Amazon Ads Spend Jumps 22% In Q1
Amazon announced that its advertising segment generated $17.2 billion in Q1 2026, a 22% year‑over‑year increase. The surge was powered by AI‑driven tools such as the Rufus chatbot and Creative Agent, which accelerated creative production and attracted more small and medium‑sized businesses. Amazon also highlighted partnerships with Netflix, Comcast and Samsung, and noted that advertising has delivered roughly $70 billion in revenue over the past twelve months. Overall, the company posted $181.5 billion in total revenue, up 17% year‑over‑year.
The FCC Approves Plans to Speed Up Internet From Space
The FCC voted to replace its decades‑old spectrum‑sharing rules with a performance‑based framework that eases power‑flux limits for non‑geostationary (NGSO) satellites. The new regime lets NGSO constellations use adaptive coding, potentially boosting space‑based broadband capacity up to seven times and...
In Q1, YouTube Music and Premium Saw ‘Largest Quarterly Increase’ in Non-Trial Subscribers Since 2018 Launch, Says Alphabet CEO, as...
YouTube’s advertising revenue jumped 11% year‑over‑year to $9.88 billion in Q1 2026, while its subscription business accelerated. The platform reported its largest quarterly increase in non‑trial YouTube Music and Premium subscribers since the service launched in 2018. Alphabet’s total paid subscriptions rose...
Survivor 50's Latest Boot Reacts To Monstrous MrBeast Twist And How Game With Cirie Crumbled: 'She Knows How To Manipulate...
Stephenie, the latest boot on Survivor 50, opened up about off‑camera dynamics with longtime rival Cirie Fields, revealing pre‑game phone calls, secret vote‑coordination talks, and a mutual promise of loyalty that never made the final edit. She says rumors that...
Splendid Communications Wins Cadbury Ice Cream Social Media Account
Splendid Communications has been awarded the Cadbury Ice Cream social‑media account after a tightly contested pitch. The agency will now lead digital strategy, content creation, and community management for the frozen‑dessert brand. The win adds a high‑profile FMCG client to...
Innovid Adds Measurement Capabilities
Innovid has introduced new measurement capabilities aimed at strengthening lower‑funnel outcomes and providing deeper attribution visibility. The suite adds purchase‑impact data, tracks both online and offline conversions, and uses control groups to calculate incremental lift. It also offers granular performance...
‘Flat Earth’ TV Series in the Works at Vice Studios From Debut Novelist Anika Jade Levy (EXCLUSIVE)
Vice Studios is developing a TV series adaptation of Anika Jade Levy’s debut novel “Flat Earth,” with Levy serving as co‑creator. The novel, published by Catapult Books in the U.S. and Little, Brown in the U.K. in November 2025, earned critical praise...
Three Models for Building Community for Your Podcast
Substack is positioning itself as a one‑stop hub for podcasters, offering email delivery, native recording, Chat, live video, and the short‑form Notes feed. The platform outlines three community‑building models—a lightweight companion newsletter, a paid‑bonus tier, and a full multimedia hub—each...
Shifting Gears Renewed For Season 3 At ABC
ABC has officially renewed the half‑hour sitcom “Shifting Gears” for the 2026‑27 television season, extending the Tim Allen‑Kat Dennings father‑daughter comedy into a third season. The series, which debuted in January 2025, follows widowed classic‑car shop owner Matt Parker as his...
Chicago Public Media Doubles Support for Statehouse Reporting Collaborative
Chicago Public Media (CPM) has doubled its annual contribution to the Illinois Statehouse Reporting Collaboration, raising its funding from $50,000 to about $101,000 and now covering half of the program’s total cost. The partnership, which serves ten public radio stations...
Action-Packed Police Thriller Branded 'for Line of Duty Fans' Is Now Streaming in the UK
The British police thriller *Prisoner* is now available in the UK on NOW and Sky Atlantic. The six‑episode series stars Izuka Hoyle as prison officer Amber Todd and Tahar Rahim as inmate‑turned‑witness Tibor Stone, who are forced to cooperate after...
