CBS Sunday Morning aired a reflective segment on the impending closure of CBS News Radio, featuring correspondent Mo Rocca.
CBS News announced in March 2026 that it would shut down its nearly 100-year-old CBS News Radio service on May 22, 2026, as part of broader layoffs affecting about 6% of the CBS News workforce. The service, which provided hourly newscasts and features to roughly 700 affiliated stations nationwide, cited shifting radio programming strategies, challenging economics, and the rise of digital media and podcasts.
All positions in the CBS News Radio team were eliminated.
The Sunday Morning segment celebrates CBS News Radio’s storied history as a pioneer in broadcast journalism. It traces the network’s roots back nearly a century, highlighting how it set standards for radio news coverage and influenced the broader field of broadcast journalism.
Key figures mentioned include Edward R. Murrow (famous for wartime reporting), Robert Trout, Charles Osgood (longtime “Sunday Morning” host who also contributed radio commentary), and others who helped shape modern news delivery.
Mo Rocca interviews current and former staffers, including:Martha Teichner (“Sunday Morning” correspondent who reported for radio for decades). Dan Rather (veteran radio correspondent and former “CBS Evening News” anchor).
The piece serves as both a tribute to the legacy—rooted in iconic coverage that informed generations—and a poignant farewell to an era of traditional radio news. It underscores the service’s role in delivering timely updates and in-depth reporting before the shift to modern platforms.
The Walt Disney Company and its ABC broadcast network are pushing back against a FCC investigation into whether the daytime talk show “The View” qualifies for a long-standing “equal time” exemption for bona fide news programming.
In a petition filed with the FCC and made public Friday, Disney called the probe baseless and accused the agency of selective enforcement that targets television programs viewed as politically unfavorable while sparing conservative AM radio talk shows.
The company argued the action raises serious concerns about viewpoint discrimination and retaliatory targeting.
Disney noted that daytime and late-night talk shows featuring political interviews, including “The View,” have received blanket exemptions from the equal-time rule since the mid-1990s, based on their similarity to news broadcasts. ABC said “The View” itself has held the exemption since the early 2000s.
The company highlighted what it called a contradictory policy under FCC Chairman Brendan Carr: the agency has stopped granting blanket exemptions to TV programs that interview political candidates, judging them instead by “political motivations.” However, Carr explicitly said the change would not apply to radio talk shows.
“The danger is that the government will simply decide which perspectives to regulate and which to leave undisturbed,” Disney’s lawyers wrote. They cited examples of conservative radio hosts blurring lines between commentary and political advocacy, including on-air endorsements.
The FCC launched the inquiry earlier this year after Texas state Rep. James Talarico, then a candidate, appeared on “The View” in February. The agency’s Media Bureau sent a letter to ABC-owned station KTRK (Channel 13) in Houston, questioning whether the station properly documented the appearance in its public inspection file and demanding evidence to support the exemption.
Disney argued the FCC lacks authority to force broadcasters to file petitions for declaratory rulings or initiate such proceedings. Nevertheless, the company submitted the requested petition on Thursday.
An FCC spokesperson defended the equal-time rule as one that “encourages more speech and empowers voters,” but did not directly address Disney’s claims of selective enforcement against TV versus radio.
“The View” matter is distinct from another FCC action against Disney. The agency is scrutinizing the renewal of broadcast licenses for KTRK and seven other ABC-owned TV stations amid concerns raised by Chairman Carr over the company’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices. Last month, the FCC took the unprecedented step of ordering Disney to file early renewal applications for stations whose licenses are not yet expiring. Disney has until the end of May to respond.
The company has maintained that no evidence supports claims of legal violations related to its employment practices.
FCC has been investigating ABC’s daytime talk show “The View” for months over whether it violated longstanding federal “equal time” rules requiring balanced airtime for political candidates.
ABC filed a forceful response last week, made public Friday, accusing the FCC of viewpoint discrimination and First Amendment violations. The network warned the probe could have a “chilling effect” on free speech ahead of the 2026 elections and said it is prepared to take the case all the way to the Supreme Court.
The inquiry could also influence the FCC’s broader review of whether ABC should retain ownership of key local television stations. ABC’s lawyers argued the government cannot use regulatory power to punish viewpoints it dislikes, stating: “Government officials are free to express their own views about ‘The View,’ but they cannot utilize the coercive powers of the state to punish viewpoints with which they disagree.”
