KFC Drops Its 1st Single ‘Finger Lickin' Machine'
KFC has launched its first musical single, “Finger Lickin' Machine,” marking a shift from traditional jingles to a full‑length track. The song supports the rollout of the new Box Feasts, priced at $7, $9 and $11, under the Value Feast menu. A 90‑second music video directed by Tom Kuntz and choreographed by Rich + Tone Talauega accompanies the release, with physical copies distributed to creators in Los Angeles. Highdive produced the campaign, and the track is streaming on Spotify and other platforms.
Instagram Now Lets Creators Tag Affiliate Links Directly in Reels
Instagram is rolling out a new feature that lets creators tag shoppable products directly in Reels, supporting up to 30 items per video. Creators can add products by pasting affiliate URLs or selecting items from a brand’s Meta commerce catalog,...
YouTube’s Coachella 2026 Coverage Includes a 24/7 TV Station
YouTube is expanding its Coachella 2026 partnership by launching a 24/7 linear TV channel, Coachella TV, alongside its traditional livestream. The platform will stream seven stages, offering 4K feeds for three main stages and a vertical video feed for the Quasar stage....
Affiliates, To Stay Relevant, Move Beyond Mere Execution
Artificial intelligence is rapidly automating routine tasks in affiliate marketing, from matching affiliates to offers to generating performance dashboards. While AI boosts efficiency, it also exposes limits, requiring human oversight to correct errors and prevent fraud. The article argues that...
How Reuters Unlocked 58% More Suitable Inventory with IAS Context Control
Reuters partnered with Integral Ad Science to replace traditional keyword blocklists with IAS’s Context Control semantic solution. By analyzing meaning, sentiment, and entity relationships, the platform identified safe articles previously flagged by keywords, especially on the Lifestyle subdomain where 13.4%...
SunLife Aims to Strike Gold with Frontman Martin Kemp
SunLife, the UK specialist for consumers over 50, has named former Spandau Ballet frontman Martin Kemp as its new brand ambassador. The move reinforces the insurer’s “Everyday Confidence” platform launched in 2025, which uses humour and warm storytelling to encourage...
El Reino Infantil Expands Global Presence Through Strategic Alliances
El Reino Infantil has deepened its global footprint by renewing its strategic partnership with Netflix and signing a distribution deal with Directv Latin America. The Netflix agreement adds Italian to its existing Spanish, Portuguese, and English offerings and introduces new...
Book City, Iran’s Largest Book Chain, Suffers War Damage
Iran’s largest book‑shop chain, Book City, has seen six of its Tehran locations damaged or destroyed in recent U.S.–Israeli strikes. The nonprofit operates nearly 100 stores across the country, many with cafés and cultural programming, and reinvests all profits into...
The Future of Music Is Human-Generated
The article argues that AI‑generated music is driving the cost of generic songs toward zero, collapsing their market value. As a result, the industry’s durable asset is shifting from the song itself to the human performer who creates and lives...
Google Explains Why It Doesn’t Matter That Websites Are Getting Larger via @Sejournal, @Martinibuster
Google’s Gary Illyes and Martin Splitt clarified that growing page weight isn’t inherently harmful, emphasizing that page size depends on what’s measured—HTML alone or the full bundle of assets. They highlighted how compression, especially Brotli, can mask the true amount...
OpenAI Seems to Think It Can Acquire Authenticity and Trust
OpenAI announced the acquisition of the technology podcast network TBPN for a reported "hundreds of millions of dollars," aiming to integrate its editorial team into OpenAI's broader communications strategy. The company pledged to preserve TBPN's editorial independence, positioning the move...
BSW, Lawo Partner For U.S. Radio Offerings
Broadcast Supply Worldwide (BSW) has entered a distribution agreement with German‑based Lawo to bring the latter’s IP‑based radio production and broadcast infrastructure to U.S. stations. The partnership introduces BSW’s “Lawo crystal Radio Solution Packages,” which bundle pre‑configuration, remote commissioning, and...