Cord Cutting Today: Comcast and Spectrum Merger Talks Grow as Streaming and 5G Surge Past Cable
Comcast and Charter (Spectrum) are intensifying talks to merge, potentially creating a cable giant worth over $150 billion. The talks come as streaming services have surged 12% year‑over‑year, accelerating cord‑cutting trends. Simultaneously, 5G home‑internet and fiber deployments added more than 1 million...
UC3 Names Preferred Bidders for UEFA Club Rights in 19 Markets
UC3, the UEFA‑Club commercial joint venture, named preferred bidders for the 2027‑31 men’s club competition media rights in 19 territories. The shortlist blends incumbent broadcasters such as Sky and Canal+ with streaming giants Disney+, Paramount+, ESPN and DAZN, reflecting a...
5 Themes That Defined Possible 2026
Possible 2026 conference in Miami Beach showcased a more polished, self‑assured event. Attendance rose 38% to about 7,500 participants, reflecting growing industry interest. The festival expanded beyond the Fontainebleau into neighboring Eden Roc and Nobu hotels and added branded yachts...
UK Press Freedom: RSF Index Reveals Global Crisis and Rising Risks at Home
The 2026 World Press Freedom Index released by Reporters Without Borders places the United Kingdom at 18th out of 180 nations, slipping from 20th in 2025. The report reveals a historic low in global press freedom, with more than half...
Hearst Networks Unveils H2 Factual Slate
Hearst Networks announced its second‑half 2026 factual programming slate for Sky History, Crime+Investigation and BLAZE. The lineup mixes new original series, returning franchises and talent‑led formats featuring Dolph Lundgren, Bradley Walsh, Rob Rinder, Jim Belushi, Sean Bean and Laurence Fishburne. Highlights include History’s Greatest Machines, 102 Minutes Inside...
Chess.com Surpassed 250 Million Users And Is Launching a New Advertising Gambit
Chess.com announced it has surpassed 250 million registered users, a landmark for the freemium platform. The company, which generates $150 million in annual revenue, said advertising now accounts for about 10% of that total and is being positioned for rapid expansion. With...
Best of Show: Broadcast Bionics VoiceGPIO
Broadcast Bionics’ VoiceGPIO captured the Radio World Best of Show award at the 2026 NAB Show. The software lets broadcasters issue voice commands to control faders, routing, calls, video sources and custom GPIO/UDP messages through existing AoIP talkback systems. Designed...
Grey's Anatomy Brings Back Station 19's Maya Bishop — With A Potentially Tragic Twist (Exclusive First Look)
Grey's Anatomy will feature a dramatic guest appearance by Danielle Savre as Maya Bishop, the former Station 19 firefighter, who is rushed to Grey Sloan after sustaining second‑ and third‑degree burns in a three‑alarm house fire. The episode also unveils...
Believe and TuneCore Are Blocking Distribution of Generative AI Tracks Made on ‘Pirate Studios’ Like Suno – While Inking New...
Believe announced a major update to its generative‑AI policy, automatically blocking distribution of tracks created on unlicensed platforms such as Suno. The company says its detection system can identify the AI model with 99 % accuracy, preventing illegal content from reaching...
Google Expands ‘Preferred Sources’ to Everyone so You Actually See Your Favorite Sites
Google has expanded its “Preferred Sources” feature from a limited rollout to a global offering, now available to all Search users in every supported language. The tool lets readers designate the news sites they trust, ensuring those outlets appear more...
FCC Moves Forward With ‘Audible Crawl Rule’ Update
The Federal Communications Commission’s three voting members unanimously approved a Third Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to amend the longstanding Audible Crawl Rule. The amendment removes a provision that broadcasters, the National Association of Broadcasters and TV station owners have called...
Isn’t the Host of The Apprentice Supposed to Be Charismatic?
Amazon Prime Video is reportedly evaluating a reboot of the NBC classic *The Apprentice*, with speculation that Donald Trump Jr. could replace his father as host. The idea emerged after Amazon’s acquisition of MGM, prompting internal discussions about the franchise’s next...
Eagles’ Radio Voice Merrill Reese Receives Common Wealth Award
Merrill Reese, the 83‑year‑old voice of the Philadelphia Eagles, has been named a 2026 recipient of the Common Wealth Award for Distinguished Service in mass communications. The honor comes as he prepares for his 50th season calling Eagles games on...
