WSJ is on it. https://t.co/SGCvLkPDcm
Level 33 Entertainment will launch the Czech‑produced animated fairy‑tale "Proud Princess" on demand on April 7, 2026. The story follows young King Benjamin, who disguises himself as a gardener to win over the proud Princess Carolina, leading to a daring...
The skid row content house is about to blow up mark my words... influencers are descending on egg god and co.
Quite a pair of stories on Wall Street Journal right now. Is Facebook hacking newsroom’s attention? https://t.co/MD1Z3Gr8Lv
Saturday Night Live expands to the UK with an eight‑episode series on Sky One, streaming a day later on Peacock for U.S. viewers. Host Jamie Dornan jokes about missing the James Bond role in a promo sketch, adding star power to...
For an investor or advertiser on Facebook or Instagram / Meta, this is what you call a bad Wall Street Journal headline to wake up to in the morning and feel good about what you’re supporting. https://t.co/tOLcWjICGq
Pirsig wrote ZAMM at 2 AM above a shoe store. 121 publishers rejected it. One editor said yes because it forced him to decide what he cared about. https://t.co/7Zthcmn8vE
Meta announced that creators on Instagram and Facebook can now embed up to 30 clickable shopping links directly within a Reel. The feature expands affiliate and brand partnership options, eliminating the need for third‑party link‑in‑bio tools. Facebook limits product tags...
My U.S. and worldwide PR packages get your music directly onto Google News, Bing News, Yahoo News, and in front of editorial desks that matter. Your next big break could be one press release away. Let's go! Eric@ThatEricAlper.com
Digital clones are now requesting 'legacy hardware' for their makeup trailers because modern GPUs are 'too mainstream' and 'lack that 90s grain.' Even the algorithms are becoming hipsters. 📼🤖 #AIActors #TechHipsters #DigitalMakeup https://t.co/fBZGMPZaf4
Nielsen postponed its February audience measurement report after major streamers complained that a recent methodology change caused a sudden drop in their reported viewership. The delay highlights the sensitivity of streaming platforms to Nielsen’s data, which serves as the industry’s...
I find it weak for any tech press to provide anonymity to a Facebook “spokesperson” to question the jury verdict when (likely the same) spokesperson is on Twitter boasting about it only being a $375 million fine. Print that. I’ll...
Former Mets star Keith Hernandez still receives roughly $5,000 each year from his 1992 guest appearance on the sitcom Seinfeld. The cameo, in the episode “The Boyfriend,” has generated residual checks for more than three decades. Hernandez discussed the ongoing...
Gotta get them views, ad revenue, sell books, and stay relevant instead of actually developing a talent or skill. This fuckin modern culture... Where just being perpetually angry and spouting bullshit can make you famous. Imagine the damage that Koresh, Manson, or...