The show has held a “bona fide news” exemption from the equal-time rule since 2002, which ABC noted had gone unchallenged for 24 years.
“The View” averages 2.7 million daily viewers, a figure stable for roughly a decade. Its strongest markets include Philadelphia and Michigan’s Flint-Saginaw-Bay City area — both in key swing states — along with Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Milwaukee, Chicago, New York, West Palm Beach, Kansas City, and Hartford.
Demographically, the audience skews older and female: two-thirds are 65 or older, nearly 90% are over 50, and 70% are women. About 60% of viewers are white and 25% Black, according to Nielsen. Conservative groups have highlighted the show’s influence on swing voter segments, particularly older women.
The investigation was prompted in part by complaints from conservative organizations urging the FCC to revoke the exemption, citing the show’s guest mix and commentary as politically one-sided.
The Freedom of the Press Foundation and Reporters Without Borders have sent a letter to Paramount’s chief legal officer demanding access to the company’s books and records, citing reports that CEO David Ellison promised favors to the White House to secure federal approval for Paramount’s bid to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery.
The groups, both Paramount shareholders, argue the reports create a credible basis to believe Ellison, board members, and other executives may have breached their fiduciary duties or committed misconduct.
Their lawyers at the Public Integrity Project sent the 19-page letter to Makan Delrahim on Thursday.
They are invoking Delaware law, which allows shareholders to inspect company documents for any proper purpose.
Trump, Ellison
According to The Wrap, the letter devotes significant space to news reports detailing actions by Ellison and his father, billionaire Larry Ellison, a friend of Donald Trump, during efforts to buy Paramount and later Warner Bros. Discovery. It highlights:
The timing of Stephen Colbert’s “The Late Show” cancellation ahead of the merger approval.
Reports that the Ellisons promised Trump administration officials “sweeping” changes to CNN if the WBD deal is approved.
Changes implemented by Bari Weiss at CBS News since Ellison appointed her editor-in-chief.
“The foregoing account of recent events… creates a credible concern that Paramount leadership has offered, solicited, or effectuated a corrupt exchange: more favorable coverage of the Trump administration and its allies in exchange for favorable treatment by Trump administration antitrust and media regulators,” the letter states. Such actions, if proven, would constitute a breach of fiduciary duties and expose the company to civil and criminal penalties.
The groups have given Paramount five days to respond or face legal action.
The Joe Rogan Experience leads Spotify’s chart and ranks high on Apple, while The Daily from The New York Times dominates Apple Podcasts and remains a top performer on Spotify, according to the latest rankings.
True crime, news, and long-form interviews continue to dominate both platforms, with significant overlap between the two.
The Daily, Crime Junkie, and The Joe Rogan Experience consistently rank at or near the top on both services.
Apple favors structured news and true crime.
Spotify favors conversational, comedy, and personality-driven shows.
Political and interview podcasts remain strong amid current events.
Rankings are based on the most recent daily charts and can shift quickly with new episodes or major news. For real-time updates, check Apple Podcasts and Spotify directly.
The NBA averaged 4 million viewers per game during the first round of the playoffs across ABC/ESPN, Amazon Prime Video, NBC, and Peacock — a 22% increase from last year and the highest opening-round average since 1993.
NBC’s broadcast television games played a significant role in the jump, but all three major rights holders posted audience gains. Longer series also helped: six of the eight first-round matchups went at least six games, with three reaching a decisive Game 7.
The biggest boost came from Game 7 of the 76ers-Celtics series last weekend, which drew 11 million viewers on NBC and Peacock. That marked the most-watched first-round Game 7 in NBA history and the largest audience for any opening-round playoff game in 27 years.
The game received a powerful lead-in from the Kentucky Derby, also on NBC/Peacock, which set a viewership record with a preliminary 19.6 million viewers.
The NBA’s strong start continues a spring sports ratings boom. The NHL’s opening playoff round saw a 68% increase to record levels for its current ESPN and TNT deals. The NBA’s regular season itself finished up 16%, reaching a seven-year high.
These gains come as Nielsen continues to evolve its measurement system, including expanded out-of-home viewing and the recent Big Data + Panel process, with co-viewing enhancements expected this fall.
