Heinz Kicks Off NFL Deal by Inducting 57th Draft Pick Into New Club
Heinz has become the NFL’s inaugural global condiment partner, launching a city‑wide out‑of‑home campaign in Pittsburgh for the 2026 Draft. The effort features more than 150 billboards, a “Taste of Pittsburgh” pop‑up, and a partnership with Hall of Famer Devin Hester, the 57th overall pick, dubbed the “Mr. 57” club. Integrated with Uber Eats, the activation offers $25 off orders from “Heinz Verified” restaurants. The move supports Kraft Heinz’s five‑year NFL agreement aimed at expanding its Away‑From‑Home food‑service business, even as the company reported Q4 revenue of $6.35 billion, a 3.38% YoY decline.
What To Watch Tuesday: LL COOL J Returns To NCIS, Bear Grylls Runs Wild Again, And More
TVLine’s Tuesday guide highlights a blend of network, cable and streaming premieres for April 21, 2026. LL COOL J returns as Sam Hanna in an NCIS episode set during a mainframe outage, while Bear Grylls teams with Matthew McConaughey for the Season 9 premiere of Running Wild...
Praful Akali, Neha Tulsian and Ashish Chakravarty Named ABBY Awards 2026 Jury Chairs
The Ad Club has appointed Praful Akali, Neha Tulsian and Ashish Chakravarty as jury chairs for the ABBY Awards 2026, overseeing the Health, Design, and Audio & Radio categories respectively. Akali brings a healthcare‑advertising pedigree that includes a stint at Pfizer and Cannes Lions...
Why The Simpsons Has Been Phasing Out Its Iconic Couch Gags, According to Show Boss
Matt Selman, the showrunner of The Simpsons, explained that the series is scaling back its famed couch gags to prioritize core storytelling. He noted that each episode now needs the full 20 minutes and 40 seconds for narrative, and budget...
Khatron Ke Khiladi 15: Jasmine Bhasin, Mr Faisu, Karan Wahi Approached for Rohit Shetty’s Show
Rohit Shetty’s stunt‑based reality series Khatron Ke Khiladi returns for its 15th season after a year‑long hiatus, with filming slated for late May. The upcoming season will feature 14‑15 participants, blending four former contestants—Nia Sharma, Jasmine Bhasin, Mr Faisu and Karan Wahi—with a slate...
AI Is The New Ad Space
Debra Aho Williamson, founder of Sonata Insights, argues that AI tools such as ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Google AI Overviews, and retail assistants constitute a new media environment rather than just efficiency enhancers. She calls this “AI media,” where users can...
AI Is The New Ad Space
Debra Aho Williamson, founder of Sonata Insights, will keynote AdExchanger’s Programmatic AI conference in Las Vegas (May 18‑20). She argues that AI tools like ChatGPT, Copilot, and retail assistants constitute a new media environment—“AI media”—that can guide consumers from query to...
Matheny Discusses ATSC 3.0-based BPS Developments
The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) has placed Sam Matheny in an executive‑vice‑president role to drive the Broadcast Positioning System (BPS), an ATSC 3.0‑based backup for GPS timing and location. A $744,000 Department of Transportation contract funds field trials with Dominion...
NAB 2026: Riedel Introduces IP-Based Production Updates Including Multiviewer, Commentary Control and Audio Connectivity Solutions
Riedel Communications unveiled three IP‑centric production tools at NAB 2026: the MediorNet HorizoN ST 2110 MultiViewer App, a Commentary Control App for 1200 Series Desktop SmartPanels, and the StageLink NSA‑008A Network Streaming Adapter. The MultiViewer runs on a 1RU HorizoN...
Inside Paramount’s 2026 Upfront Dinners
Paramount’s 2026 upfront dinners are the first client events since the $8 billion Skydance‑Paramount merger closed last year. The intimate gatherings, held in Chicago and Los Angeles, mark a return to the dinner format after the company dropped traditional upfront week in...
Listen: EU Fines Against X – Will Elon Musk Comply with Brussels Rules?
The European Union fined X (formerly Twitter) $130 million under the Digital Services Act, a penalty representing roughly 2‑4% of the platform’s annual revenue of $2‑4 billion. Elon Musk has appealed the sanction and skipped a scheduled judicial hearing in Paris, where...
