Carrie Healey Joins NAB as VP of Communications
The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) appointed Carrie Healey as Vice President of Communications, making her the organization’s primary spokesperson. Reporting to Chief of Staff Michelle Lehman, Healey will direct media relations and advocacy messaging aimed at Congress and the FCC. She arrives from Purple Strategies after stints at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Capitol Hill, and major media firms. The hire signals NAB’s push to sharpen its public‑affairs footprint amid evolving regulatory pressures.
Fox to Use Kalshi Predictive Data in News, Weather Forecasts
Fox Corporation has signed a sponsored integration with prediction‑market platform Kalshi, embedding its data into Fox News, Fox Business, Fox Weather and the streaming service Fox One. The deal excludes election coverage, where Fox will continue to rely on its...
ESPN Layoffs Connected to Disney’s YouTube TV Dispute, Report Says
Disney’s ongoing fallout from its YouTube TV carriage dispute is prompting ESPN to announce a new round of layoffs. The two‑week standoff last year cost Disney roughly $100 million in lost distribution and advertising fees as millions of viewers were cut...
Amagi Launches New Tool to Help Stations Turn Newscasts Into Social Clips
Amagi introduced Newspulse, an AI‑driven platform that turns live and archived news broadcasts into ready‑to‑post social media clips. The system automatically identifies story segments, reformats video into multiple aspect ratios and adds captions and platform‑specific metadata. Human‑in‑the‑loop controls let editors...
Locality Acquires Media Planning Software Developer Deben
Locality announced the acquisition of Deben, a cross‑channel media planning software developer, to bolster its data‑driven advertising suite. Financial terms were not disclosed, but the deal brings Deben’s planning and optimization tools into Locality’s Audience Engine, Darwin, and LocalX platforms....
Fox News Tops Competitors in Q1 YouTube Viewership
Fox News Media logged 1.5 billion YouTube video views in Q1 2026, outpacing all major news outlets. Its nearest rival, MS NOW, recorded 974 million views, while CNN, ABC, NBC and CBS lagged further behind. The network’s YouTube audience grew 21 percent year‑over‑year and 51 percent...
Bitmovin Adds Support for SGAI to Enhance Ad-Supported Streaming Products
Bitmovin announced support for Server‑Guided Ad Insertion (SGAI) across its playback suite, using HLS interstitials to signal ad breaks. The hybrid approach merges client‑side flexibility with server‑side scalability, enabling real‑time, personalized ad decisions. By standardizing the insertion point, Bitmovin aims...
Scripps Sells WRTV, Will Seek Waiver for Inyo Stations
The E.W. Scripps Company completed the sale of its Indianapolis ABC affiliate, WRTV, to Circle City Broadcasting for $83 million, marking its second station divestiture this month after selling Fort Myers Fox outlet WFTX for $40 million. The combined proceeds exceed $120 million...
TuneIn Adds Distribution Deal with NBC Sports Radio
Stingray‑owned TuneIn has signed a distribution agreement with Comcast’s NBC Sports Radio, adding the network’s 24/7 audio feed to its platform. Beginning this week, TuneIn will stream daily studio shows such as “Pro Football Talk Live,” “The Dan Patrick Show,”...
Newsmax Posts 11 Percent Revenue Growth, Digital Declines Weigh on Profitability
Newsmax reported a 10.7% revenue increase to $189.3 million for 2025, driven primarily by a 17.3% rise in broadcast earnings. Carriage fees from cable, satellite and streaming partners jumped 20.2% to $14.9 million, boosting advertising revenue 16.7% to $104.3 million. In contrast, the...
Sinclair to Consolidate Newsrooms in Tulsa, Drop News Anchors From ABC Affiliate
Sinclair Broadcast Group will merge the newsrooms of its Tulsa stations, KTUL (ABC) and KOKI (Fox), creating a shared content hub with upgraded weather, studio and master‑control facilities. The consolidation will shift KTUL to a reporter‑driven, anchor‑light format starting in...
Judge Says Jury Gets to Decide if Nexstar Defamed News Directors Fired over Memo
A federal judge rejected Nexstar Media Group's bid for summary judgment, allowing former WOOD‑TV news director Stanton Tang and assistant Amy Fox to proceed to a jury trial on defamation and wrongful‑termination claims. The lawsuit stems from a memo that...