No, Sony Isn't Forcing Gamers to Connect to the Internet Every 30 Days
A rumor spread that Sony would force PlayStation owners to reconnect their consoles to the internet every 30 days to keep digital games active. After weeks of backlash, Sony clarified that the new requirement is a one‑time online license verification...
World Rugby and IMG Announce Long-Term Media Rights Partnership
World Rugby has entered a long‑term media rights partnership with IMG to accelerate the sport’s growth in the United States ahead of the 2031 men’s and 2033 women’s Rugby World Cups. IMG will advise on U.S. and global media rights,...
Greece, Cyprus and Hungary Worst Offenders on Press Freedoms in EU
Reporters Without Borders has ranked Greece as the EU’s worst offender on press freedoms, with Cyprus and Hungary following closely. The Greek intelligence service’s lingering wiretaps, Cyprus’s Orthodox Church media influence, and Hungary’s Sovereignty Protection Office targeting independent outlets drive...
Tigo Sports Upgrades Video Infrastructure with Ateme Technology
Tigo Sports, Paraguay’s top sports broadcaster, has overhauled its video infrastructure using Ateme’s TITAN Live encoder, TITAN Mux multiplexing platform, and PILOT Manager orchestration suite, complemented by KYRION CM5000e ingest encoders. The rollout targets live production and broadcast of Paraguayan football,...
Beloved 'Rags to Riches' Period Drama The Hardacres Finally Confirms Season 2 Release Date
The Hardacres season 2 will debut on Channel 5 at 9 pm on May 14, following the release of a new trailer that introduces fresh characters and a new antagonist, Lady Imelda Hansen. Set in 1895, the series continues the family’s ascent from poverty...
Prayan Animation: A Steady Ship in Rough Seas
Prayan Animation, a 14‑year‑old Indian studio, is positioning itself as a reliable partner for international producers amid tighter budgets and faster timelines. The company emphasizes disciplined execution, predictability, and a broad service suite that now includes 2D OTT series, educational...
Meta and Google Ad Revenues Soar Thanks to AI, but Big Picture Is Blurry
Google and Meta posted strong Q1 ad revenue, beating forecasts. Google’s ad revenue rose 15% to $77.25 billion, driven by 19% search growth and 11% YouTube growth. Meta’s ad revenue jumped 33% to $55 billion, sparking talk it could overtake Google. Both...
X Announces a Rebuilt Ad Platform Powered by AI
Elon Musk’s X has begun a phased rollout of a completely rebuilt advertising platform powered by artificial intelligence. The new stack introduces modern retrieval and ranking systems designed to give marketers tighter targeting and easier campaign creation. Industry forecasts from...
Will Donald Trump Jr. Host ‘The Apprentice Jr.’?
Amazon is reportedly weighing a reboot of the reality competition series The Apprentice, with Donald Trump Jr. floated as a potential host. The idea is still in the early discussion phase, and the company has not yet reached out to...
Cumulus Expands Local Market Research for Sales Teams
Cumulus Media announced partnerships with The Media Audit and TOMA.Solutions to add consumer lifestyle and brand‑awareness data to its sales toolkit. The new intelligence layer will let account executives frame advertiser conversations around category demand, targeting and competitive positioning instead...
US Publishers Back Amazon in AI Agent Access Dispute with Perplexity
Major U.S. digital news publishers have filed an amicus brief supporting Amazon in its lawsuit against AI start‑up Perplexity, which allegedly accessed Amazon’s shopping site and user accounts via its Comet AI agent without permission. A California judge issued a...
Scholastic and BlushCrunch Studio Announce Dandy’s World Book Partnership | Exclusive
Roblox creator BlushCrunch Studio has teamed with Scholastic to turn its hit horror game Dandy’s World into a series of books. A guidebook and novel are slated for spring 2027, followed by a graphic novel in fall 2027, with Scholastic...
X Revamps Its Ads Manager, Folding in New AI Performance Tools
X has overhauled its Ads Manager, embedding AI-driven contextual and semantic signals to improve ad targeting and delivery. The company touts the update as its most ambitious platform revamp in two decades. New tools automate campaign creation, audience segmentation, and...
