Today's Media Pulse
Online video subscriptions top 2.2 bn, revenue eclipses pay‑TV
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's $170 billion for the first time. Growth is expected to slow to single‑digit in 2026 as operators shift focus from acquiring new users to monetising existing ones.
CPI Media Deploys QuickLink StudioCall
CPI Media, the production arm of Malta’s Missionary Society of St Paul, has integrated QuickLink StudioCall into its broadcast workflow. The browser‑based solution lets clergy, guests and community members join live productions from anywhere without installing software, while delivering studio‑grade audio and video. The rollout, installed by DAB Electronica Malta, already enhances coverage of daily masses, liturgical events and faith‑based discussions. QuickLink StudioCall also ties into the broader StudioEdge platform, unifying Zoom, Teams and other remote feeds for seamless production.
Salem and Cumulus Shake on Larry O’Connor Syndication
Salem Media Group and Cumulus Media are launching Larry O’Connor’s morning show as a national program on May 4, adding it to more than 140 Salem Radio Network affiliates and simulcasting on the Salem News Channel. The show will retain its...
Sinclair Notes Stronger Political Ad Buys in Q1 as Midterm Budgets Open
Sinclair reported Q1 revenue of $807 million, a 4% year‑over‑year increase, while adjusted EBITDA rose 13% to $126 million and net income turned positive at $20 million versus a $156 million loss a year ago. Core advertising revenue grew 4% to $305 million, and political...
Campaign Media Awards 2026: Winners Revealed
The Campaign Media Awards 2026 were held on 30 April at London’s Hilton Park Lane, honoring leading media agencies. EssenceMediacom, OMD, Bountiful Cow and Wavemaker emerged as the night’s biggest winners, while Digital Cinema Media captured the Commercial Team of...
US Falls Below Ukraine in Press Freedom as Global Autocracy Takes Hold
Reporters Without Borders released its 2026 World Press Freedom Index, confirming Norway’s decade‑long reign at the top while noting a historic low in the global average score. The United States fell seven places to 64th, slipping behind Ukraine, Canada and...
Roku Grows Platform Revenue to $1.13 Billion During Q1
Roku reported first‑quarter 2026 net revenue of $1.25 billion, a 22% year‑over‑year increase, driven by platform revenue that climbed 28% to $1.13 billion. Advertising contributed $613 million, up 27%, while subscription revenue rose 30% to $519 million. The company swung to a net profit...
FCC Believes Redesign Will Bolster Its Disaster Reporting System
The FCC released a draft order to modernize its Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS), aiming to cut redundant paperwork and speed data collection during emergencies. Proposed changes let providers file a single form, add a one‑click "no‑change" option, and allow...
Roblox’s Daily Users Continue to Drop as Age-Checks Slow Growth
Roblox reported 132 million daily active users (DAU) in Q1 2026, a drop from 144 million a quarter earlier and 152 million in Q3 2025. The decline is linked to the rollout of mandatory age‑verification checks, which slowed new user acquisition, and a...
Beware Podcast Guest Fees and Hidden Sales Pitches
2 shady things to watch out for if you get invited to a podcast (both happened to me recently). First was an EA who reached out to see if I wanted to be "considered" to be a guest. There was a...
Chachi Loves Adam Taylor & ‘American Afterlife’ In New Podcasts
Benztown released two new episodes of its interview series *Chachi Loves Everybody*. The first episode features APM Music President Adam Taylor, who recounts his eclectic career and discusses how artificial intelligence is reshaping production music. The second episode spotlights the creators...
“Shifting Gears” Renewed For A Third Season
Tim Allen’s comedy "Shifting Gears" has been renewed for a third season on ABC, with episodes also slated for Hulu and Disney+ in the 2026/27 broadcast year. The series follows Matt, a widowed classic‑car shop owner, whose estranged daughter Riley...