Digital-Style In-Store Media Proving Complex for Physical Store Environments
A new In‑Store Marketplace report finds that in‑store media suffers from a dual measurement problem: misaligned success metrics among brands, retailers, agencies and retail media networks, and tools borrowed from digital that don’t fit physical stores. Interviews with U.S. and...
NAB 2026: Glookast Integrates Cinnafilm Tachyon Plugin to Enable GPU-Accelerated Video Processing
Glookast has introduced the Cinnafilm Tachyon plugin for its Media Producer and Media Services platforms, leveraging NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 5070 GPU. The add‑on delivers GPU‑accelerated standards conversion, frame‑rate conversion, and de‑interlacing for broadcast and post‑production workflows. Available as a licensed...
It Was a Bold, Multimillion-Dollar Experiment. They Wanted to Change Cable News Forever. What They Actually Did Was Far More...
NewsNation debuted in March 2021 as a centrist, fact‑based cable news channel under Nexstar’s “Project Neutral,” promising unbiased coverage for Middle America. After five years, the network’s ratings have trailed rivals, and its programming has shifted from local newscasts to...
NAB 2026: International Judo Federation Extends Global Content Distribution Partnership with SES
The International Judo Federation (IJF) has renewed its global content distribution partnership with SES, extending a relationship that has lasted over a decade. The agreement leverages SES’s hybrid IP, fibre, and satellite network together with the SES SCORE platform to...
NAB 2026: Layercake Integrates Bitmovin Into Streamcake Platform for End-to-End Media Orchestration
Layercake has formalised the integration of Bitmovin’s video streaming infrastructure into its Streamcake platform, creating a unified control plane for end‑to‑end media orchestration. The combined solution merges Bitmovin’s encoding, playback and analytics with Streamcake’s automation engine to handle workflows from...
How Rheinische Post Built an AI Governance that Aligns with Its Digital Subscriber Goals
Rheinische Post Mediengruppe (RPM) built an AI governance model that directly supports its goal of 250,000 digital subscribers. Under Group Head of AI Margret Seeger, the publisher aligned AI activities with its broader digital transformation, creating a three‑pillar framework (Head...
The Canary Sings Again
Artificial intelligence is now generating the core media product—news articles and analysis—at scale, eroding the value of traditional journalism. An AI tool already produces over a thousand pieces a month, slashing manual effort by 80%, while search‑driven traffic, the lifeblood...
Gomez Panel At NAB Insists Carr’s Broadcast Threats Won’t Hold
At the NAB Show 2026, FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez led a panel of First Amendment lawyers who challenged FCC Chairman Brendan Carr’s public threats to revoke broadcast licenses over news coverage. Panelists argued that Carr’s reliance on the antiquated news‑distortion...
Honoring the Past; Guiding the Future
The radio industry is undergoing rapid consolidation and digital disruption, prompting many stations to appoint leaders from outside traditional broadcasting. While these newcomers bring financial discipline and tech expertise, the article stresses that true success requires immersion in the station’s...
Signals in the Noise 2
The Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) released a new whitepaper, Signals in the Noise 2: Doing the Right Things, co‑authored by Work Research Partner Tony Regan and Barb CEO Justin Sampson. The paper warns that advertisers and agencies are increasingly dependent...
NAB Show Monday Bookended By Grit and Radio’s Future
At NAB Show 2026 the Alliance for Women in Media hosted a breakfast panel featuring Graham Media Group CEO Catherine Badalamente, Amazon’s Jordan Chatfield and NewsBalancer President Lee Harris. The trio highlighted AI as the primary lever for local‑news differentiation,...
I Saw It On The Radio
Quu released its 2026 In‑Vehicle Visuals report, showing that visual elements are becoming integral to radio in cars. The study found 68% of new‑model vehicles feature multiple screens, 74% support HD Radio, and built‑in streaming apps appear in 53% of...
What To See at NAB: Your Tuesday Show Guide
Tuesday at NAB Show 2026 kicked off with the industry’s signature awards ceremony, honoring figures such as CBS Sunday Morning correspondent Mo Rocca, comedian Nate Bargatze, Hearst Television’s Mike Rosellini and Sinclair’s Harvey Arnold. The morning continued with a hard‑hitting session on a broadcaster‑built...