Ex-Bally Sports Executive Cancels Plan to Acquire TV Stations
A former Bally Sports executive has withdrawn his bid to acquire seven local TV stations, ending a brief return to broadcast ownership. The stations, spanning Washington, Oklahoma, Arizona, and Tennessee, were to be sold for $116.5 million to Community News Media...
Roku Partners with Google on Identity, Measurement Capabilities for Advertisers
Roku announced it will serve as the launch partner for Google’s new Confidential Publisher Match solution, extending identity and measurement capabilities for advertisers on its platform. The integration allows advertisers using Google’s Display & Video 360 to securely match first‑party...
Nexstar Agrees to Divest Six Stations to Close on TEGNA Deal
Nexstar Media Group agreed to sell six television stations to satisfy the Federal Communications Commission’s conditions for its $6.2 billion acquisition of TEGNA. The stations – located in Denver, Rogers (Arkansas), Portsmouth (Virginia), Hartford (Connecticut), Indianapolis and New Orleans – must...
Scott Rates Named News Director at CBS Stations in Sacramento
Paramount’s CBS News & Stations appointed Scott Rates as Vice President of News for Sacramento’s duopoly of KOVR (Channel 13) and KMAX-TV (Channel 31), effective next Monday. In his new role, Rates will direct editorial strategy and daily newsroom operations...
Gracenote: AI Will Influence Audience Discovery, Engagement with Content
Artificial intelligence is set to overhaul how viewers find and interact with entertainment, with large language models (LLMs) becoming the backbone of next‑generation search tools. Gracenote’s new report warns that LLMs alone can hallucinate, so it promotes "grounded" models that...
YouTube to Serve as Promotional Window for FIFA World Cup Matches
FIFA has partnered with YouTube to let rights holders stream the opening ten minutes of every World Cup match for free, with a limited slate of games available in full on the platform. The agreement also includes behind‑the‑scenes content and...
Arizona Attorney General Files Criminal Charges Against Kalshi
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has filed 20 misdemeanor counts against prediction‑market platform Kalshi, alleging it operates an illegal gambling business and accepted bets on elections. The complaint cites unlawful wagering on the 2028 presidential race, upcoming Arizona gubernatorial contests,...
VAB: Most Prospective Voters Engage with Ad-Supported TV
The Video Advertising Bureau’s new survey of 2,300 U.S. adults finds that most committed or prospective voters regularly watch ad‑supported television and streaming services. TV and linear‑plus‑streaming platforms remain the primary discovery channel for political candidates, with voters turning to...
Glenn Haygood to Retire From Hearst’s WLKY
Glenn Haygood, President and General Manager of Hearst’s WLKY-TV in Louisville, announced his retirement later this year, concluding a broadcast career spanning more than four decades. He has overseen WLKY’s editorial and business operations since 2008, guiding the CBS affiliate...
Court TV Finalizes Layoffs; Matt Johnson, Julie Grant Depart Network
Court TV is undergoing a major restructuring after its sale to Jellysmack’s Law&Crime Network, announcing sweeping layoffs and a reduced on‑air schedule. Anchor Julie Grant and crime correspondent Matt Johnson are among the high‑profile departures, while roughly two dozen behind‑the‑scenes...
Looper Survey: Streamers Set to Dominate Sports Media Rights
A Looper Insights survey of sports‑media executives finds global streamers poised to dominate sports rights by 2026, with Amazon Prime Video emerging as the clear front‑runner. Forty‑one percent of respondents said streaming platforms will hold the greatest structural power, edging...
Salem Media Posts $35 Million Financial Loss Amid Lower Revenue in 2025
Salem Media Group reported a 10.5% drop in 2025 revenue to $212.7 million, largely driven by $24 million in asset sales. Despite lower operating costs, the broadcaster posted a $34.6 million net loss, a swing of 313.9% from the prior year’s profit....