He Started a Social Network Alone. Then 5 Million People Signed Up
Issam Hijazi launched UpScrolled in July 2025 as a privacy‑first, chronologically‑ordered social network that rejects algorithmic feeds and data‑selling practices. Within eight months the platform surged from a handful of users to over 5 million, driven by backlash against mainstream apps...
Turning Engagement Data Into Content that Gets Results
St. Stephen’s Episcopal School’s communications team uses weekly engagement data to shape its editorial calendar, focusing on student‑centered stories that resonate with families. By tracking open rates, click‑throughs and social interactions, the team pivots content themes toward high‑performing topics such...
How Meta’s AI Push Is Changing Ad Creation
Meta is pushing to automate ad creation, targeting a fully AI‑driven process by the end of 2026. The rollout includes the Andromeda ad retrieval system and expanded Advantage+ tools that handle creative, targeting, and budget decisions. Marketers report mixed results:...
GridBank Raises $6-Million Seed Round to Monetize the Videos in Your Camera Roll
GridBank, a Montreal‑based startup, closed a $6 million seed round led by StandUp Ventures to build a marketplace for user‑generated video clips. The app lets smartphone owners upload authentic short videos, which brands and ad agencies purchase for organic‑looking marketing campaigns....
Peeling Back Sports' Hidden Layer of Streaming Ops and Tech
The article reveals that modern sports broadcasting relies on a hidden, highly complex layer of technology that produces multiple simultaneous feeds—main broadcast, alternate angles, highlights, social clips, and personalized streams. This invisible infrastructure must capture, transport, process, and orchestrate massive...
High Power Transmitter Switching, Simplified
Broadcast Devices Inc. (BDI) has launched the PCC‑300 3 Switch Combiner Controller, a 1 RU SNMP‑enabled platform that centralizes control of up to three motorized RF switches in high‑power dual‑cabinet transmitter systems. The device supports four common operating modes, provides built‑in...
Stream of Consciousness: How CTV and Household Targeting Keeps Brands Top of Mind
Streaming television overtook broadcast and cable in May 2025, capturing 44.8% of U.S. TV viewing and climbing to a 47.5% peak in December 2025. The surge has accelerated ad‑supported models, with Netflix’s ad tier rising from 26% to 40% of...
TCS | Donovan Marsh on AI and the Future of Filmmaking
Award‑winning South African director Donovan Marsh is transitioning to AI‑driven filmmaking, using a suite of generative tools to create complex scenes from a desk. He argues that AI collapses traditional production overhead—crew, equipment, locations—into digital workflows while he still directs...
Leveraging SGAI for Longtail Live Sports
FloSports is piloting Server‑Generated Ad Insertion (SGAI) to tackle quality and revenue challenges in long‑tail sports streaming. The platform gains end‑to‑end observability of its video pipeline, allowing it to monitor performance without blind spots. SGAI also enables side‑by‑side programmatic ads...
A Digital Radio Network Opportunity Arising At NAB Show
At this year’s NAB Show, industry leaders highlighted a burgeoning opportunity for digital radio networks built on IP‑based infrastructure. Broadcasters and technology vendors demonstrated new platforms that promise higher audio quality, lower latency, and scalable distribution. The showcase emphasized data‑driven...
AI Agents Are Becoming the Fourth Place of Commerce and OOH Is Shaping Their Choices
AI agents are emerging as a fourth place of commerce, moving beyond stores, e‑commerce, and mobile. These assistants now not only answer queries but automatically select brands based on data signals such as search demand, reviews, and online conversation. Out‑of‑home...
Kybio Cloud Monitoring for 25 Devices Now Available
WorldCast Systems has launched a cloud‑based Kybio monitoring solution, now sold exclusively through Broadcast Supply Worldwide. The platform lets radio stations oversee up to 25 devices—including transmitters, STL links, codecs and environmental sensors—via a secure dashboard. Real‑time alerts and performance...
The Long Game in FAST: Market by Market
Wedotv, originally launched as Watch4 in 2018, has pursued a patient, ad‑supported streaming strategy that contrasts with the subscription‑driven hype of the era. By first consolidating operations in the DACH region and then expanding deliberately to the UK, Italy, the...