Cox Media Group Tampa Welcomes Back Aaron Miller
Aaron Miller is rejoining Cox Media Group Tampa as Director of Sales after a seven‑year stint in California, most recently serving as senior vice president at Audacy Sacramento. Miller previously led sales for CMG Tampa’s 102.5 The Bone and 107.3 The Eagle from 2010...
It’s Knight Time In Jacksonville As CMG Picks Branding Leader
Cox Media Group Jacksonville’s Hot 106‑5 has promoted Shawn Knight to Assistant Director of Branding and Programming. Knight, a veteran with more than 30 years in radio, will oversee branding, promotional campaigns, and on‑air duties, hosting afternoons on Hot 106‑5 and middays...
New Issue of Works Magazine Is Out Now and Ready for You to Explore
Works magazine has released its 19th issue in a digital format, with the print edition slated for delivery soon. The issue delivers a broad survey of workplace design and management trends, from AI implications and sustainability debates to innovative case...
‘Funny Pages,’ ‘BlackBerry’ and More Streaming Gems
The latest streaming roundup spotlights under‑the‑radar indie titles, led by Owen Kline’s debut feature Funny Pages on Amazon Prime Video. Produced by the Safdie brothers, the film blends dark comedy with a chaotic portrait of a high‑schooler chasing a comic‑book...
American Idol Judge Talks ‘Insane’ Return After 20+ Years
Jennifer Hudson reappeared on American Idol as a guest judge, marking her first on‑screen role with the franchise since finishing seventh in its third season 22 years ago. The EGOT‑winning singer‑actress reflected on the "insane" feeling of moving from contestant...
The Surprising Origin of 4 Features that Superglue Kids — and Adults — to Screens
Researchers tracing the roots of addictive app design found that four core features—solitude, bottomlessness, speed, and teasing—originated in video slot machines and now dominate social‑media platforms. These elements create a "machine zone" where users lose track of time, driving prolonged...
Wise TV Ads by Ace of Hearts Dramatise Unwise Banking
Wise has rolled out a new television campaign crafted by creative agency Ace of Hearts, building on an out‑of‑home rollout that began earlier this month. The spots use dramatized, tongue‑in‑cheek scenarios of “unwise” banking choices to highlight the friction‑free, low‑cost...
Research: SVoDs Dominate Scripted Spanish TV Commissions
Ampere Analysis reports that subscription video‑on‑demand services accounted for roughly half of all scripted Spanish‑language TV commissions in 2025, dominating both Spain and Latin America. Netflix and Prime Video together captured 65% of those streamer‑driven commissions, with Netflix alone responsible...
Axis Achieves Google Authorised Buyer Status, Expanding Premium Inventory Access for Partners
Axis, a multi‑product ad tech firm, has been granted Google Authorized Buyer status (Buyer ID 8045927652), giving it direct access to Google’s Ad Exchange. The accreditation confirms Axis meets Google’s strict standards for platform quality, financial health, and compliance. With this...
Judges Body Hits Journalist with £14k Costs Bill for Pursuing FOI Request
Former BBC journalist Barnie Choudhury has been ordered to pay £14,270.70 (about $18,000) in costs after the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) deemed his Freedom‑of‑Information (FOI) pursuit unreasonable. The dispute stems from Choudhury’s campaign exposing alleged bullying and secrecy within the...
Retail Media Finds a New Signal: The Shopper’s State of Mind
Retail media is shifting from pure intent data to interpreting shoppers' cognitive and emotional states. Mental‑health experts highlight grocery trips as high‑stress decision points where fatigue, overload, and anxiety shape buying behavior. Platforms that can read in‑session signals—such as lingering,...
Index Exchange Welcomes DSPs Into New Cloud Infra, Bringing Bidders Closer to Ad Inventory
Index Exchange has launched Index Cloud, a neutral, containerized compute environment that lets demand‑side platforms (DSPs) run bidding logic directly within the supply‑side platform. The move aims to cut latency in programmatic auctions and lower operational costs. Bedrock Platform, an...
At Deccan Herald, AI Turns Articles Into Instant Infographics
Deccan Herald, part of The Printers (Mysore) Private Limited, has deployed an AI‑powered CMS extension that creates visual infographics from article content with a single click. The tool, built during the WAN‑IFRA Newsroom AI Catalyst programme, converts a manual 10‑minute...