Gracenote Sues ChatGPT Developer OpenAI for Copyright Infringement
Gracenote, the leading entertainment metadata provider, has filed a federal lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging that ChatGPT was trained on its proprietary data without permission. The complaint asserts that OpenAI reproduced Gracenote’s detailed descriptions and the relational framework that organizes its...
Fox News Media Sees Two Years of Record Ad Revenue Growth, Exec Says
Fox News Media reported its seventh straight quarter of advertising revenue growth, positioning the division for two full years of record earnings. Executive John Nallen highlighted that the network’s ad rates are roughly 50% lower than broadcast television, creating significant...
Hearst’s Pam Barber to Retire From WMOR Tampa
Hearst Television announced that Pam Barber will retire as President and General Manager of WMOR‑32 in Tampa after leading the station since 2015 and a 20‑year tenure with the company. Barber’s 43‑year broadcasting career began in Tampa in 1983 and...
Nexstar Launches “Invest in America” News Series as Company Await Approval for TEGNA Deal
Nexstar Media Group has unveiled a nationwide news initiative called “Investing in America,” focusing on economic development and infrastructure projects across the United States. The series, launched with a five‑part weekday format and weekly reports, will be distributed through Nexstar’s...
Estrella TV Sees Strongest Ratings in 5 Years
Estrella TV’s latest Nielsen report marks its strongest performance in half a decade, with a 51 percent lift in prime‑time audience among adults 18‑49 and a 65 percent year‑over‑year gain for February. The surge pushes the network’s average to 40,900 viewers in...
Audiochuck Hires Matt Shanfield to Lead New TV, Film Division
Audiochuck, the true‑crime podcast network behind hits like “Crime Junkie,” has appointed Matt Shanfield as Head of Television and Film to spearhead a new division. The unit will adapt the company’s podcast catalog for global streaming platforms while also developing...
Washington Post Picks Veritone for Content Licensing, Archiving
Veritone has signed a multi‑year, global licensing agreement with The Washington Post to distribute the newspaper’s video journalism. The AI‑driven platform will make both current reporting and archival footage searchable for media companies, producers, and digital creators. Executives say the...
Philo CEO Andrew McCollum Stepping Down; Mike Keyserling to Succeed
Philo CEO Andrew McCollum announced his departure after more than a decade, naming COO Mike Keyserling as his successor effective immediately. McCollum will transition to Executive Chairman, continuing to shape long‑term strategy. The streaming service, which offers over 80 premium...
Researchers: Newsrooms Gamble with Reputation by Partnering with Betting Platforms
University researchers warn that newsrooms partnering with prediction‑market and betting platforms risk eroding public trust. Recent deals let election, policy and geopolitical odds appear alongside reporting at outlets such as the AP, CNBC, CNN and Dow Jones. Similar financial ties...
TEGNA Pays $6,000 to Settle FCC Probe over Public Inspection Files
TEGNA agreed to pay a $6,000 settlement to the FCC to resolve a probe into its Flagstaff station KNAZ’s failure to maintain timely public inspection files. The settlement cleared the FCC’s concerns, allowing the renewal of KNAZ’s broadcast license. This...
Starz Narrows Financial Loss to Under $21 Million During Q4
Starz posted Q4 2025 revenue of $322.8 million, a 6.3% decline year‑over‑year, driven by a 12% drop in streaming‑related sales. Linear and other revenue rose 6.6% to $112.5 million, partially offsetting the shortfall. The operating loss narrowed dramatically to $4.7...
C15 Studio Renews Deal with Formula 1 for Free Streaming Channel
C15 Studio has renewed its multi‑year agreement with Formula 1 to continue operating the free, ad‑supported Formula 1 Channel in the United States. The updated deal adds live broadcast rights for the 2026 F1 Academy Series, the sport’s all‑female development championship. Launched...
Bango: Consumers Feel Fatigue From Unused Subscriptions, Seek Lower-Priced Models
Bango’s new report, unveiled at Mobile World Congress, finds that 43% of U.S. consumers feel they are paying for unused subscriptions, driving demand for more flexible pricing. The survey shows strong interest in usage‑based billing, binge‑watch incentives, and cross‑platform credits....