The NHL’s first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs drew its highest average U.S. television audience on record, with both TNT Sports and ESPN each averaging 1.2 million viewers per game.
TNT Sports, across TNT, TBS, truTV, and HBO Max, posted a 68% increase from last season — its strongest opening round since acquiring NHL rights in 2021–22. ESPN, broadcasting 22 games, saw a 69% jump from 2025 and its most-watched first round since regaining NHL rights five years ago. The NHL confirmed the combined 1.2 million average marks an all-time high for the opening round.
The surge comes after a highly successful 2026 Winter Olympics, highlighted by the United States’ thrilling 2–1 overtime victory over Canada in the gold-medal game. The NHL has historically enjoyed a ratings boost following strong Olympic performances.
The playoffs also featured several high-interest narratives:
The Buffalo Sabres ended the league’s longest playoff drought (14 years) by winning the Atlantic Division.
The Battle of Pennsylvania pitted the Pittsburgh Penguins against the Philadelphia Flyers, both of whom clinched playoff spots in the final days of the regular season.
The Utah Mammoth made their playoff debut in just their second season as a franchise.
The Vegas Golden Knights played under new head coach John Tortorella, who was hired with only eight games left in the regular season.
Another factor behind the ratings growth may be the NHL’s decision to keep all playoff games on traditional broadcast and cable television (ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, TBS, and TNT), with streaming options on ESPN+ and HBO Max. This contrasts with the NBA, which placed some playoff games exclusively on streaming platforms like Amazon Prime Video and Peacock, potentially driving viewers toward more accessible NHL coverage.
Growth in local digital advertising has fallen to single digits and is projected to stay at its slowest sustained pace since the Great Recession, according to Borrell Associates’ 24th annual Local Digital Advertising report.
The deceleration marks the end of the easy-growth era for local media and exposes a structural problem for legacy companies that relied on 20–25% annual digital increases to offset declines in traditional revenue. With digital now expanding in low single digits while core products continue shrinking, the old math no longer works.
“This isn’t decline. It’s normalization,” said Gordon Borrell, CEO of Borrell Associates. “Digital has matured. The easy growth is over. From here on, success won’t be defined by participation, but by who can steal share from competitors.”
“We’re not big on doom and gloom, but after digging through the data, the dots don’t point in a great direction,” added Corey Elliott, EVP of Local Market Research at Borrell Associates.
The 65-page report, based on proprietary data from more than 9,000 local media operations and ad estimates across 513 U.S. markets, shows that only iHeartMedia and The New York Times posted total revenue growth in 2025 among 15 publicly traded media companies reviewed. Cumulus Media and Urban One recorded negative digital growth, while Townsquare Media, often cited as radio’s digital success story, grew less than 2% digitally.
“Some companies mistake being involved in digital for being successful at digital,” said Borrell Associates Founder Gordon Borrell. “The next phase will separate those who measure success against their specific market opportunity and systematically capture share from those who are simply tracking year-over-year growth.”
Digital now accounts for 72% of local ad spending, with no single format dominating.
Borrell Associates will present key findings from the report during a webinar on May 19, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. ET. Registration is open now.
There was a time when radio felt unpredictable. You turned it on because something might happen.
A personality might say something outrageous. A new song might explode before the rest of the culture caught up. A caller might change the entire mood of a show. A contest might take over a city. A station might suddenly feel like the center of the local universe.
Radio once had edge.
Not because it was reckless. Because it felt alive.
Today, too much radio sounds technically clean but emotionally cautious. That may be one of the industry’s biggest hidden problems.
This is not about profanity, shock radio, or cheap controversy. It is about whether radio still creates surprise, tension, spontaneity, excitement, and emotional electricity.
Because modern audiences have endless choices.
Streaming gives people control. Podcasts give them depth. TikTok gives them unpredictability. YouTube gives them easy access to video.
Radio used to deliver pieces of all of that.
Now, too often, stations sound engineered not to fail instead of designed to be impossible to ignore.
Listeners can hear the difference. They hear it in overly tightened breaks.
In air talent afraid to reveal too much humanity.
In music scheduling so optimized it becomes emotionally flat.
In contests that feel overly safe.
In programming decisions filtered through so many layers of caution that the original spark disappears.
The irony is painful: Eadio became safer at the exact moment media became more competitive.