Training Journalists for a World that Keeps Changing
CNN Academy, a training arm of the network since the 1980s, is overhauling its curriculum to address a journalism landscape reshaped by digital-first storytelling, AI disruption, and plummeting public trust. Veteran trainers like Glen Mulcahy and Luke Henderson emphasize that...
Stephen Colbert Mocks Trump’s Expletive-Filled Post Threatening Iran
President Donald Trump posted an expletive‑filled social‑media threat to Iran on Easter Sunday, ending with a religious invocation. The message, which warned of attacks on Iranian targets, sparked immediate backlash from the media and political commentators. Late‑night host Stephen Colbert...
Where to Watch: The Masters 2026
Nine Radio has secured Australia’s exclusive audio rights to stream The Masters 2026, delivering live coverage from Augusta National Golf Club via pop‑up channels on its 2GB, 3AW, 4BC and 6PR apps. The service will run each round from midnight...
Sluts, Simps and Body Shaming: The Rise of Africa’s Manosphere
Misogynistic influencers are proliferating across Africa’s digital landscape, forming a continent‑wide manosphere that mirrors Western counterparts. Figures such as Kenya’s Amerix, Andrew Kibe, Nigeria’s Àgbà John Doe, Ethiopia’s Naty Mon, and Zimbabwe’s Shadaya Knight command millions of followers on X, TikTok,...
The Opportunities in Print Magazine Publishing
The print magazine market is experiencing a revival, driven by consumers seeking distraction‑free, luxury media. Publishers can achieve profitability by keeping production costs low and charging premium cover prices—£5 (≈ $6) to make a title and selling it for £10 (≈ $13)...
Europe Gets Serious About Age Verification Online
The European Commission is tightening age‑verification rules under the Digital Services Act after finding major porn sites and Snapchat inadequate in protecting minors. It proposes a privacy‑preserving "mini‑wallet" that issues single‑use tokens to confirm users are over 18 without sharing...
Why Are In-House Teams Taking Top Talent From Agencies?
In‑house creative teams are expanding as brands pull work from external agencies, a shift highlighted by ITV Creative director Niki Garner on The Campaign Podcast. Recent moves, such as ITV moving its retained account from Uncommon to ITV Creative and...
Zendaya Thinks ‘Euphoria’ Will End After Season 3: ‘That Closure Is Coming’
Zendaya told The Drew Barrymore Show that she believes Season 3 of HBO’s hit drama Euphoria will likely be its last, hinting at an upcoming closure for the series. HBO has not officially confirmed the series will end, leaving the network’s...
Indie Agency Wpromote Dishes On How It’s Testing New Agentic SSP Tools
Wpromote is piloting Kargo’s Project Kera, a chat‑based, agentic SSP that translates campaign briefs into automated, cross‑channel media plans. The closed‑beta tool lets buyers upload assets, set goals, and receive a budget‑split recommendation across Meta, TikTok, CTV and the open...
Apple Campaign in Japan Transforms App Store ‘A’ Into Multi-Universe Portal
Apple has unveiled a new App Store campaign in Japan that turns the iconic "A" logo into a portal to 16 distinct app‑category universes. Thirteen artists and animation studios from around the world rendered each universe in a unique visual...
Ozone’s Platform Tries to Simulate How Publisher Content Appears in AI Answers
Ozone has launched a free experimentation platform that lets publishers simulate how their articles appear in AI answer engines such as ChatGPT. The tool, part of Ozone’s new R&D Labs sandbox, shows content structuring, retrieval and citation to help publishers...
Nvidia’s DLSS 5 Video Gets Blocked After False Copyright Claim From Italian Broadcaster
Nvidia’s DLSS 5 reveal video was blocked on YouTube after Italian broadcaster La7 filed a false copyright claim, also affecting creators who reused the footage. The claim was withdrawn after several hours, restoring the video globally. Nvidia and YouTube offered no...