Tablo Firmware Update Brings Free Streaming Channels to Legacy Devices
Nuvyyo’s Tablo firmware version 2.2.25 now enables most legacy DVRs to stream a selection of free channels via the newer Tablo app, excluding devices with built‑in HDMI. Users must rescan their units and manually add channels, while AMC and Warner‑owned...
Scripps to Re-Acquire Two Dozen Previously-Divested Ion Stations
The E.W. Scripps Company announced it will exercise an option to re‑acquire roughly 24 Ion Television‑affiliated stations that were divested to Inyo Broadcast Holdings in 2021. Although Inyo holds the FCC licenses, Scripps has continued to run the stations from...
Samsung Partners with Gracenote for AI-Based Discovery on Smart TVs
Samsung announced a partnership with Gracenote, Nielsen’s metadata specialist, to embed AI‑driven discovery tools into its smart‑TV platform. The deal gives Samsung access to Gracenote’s curated content IDs and structured data, enabling natural‑language search, personalized carousels, and recommendation engines. While...
Veritone Renews Licensing Deal with U.S. Soccer
Veritone has renewed its multi‑year licensing agreement with the U.S. Soccer Federation, extending access to the league’s archive through the Veritone Digital Media Hub. The AI‑driven platform will index full matches, highlights, interviews and multi‑camera angles, making footage searchable and...
Entravision Parts Ways with COO Jeffery Liberman
Entravision Communications announced the departure of President and Chief Operating Officer Jeffery Liberman, ending a nearly two‑decade tenure with the Spanish‑language broadcaster. Liberman, who rose from radio division president to COO in 2012, oversaw dozens of Univision‑affiliated TV and radio...
FCC Gives Sinclair Approval to Acquire Four TV Stations
The Federal Communications Commission approved Sinclair Inc.'s application to acquire the broadcast licenses of four local television stations—WEYI, WGTU, WGTQ in Michigan and WHAM in New York. The stations are already operated under shared‑services agreements with Sinclair, so the transfer...
Scripps Hires Oliver Gray to VP, Network Sports & Client Partnerships
The E.W. Scripps Company announced the appointment of Oliver Gray, a former Overtime executive, as Vice President of Network Sports and Client Partnerships. Gray will oversee national advertiser relationships for Scripps Sports and collaborate with sales and programming teams to...
Fox News Digital Tops Competitors in January
Fox News Digital posted a record‑breaking January, attracting 187.7 million unique visitors and a 27 % month‑over‑month rise. The platform generated 1.894 billion multiplatform views and 3.74 billion minutes, extending its 21‑month streak leading in views and 59‑month lead in minutes. YouTube video views...
VIDAA Takes on Nielsen, Comscore with V Index Measurement Solution
VIDAA, now rebranded as V, is set to launch its V Index measurement platform in Q2, blending traditional linear TV data with streaming‑app viewership. The solution will initially roll out across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, leveraging the company’s...
Paramount Hires Ex-Trump Official to Lead Policy as Battle for WBD Heats Up
Paramount Pictures has hired former Justice Department antitrust official Rene Augustine as Senior Vice President of Global Public Policy. Augustine, who served under the Trump administration and led international antitrust matters, will report to Chief Legal Officer Makan Delrahim. The...
Spectrum Acquires New England Cable News From NBC
Charter Communications' Spectrum News has agreed to acquire New England Cable News (NECN) from NBC Universal, merging its Maine and Massachusetts newsrooms into a single operation called Spectrum News NECN. The rebranded channel will serve viewers across Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts,...
Globecast, Synamedia to Help Distribute Emirates FA Cup to Broadcasters
Globecast and Synamedia have launched a cloud‑based workflow that lets broadcasters receive Emirates FA Cup matches via IP or satellite for the first time. The solution combines Synamedia’s Quortex Link SaaS platform with Globecast’s managed services, covering Western Europe, the...
LiveOne Says Artificial Intelligence Helped Company Cut 250 Jobs
LiveOne reported that artificial‑intelligence tools enabled it to slash its staff from 350 to 88, eliminating more than 250 jobs in fiscal Q3 2026. The company’s revenue dropped 31% year‑over‑year to $20.26 million, but its net loss narrowed to $1.95 million from...