That is a dangerous combination.
Audiences rarely fall in love with safe. They fall in love with real. The most successful modern media personalities feel human. They are loose, present, emotional, opinionated, funny, and sometimes imperfect. They do not sound like they are reading from a script.
Meanwhile, too much radio sounds like it is trying not to get in trouble. That does not create loyalty. It creates background noise.
Radio’s greatest historic strength was not technology. It was immediacy. It sounded live. Connected. Reactive. Human. Exciting.
You were not just hearing content. You were hearing people experience culture in real time with you.
That feeling still matters. In fact, it may matter more now because so much modern media is isolated, automated, and fragmented.
Radio does not need to become reckless. But it does need to become braver.
In an era of algorithms and automation, humanity is the differentiator.
And humanity is rarely perfectly polished. Sometimes it is messy. Unexpected. Energetic. Spontaneous.
Dangerous, even. Not destructive.
Dangerous in the sense that something real might happen. That used to be the magic of radio.
It can be again.
➤Dave Van Dyke...Currently President and founder of media consumption analysis research firm Bridge Ratings and its subsidiary StreamStats LLC, the company has been providing radio stations with proprietary on-demand streaming data based on format core listener music consumption behavior.
Ted Turner launched CNN, the world’s first 24-hour news network, on June 1, 1980, pioneering a continuous cable format that reshaped television journalism and established Atlanta as a global media capital.
According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the idea originated during a walk in the woods, as recalled by former Turner Broadcasting chief operating officer Steve Korn. Facing the rise of cable and satellite TV, Turner—already a media innovator—debated whether to focus on news or sports.
Ted Turner, June 1, 1980
He chose news because it was cheaper to produce than securing sports rights and addressed a clear demand for around-the-clock coverage when viewers missed traditional newscasts.
After roughly five years of development, Turner publicly announced plans for the Cable News Network in summer 1979. He recruited Reese Schonfeld, president of the Independent Television News Association, to help build the operation on a tight budget.
The team constructed everything from scratch: purchasing cameras, lights, tape machines, satellite dishes, and acquiring the former Progressive Club building in Midtown Atlanta (now part of Turner’s Techwood campus) to house the network.
Turner, who admitted in his 2008 autobiography Call Me Ted that he hadn’t watched much TV news but had strong opinions about the format, wanted the news itself—not the anchors—to be the star. He even attempted to recruit Walter Cronkite at one point.
Skeptics widely doubted the concept, questioning whether audiences wanted 24-hour news or a fourth major network beyond CBS, NBC, and ABC.
“Who goes and walks in the woods and comes up with an idea that no one has ever had before, and everyone derides it, saying no one wants to watch 24-hour news?” Korn said. “Well, he was right, and everybody else was wrong.”
➦In 1888...Irving Berlin born as Israel Beilin (Died at age 101 from a heart attack - September 22, 1989) was an American composer and lyricist, widely considered one of the greatest songwriters in American history. His music forms a great part of the Great American Songbook. Born in Imperial Russia, Berlin arrived in the United States at the age of five.
Whether for Broadway musicals or films, for humorous songs or romantic ballads, his compositions are celebrated for their appealing melodies and memorable lyrics. His many popular songs include “There’s No Business Like Show Business,” “God Bless America,” and “White Christmas.” In 1968 Berlin received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
➦In 1912...Foster Brooks born (Died at age 89 – December 20, 2001). He was best known as a comedian for his portrayal of a lovable drunk in nightclub performances and television programs.
Foster Brooks
His career started in radio, notably with Marshall Krieger at station WHAS-AM in Louisville. He was a staff announcer, and his deep baritone voice was also well-suited for singing. Brooks gained fame for his reporting of the Ohio River flood of 1937, where he was featured on emergency broadcasts by WHAS and also WSM-AM from Nashville, Tennessee. In 1952, Brooks appeared on local TV in a short-lived spoof of Gene Autry and his "Singing Cowboys".
He later worked in local broadcasting as a radio and TV personality in Buffalo and Rochester, New York, before moving to the West Coast to launch a career as a stand-up comic and character actor. In Buffalo, Brooks performed with a country and western vocal group known as the Hi-Hatters.