Easter Weekend Ratings (3-6/04/2026): Nine Takes The Ratings Chocolates
During the Easter long weekend, Nine’s reality series *Married At First Sight* emerged as the top‑rated program, attracting more than 2.8 million viewers for its final dinner‑party episode. The drama outpaced traditional news broadcasts and a slate of sporting events, while...
Gambling Ad Crackdown Opens The Door For Brands To Own The Sporting Arena
Australia's Albanese government will ban gambling ads during live sports, on team uniforms and in stadiums from Jan 1, and restrict TV gambling spots to three per hour. The crackdown also limits radio ads and requires adult verification for digital gambling...
'The American Prospect' Says It Will No Longer Run Programmatic Ads
The American Prospect announced it is removing all programmatic advertising from its website, citing concerns over reader privacy, site performance, and security vulnerabilities. The outlet said personal data deserves greater respect and that programmatic ads slow pages and disrupt the...
Kargo Launches Closed Beta For Agentic Media Buying & Creative Engine
Kargo has opened a closed beta for Project KERA, an AI‑driven media‑buying and creative engine that turns a single campaign brief into a fully executed, performance‑ready plan. The platform unifies planning, creative development, activation and real‑time optimisation across CTV, mobile,...
CBS To Fill 'Colbert' Time Slot With 'Comics Unleashed'
CBS announced that the 11:35 p.m. "Late Show" slot will be taken over by Byron Allen's improv comedy series "Comics Unleashed" beginning May 22, a day after Stephen Colbert's final episode. The move follows CBS executives' admission that Colbert's program had become...
Stax Burger Co’s ‘Customer From Hell’ Skits Deemed Too Sweary for Ad Standards
Australian fast‑food chain Stax Burger Co’s social media skits featuring a profanity‑laden “customer from hell” have been found in breach of the Advertising Standards Board’s anti‑profanity guidelines. Four Instagram and Facebook videos, starring the founder’s father, repeatedly used slurs such...
Mike Mignola Reveals New Graphic Novel 'Uri Tupka and the Devils'
Mike Mignola’s new graphic novel "Uri Tupka and the Devils" arrives on November 16, 2026, published by Dark Horse Comics. The 104‑page hardcover continues the "Lands Unknown" anthology, following Uri Tupka’s quest for pre‑creation secrets after the events of "Uri...
Wheatstone Highlights Hitless Failover
Wheatstone will showcase a new hitless switching option at the NAB Show, extending its failover technology to Blade 4 I/O access units and mix engines for LXE and Strata consoles. The solution uses dual, real‑time synchronized units and a high‑frequency “heartbeat”...
TPB Wins WeThinkMedia to Streamline Trans-Tasman Programmatic Buying
The Programmatic Bureau (TPB) has named WeThinkMedia as its exclusive Australian sales representative, giving Australian advertisers a single gateway to New Zealand programmatic inventory across DOOH, CTV, audio and display. The partnership aims to cut the fragmentation that has traditionally complicated...
Aussie Indie Crashes US Podcast Charts, Takes on NYT and NPR
Mashed Pumpkin Productions, a Queensland indie, has entered the U.S. podcast arena with its series “What I Survived,” reaching #31 on the overall Apple Podcasts chart. The show also topped the Documentary chart and placed fourth in Society & Culture...
Media Must Not Ignore Suffering
Taiwanese media consistently downplay civilian casualties in Iran, Lebanon and the West Bank, treating humanitarian loss as background noise on political talk shows. Commentators frame global conflicts primarily through the lens of Taiwan’s security and its relationship with the United...
Who Decides What News Means?
Matt Brittin, a former Google executive, has been appointed BBC director‑general, bringing platform and digital‑audience expertise rather than a journalism background. The article argues his tech savvy is crucial as AI and algorithmic news delivery reshape how Britons consume information,...
Netflix Show Highlights Taiwanese Religious Traditions with a Modern Flair
Netflix’s new eight‑part series “Agent from Above” spotlights Taiwan’s temple culture by following Han Chieh, a mortal vessel for the deity Nezha. The production team filmed at active and abandoned shrines, creating sets that blend traditional Taiwanese religious architecture with modern...