US Drops 7 Spots in Reporters Without Borders’ Press Freedom Report
The United States slipped to 64th place in Reporters Without Borders’ 2026 World Press Freedom Index, dropping seven spots from the previous year. The decline is attributed to President Donald Trump’s systematic attacks on journalists, including defunding public broadcasters, influencing...
X Kicks Off Global Overhaul of Ad Platform
X, the rebranded Twitter platform, announced a worldwide redesign of its advertising infrastructure. The overhaul aims to simplify campaign creation, improve targeting accuracy, and restore trust after a year of strained relationships with major brands. X will roll out new...
How Nestlé Turns Creator Content Into Brand-Suitable Ads at Scale
Nestlé has launched an integration between CreatorIQ and CreativeX that uses AI to grade influencer content for paid‑media suitability. The system streams creator submissions from CreatorIQ to CreativeX, scores them against Nestlé’s branding, storytelling and effectiveness criteria, and feeds the...
Everything You Need to Know About If Starz Has a Free Trial & How to Watch It Online at No...
Starz no longer offers its own standalone free trial, but viewers can still watch the premium network at no cost by leveraging the introductory periods of partner services. DirecTV Stream, Hulu, Fubo and Amazon Prime Video each provide a short‑term...
Audacy Taps DAZN, Soros Fund Execs for Board of Directors
Audacy announced the addition of Walker Jacobs, DAZN USA's Global CRO, and Gabriel Brotman of Soros Fund Management to its Board of Directors. Jacobs previously led sports advertising at Amazon Ads and Twitch, while Brotman brings experience from Axel Springer’s...
GenAI Is Rebuilding Search, And Google Is Still Winning (Q1 2026 Search Revenue Up 19% YoY)
Alphabet’s Q1 2026 earnings show Google Search revenue climbing to $60.4 billion, a 19% year‑over‑year increase and contributing to a record $109.9 billion total for the quarter. While headlines predict AI will kill search and advertising, Google is embedding ads and shopping signals...
Viewers Are Satisfied with Streaming, but There’s Room to Improve the Ad Experience
FreeWheel’s "Voice of the Viewer" report shows roughly 80% of consumers are satisfied with their overall streaming experience, citing content choice, value for money and ad‑supported tiers as key strengths. However, the study also uncovers persistent frustrations around ad relevance,...
Grubhub Centers Value in Monthlong Loyalty Push with Anomaly
Grubhub launched a month‑long "Gold Digging Season" promotion, offering its premium Grubhub+ subscription for $0.99 instead of the usual $9.99. The deal provides exclusive discounts at major restaurants, $50 off $100 grocery orders via Instacart, and special Blue Apron meal‑kit...
Locality Adds Sales Leaders to Scale National Access to Local TV Advertising Through Collective Ahead of Upfronts
Locality announced the hiring of Steve Fish and Adam Quinn as vice presidents of sales to accelerate adoption of its Collective platform, a data‑driven solution that lets national advertisers plan and activate local TV inventory at scale. The appointments come...
Here’s What’s Worth Streaming in May 2026 on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max and More
The May 2026 streaming guide highlights a leaner slate of prestige shows as budget cuts and consolidation bite, prompting consumers to trim subscriptions and adopt “strategic churning” to stay under a $50 monthly budget. Apple TV earns a Play rating...
Sheriff Country: Grammy Winner Maren Morris Set To Guest-Star Ahead Of Finale — Get Exclusive First Look
Grammy‑winning country star Maren Morris will appear as Hazel in the penultimate Season 1 episode of Sheriff Country, slated for May 15 at 8/7c on CBS. The episode also features her original song “Parachute,” which she wrote for the series. The storyline...
L’Oréal Romania Taps SAMY to Manage Creator Marketing Across All 21 Group Brands
L’Oréal Romania announced a partnership with global social‑first agency SAMY to run influencer marketing for its entire portfolio of 21 brands, starting in June 2026. SAMY already handles L’Oréal’s creator relationships in Italy, Spain, the UK, the Nordics, Latin America...
Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Taps LTK for Social Commerce Push
Sports Illustrated Swimsuit has partnered with LTK to launch its first creator‑driven social commerce channel. An official LTK profile will let fans discover and purchase items featured in editorial content, talent spotlights, and live runway coverage. LTK will also enable...