LINE Digital Frontier, Redice Studio and Kadokawa Launch Studio White
LINE Digital Frontier, Kadokawa and Redice Studio have created Studio White, a new web‑comic studio focused on adapting popular Japanese franchises for the global WEBTOON platform. The studio’s first release is a spin‑off of Record of Lodoss War, slated for...
Adam Sandler’s ‘Blended’ Tops Pluto Streaming, Beats Villeneuve’s ‘Arrival’
Adam Sandler’s 2014 romantic comedy Blended has risen to the top of Pluto TV’s U.S. streaming chart, surpassing Denis Villeneuve’s award‑winning sci‑fi drama Arrival. The surprise shift underscores how low‑budget, audience‑friendly titles can dominate free‑streaming services despite poor critical reception.
YouTube's Multi‑View Shift: Server‑Side Delivery Solves Core Barrier
News coverage/analysis of YouTube announcing custom multi-view options has been very light on the actual innovation: User experience/control/choice may have been further improved, but the engineering milestone underneath has been the enabler. The basics were already covered in the YouTube...
Locality Hires Two Veteran Sales VPs to Accelerate Collective Platform Ahead of Upfronts
Locality announced the hiring of Steve Fish and Adam Quinn as vice presidents of sales for its Collective solution, aiming to expand national advertisers' access to local TV inventory ahead of the upcoming upfront season. The move underscores the platform’s...
Everything Is PooCrave Now
PooCrave, a parody Twitter account modeled after the influential PopCrave feed, has been flooding timelines with deliberately false celebrity news. Recent posts range from absurd claims like Lena Dunham outselling religious texts to fabricated drama involving Olivia Wilde and Harry Styles. While the...
Roku Net Revenue Tops $1.25 Billion, But Revenue From The Sale of Roku TVs & Roku Players Fell As Subscriptions...
Roku reported first‑quarter 2026 net revenue of $1.25 billion, a 22% year‑over‑year increase driven primarily by platform growth. Platform revenue surged 28% to $1.13 billion, with advertising up 27% and subscriptions up 30%. Device revenue slipped 16% to $118 million, posting a negative...
American Idol’s New Live Social Voting Has Been a Disaster / Druski to Host the BET Awards / Lanterns Trailer...
American Idol introduced live social media voting, but a system crash forced a delayed elimination and left viewers frustrated by complex comment rules. Comedian Druski was announced as the youngest-ever host of the BET Awards, signaling the network’s push toward...
For You Pages Aren’t Truly Personalized, Fueling Shallow Viral Narratives
Just because it’s the “for you” page doesn’t mean that every video you watch is crafted to YOUR specific scenario. Over half the comments on most viral TikTok videos start with some variation of "well what about me?" The internet is seriously...
Michigan Senate Passes Bill to Curb Notifications, Data Collection
Michigan’s Democratic‑led Senate approved the “Kids Over Clicks” package, SB 757‑760, to restrict minors’ exposure to social‑media notifications, data collection, and advanced chatbots. The bills ban push notifications to users aged 10‑17 between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. and during school hours, tighten...
Nonprofit News Funding Grows, Rural Gaps Remain
Support for nonprofit local news is on the rise, but there's still vast need in underserved rural areas. Here's how several funding efforts are shaping up. Martha Ramirez Reports: https://tinyurl.com/bp9vvn8c Related IP Resources: Journalism Grants -https://tinyurl.com/4nwuxehu Civic & Democracy Funders -https://tinyurl.com/4zbzy78h Report: Giving for Journalism...
Octavia Butler’s Survivor Is Getting a Reprint—Something the Author Opposed During Her Lifetime
Grand Central Publishing announced a new edition of Octavia Butler’s 1978 novel *Survivor*, a book the author publicly opposed reissuing while she was alive. The decision comes amid a resurgence of Butler’s work, driven by renewed interest in her Earthseed...