A Brief History of Southeast Asia’s Streaming Wars
In 2025 Southeast Asia’s streaming market expanded 19% to over 60 million paid subscribers, still under 10% of the population. Netflix remains the clear leader with more than 12 million users, while Hong‑Kong‑based Viu holds about 10 million and Indonesia’s home‑grown Vidio has...
Two of RailFreight.com’s International Rail Sister Publications Merge
RailFreight.com’s sister sites RailTech.com and Railway Gazette International have merged into a single website, railwaygazette.com, effective April 20. The consolidation follows ProMedia’s earlier acquisition of several UK rail news outlets, bringing the historic Railway Gazette International under its umbrella. Existing...
Wedotv and 3SS Team up for FAST Channel Integration in Connected Cars
Wedotv has entered the in‑car entertainment space through a partnership with 3 Screen Solutions (3SS), integrating a curated selection of its FAST channels into the 3Ready automotive platform. The deal brings localized content for the UK, Italy, DACH, Benelux, Nordics...
Podcast Avatar Essentials: Who Do You Think You’re Talking To!?
Podcast creators are urged to build a detailed “avatar”—a fictional ideal listener—to focus content and marketing. The article defines the avatar, illustrates its impact with a True Crime case study showing women dominate the audience and discover shows via social...
The Deliverability Tax: Why Your Messages Are Disappearing
Marketers are seeing engagement drop not because of creative flaws but due to a growing "deliverability tax" that limits message visibility. MoEngage’s analysis of 40 billion messages shows behavior‑based pushes achieve 93% delivery versus 81% for generic broadcasts, with conversion rates...
Advanced TV Study 2026: Connected TV Becomes Primary Viewing Environment
The Advanced TV Study 2026, conducted by Azerion Austria and Goldvertise Media, finds that Connected TV (CTV) has become a core part of media consumption in Germany and Austria. Ninety‑four percent of German TV households own an internet‑enabled TV and...
Semafor’s Ben Smith on Evolving a News Start-Up for the Post-Traffic Era
Ben Smith argues that the era of chasing web traffic is over, so Semafor focuses on high‑quality newsletters and invitation‑only events to build direct audience connections. Its flagship newsletters have attracted over 1 million sign‑ups, while the CEO Signal newsletter targets...
Project Agora Brings Realize to North Africa, Expands Access to AI-Driven Performance Advertising
Project Agora has launched the AI‑driven performance platform Realize across North Africa, covering Egypt, Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. The service taps a network of more than 11,000 premium publishers and offers format‑agnostic ad placements, AI‑optimized bidding and predictive audience models....
Ogilvy Singapore’s ‘Vaseline Verified’ Dominates 2026 Clio Awards Picking up 12 Gold Statues
Ogilvy Singapore’s ‘Vaseline Verified’ campaign captured 12 Gold statues at the 2026 Clio Awards, cementing its status as the most awarded campaign worldwide over the past year. The initiative also amassed nine Cannes Lions—including a Titanium Lion—and two Grand Prix,...
NAB Show 2026: Live Sports Streaming Boom Leaves No Sport Untouched, Even Esports
The live‑sports‑streaming surge that began during the pandemic now covers everything from dirt‑track auto racing to esports, according to a NAB Show panel. World Racing Group streams 80‑90 races a year behind a $300‑annual subscription, using the platform to boost...
Bestads Best of the Week Reviewed by Zane Radcliffe, ECD, McCann, UK
Zane Radcliffe, Executive Creative Director at McCann UK, judged Bestads' weekly roundup, highlighting standout work across TV, print, outdoor and interactive media. The TV winner, “Beat Cancer Off,” links frequent ejaculation to a 22% lower prostate‑cancer risk, while the print winner,...
How to Become a Social Media Influencer in 9 Steps
The creator economy is on track to reach roughly $480 billion by 2027, with influencer marketing alone projected at $33 billion in 2026. A new guide breaks down nine practical steps for aspiring influencers, from defining a niche to automating workflows with...
YouTuber Copyright Struck After Others Layer AI Voiceovers On Video Game Music
YouTuber Nubzombie’s Silent Hill 2 playthrough was hit with two copyright strikes after AI‑generated voiceovers were layered onto Akira Yamaoka’s original track. The claims came from separate entities—"Agro memos" and "詹姆斯.K"—both using the same underlying music and filing automated takedowns. Evidence suggests...