Single Brain Automates Ad Insights and Creative Scaling
Many people have been *talking* about having a single brain to help them get things done faster. Here’s an example of ours in action where you ask an agent how your ads are performing, then ask a creative agent to create...
This Product Review Blog Pivoted to Video to Protect Itself From AI
Prudent Reviews began as a scrappy $100 SEO‑driven affiliate site that relied on deep, hands‑on product testing to rank on Google. By 2023, AI‑generated reviews and Google’s new search summaries slashed its traffic, sometimes by 90%, exposing the fragility of...
New 7NEWS Podcast Unpacks Dezi Freeman’s Seven Month Manhunt
Seven‑month manhunt suspect Dezi Freeman, who killed two Victorian police officers, is the focus of a new six‑part investigative podcast titled “Dezi Freeman: The Hunt.” Hosted by 7NEWS anchor Michael Usher and crime editor Cassie Zervos, the series launches on...
Surprise! Jensen Ackles Is Returning To Tracker Ahead Of Season Finale
Jensen Ackles is set to reappear in CBS’s sci‑fi drama Tracker for the final two episodes of season three, airing May 17 and May 24. He will reprise his role as Russell, the brother of lead character Colter Shaw, in episodes “Chrono...
Meta's Empty Promises Keep Platform Favoring Content Thieves
People getting all excited about Instagram supposedly changing rules to favor original content have a bad memory. Meta's made nearly the same announcement so many times throughout the years, and we still have this hell scape that benefits slackers and...
Social Media Law 'Promotes Robust Young Workforce,' Business Group Argues
The South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce filed an amicus brief urging a federal judge to uphold the state’s Social Media Regulation Act, which obligates online platforms to exercise reasonable care to curb compulsive use and to disable personalized...
Don Garber: MLS Was ‘Way Early’ on Move to Streaming-Exclusive Model
Major League Soccer has eliminated the $100 MLS Season Pass, making every match available to all Apple TV subscribers. Commissioner Don Garber admitted the league was “way early” in adopting an exclusive streaming‑only model. While other top leagues retain broadcast...
Creator Fund Empowers Boating Community to Build Profitable Brands
.@slow creator fund backs deep communities with real-world products. We just backed America's most trusted boating group: Center Consoles Only (CCO) Alan Blanco started making boat review videos in 2016. Today, he and the team operate three businesses under their holding...
Six Months on, Has Seven’s WINNING ARVO Experiment Moved the Dial?
Seven’s "Winning Arvo" afternoon block launched six months ago, mixing imported quiz formats, rolling headlines and cash giveaways to revive daytime viewership. The experiment has helped steady the lead into the 4 p.m. news and The Chase Australia at 5 p.m., though...
Meta Threatens to Pull Its Apps From New Mexico if Forced to Make ‘Technologically Impractical’ Changes
Meta warned it could pull Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp from New Mexico if the state’s attorney general’s demands are enforced. The AG seeks a ban on end‑to‑end encryption for minors, mandatory age verification and a 99 percent detection rate for child sexual...
Sydney’s Southwest Spotlighted on BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS
Better Homes and Gardens aired a new episode focusing on Sydney’s southwest, spotlighting the historic suburb of Camden. Host Johanna explored the area’s mix of heritage streets and modern housing while the show presented backyard fixes, quick cooking hacks, and...
Why Gaming Advertising Belongs on More Ecommerce Media Plans
E‑commerce brands have sophisticated playbooks for Meta, TikTok, YouTube and CTV, yet most lack a dedicated strategy for gaming—a multi‑platform ecosystem that includes console, PC, mobile, esports and web. Research shows gamers maintain far higher focus than social‑media scrollers, with...
Snapchat Founder Evan Spiegel Becomes Silicon Valley’s Voice of Reason
My mid 2010s self would never have predicted Evan Spiegel as Silicon Valley's voice of reason (for context, he co-founded Snapchat at 21) https://www.businessinsider.com/snaps-spiegel-coming-backlash-against-ai-2026-4
'Dutton Ranch,' 'RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars' And More: See What's New on Paramount Plus in May 2026
Paramount Plus’s May 2026 lineup adds a mix of new originals, classic series and live sports. Highlights include the *Yellowstone* spin‑off *Dutton Ranch* (May 15), *RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars* Season 11 (May 8), and the final season of *The Chi* (May 22). The streaming service...
‘Running Point’ Stars Kate Hudson and Brenda Song on Isla and Ali’s Season 2 Arc: “We Have Our Own Love...
Netflix’s comedy Running Point returns for season 2, spotlighting the evolving friendship between Kate Hudson’s Isla and Brenda Song’s Ali. Episode 3 uses college‑era flashbacks to reveal how Isla’s early mistrust of women shaped her bond with Ali, who later quits for a...
Screen Producers Awards 2026: Winners
Jungle Entertainment won both Production Business of the Year and the Screen Business Export award at the 24th Annual SPA Awards, held during Screen Forever 40 on the Gold Coast. The ceremony also recognized a wide range of Australian productions, from drama...
Embrace Zero‑Click Marketing, Stop Fighting Platform Algorithms
2 choices: A) Fight the platforms, reject user preferences, and try to keep getting those rare clicks. B) Do everything you used to do on your site natively on the platforms (social, search answers, AI responses), aka: Zero Click Marketing I keep trying...
UEFA Club Media Rights Revenue Tops $5 Billion
Media-rights revenue for men’s UEFA club competitions set to surge past $5bn https://t.co/2kXf1Awt2b via @NYTimes
Blocked AI Crawlers Yet Still Indexed: Surprising Findings
I was shocked by how often publishers who blocked AI crawlers were still in the index, this was a very good read. https://t.co/MgfBu9kA36
Reddit Conversations Fuel Next‑Gen Internet Innovation
"Reddit’s conversations are like oil for the modern internet: a foundational resource powering the next generation of technology." -- Steve Huffman, Co-Founder of @Reddit $RDDT https://t.co/AbKCIK1ceb
Press Gazette Analyzes DCN Amicus Brief on Agentic AI
Press Gazette continues to be all over the developments across AI, especially those impacting publishing. This is a really fair assessment of DCN's amicus brief filed overnight in the ninth circuit in Amazon v Perplexity - all about agentic AI...
Tune in Tomorrow 5:45 Am ET for CNBC Morning Call
I'm scheduled to join @MorganLBrennan on @CNBCMorningCall tomorrow at 5:45am ET! Get up early and join us ☕⏰ https://t.co/c8yuMyI6kW
Michelle Pfeiffer Poised to Dominate Emmys Supporting Categories
Emmys: Supporting Actress (Comedy) — Michelle Pfeiffer Could Crash Both the Drama and Comedy Races This Year https://t.co/qgM9T1MaEn via @variety
Don't Let NYT Headlines Control Your Work
Never let the New York Times or their fake news headlines dictate how you do your job. https://t.co/bODV6cMXh1
Roku Q1 Sales Jump 22%; Ads, Subscriptions Disclosed
Roku Q1 Sales Pop 22%, Company Breaks Out Results for Advertising and Subscriptions Businesses for First Time https://t.co/H3qeykC3XQ via @variety
Launch of High‑Quality Stock News API, Noise‑Free
We just launched what I believe to be the best news API for stocks. Other news APIs have way too much noise and low quality slop. Clean and relevant news. Now available in API & MCP. Will be implemented and...
Creating a Fellowship to Cover Authors' Editing Costs
I have a new goal: One day fund a fellowship for authors to help them pay for professional editors, cover designers, etc without needing trad pub backing
AI Fact-Checking on X Could Restore Information Trust
Grok's ability to let people fact-check claims in real-time on X is proving powerful. AI-powered truth verification may be the only thing that can restore trust in information. Do you agree?