In 1960, Brooks moved with his family to Los Angeles to seek more professional opportunities
He then began his drunk act, which went over well with crowds at Las Vegas nightclubs and on television. Brooks was a frequent guest on talk and variety shows and numerous Dean Martin celebrity roasts. Despite his on-screen personna he actually quit drinking in the early 1960s, on a bet, and remained a teetotaler for the rest of his life. He died Dec. 20 2001 at age 89.
➦In 1922...KGU Radio signed-on in Honolulu. In April 1935 it was used as a homing beacon by Captain Ed Musick and Fred Noonan during their survey flights of the Pacific in a Pan American World Airways Sikorsky S-42.
➦In 1922...WHB-AM, Kansas City, Missouri, signed-on.
According to fadedsignals.com, Sam Adair and John Schilling signed WHB on the air in 1922 from Kansas City. Cook Paint and Varnish Company purchased the station in 1930. It was an independent station until becoming a Mutual Network affiliate in 1936.
WHB operated as a daytime-only station until the FCC granted it full-time status in 1946.
Cook sold WHB-AM to Omaha entrepreneur Todd Storz in 1954. He enjoyed success with a Top 40 pop format on his stations in Omaha and New Orleans. Storz flipped WHB to the nation’s first 24-hour Top 40 format. It became Kansas City’s most popular station by the end of the year.
WHB-AM’s 10,000-watt signal made the station one of the most powerful Top 40 stations in the country. It became a model for many stations around the nation seeking to copy the success of the Top 40 format.
Here’s a sample of what WHB sounded like in 1960:
Storz Broadcasting sold WHB to Shamrock Broadcasting in 1985. The new owner dropped Top 40 for a oldies. In 1989, KCMO-FM flipped to oldies, drawing away WHB-AM’s listeners.
WHB began simulcasting a farm/country music format in 1993. It swapped frequencies with KCMO-AM in 1998, giving the station a larger daytime coverage area. (DA50Kw-D, DA5Kw-Night). WHB had been broadcasting at 710 AM (DA10Kw-Day, DA 5Kw-Night).
Union Broadcasting purchased WHB and flipped the station to its current sports format in 1999.
➦In 1924..Chicago radio stations underwent significant call sign changes, reflecting the evolving regulatory landscape of broadcasting. Station KZN changed to KFPT, WGN became WEBH, and WDAP took on the WGN call sign. These shifts, reported by the Chicago Tribune on May 31, 1924, were part of efforts to reduce interference and clarify station identities as radio grew in popularity. While not precisely on May 10, this activity highlights the dynamic state of early commercial broadcasting in the U.S., with stations adapting to new regulations and market demands.
➦In 1929...Radio Personality Scott Muni was born Donald Allen Muñoz in Wichita, Kansas, Muni grew up in New Orleans, joined the U-S Marine Corps and began broadcasting in 1950, reading "Dear John" letters over Radio Guam. After leaving the Corps, he began working as a disc jockey; in 1953 he began working at WSMB in New Orleans. His mentor was Marshall Pearce. In 1955 he took over for Alan Freed at station WAKR in Akron, Ohio, and after that worked in Kankakee, Illinois. Muni then spent almost 50 years at stations in New York City. He died on September 28, 2004 at the age of 74 in New York City.
➦In 1934...Gary Owens born Gary Bernard Altman (Died at age 80 – February 12, 2015). His polished baritone speaking voice generally offered deadpan recitations of total nonsense, which he frequently demonstrated as the announcer on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In. Owens was equally proficient in straight or silly assignments and was frequently heard on television and radio as well as in commercials.
Gary Owens
Owens started his radio career in 1952 as a news reporter at KORN, Mitchell, South Dakota and two years later was promoted to news director. In 1956, he left KORN for a newscaster job at KMA, Shenandoah, Iowa before moving on to a disc jockey job at KOIL, Omaha, Nebraska. He also worked in Dallas, New Orleans, St. Louis, and at KIMN in Denver before relocating to California in 1959, working at KROY in Sacramento and KEWB in Oakland before finally settling in Los Angeles.
Owens moved to KEWB's sister station KFWB in Los Angeles in 1961. From there, he joined the staff of KMPC in 1962, where he remained for the next two decades working the 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. shift Monday through Friday.
A gifted punster, Owens became known for his surrealistic humor. Among his trademarks were daily appearances by The Story Lady (played by Joan Gerber); the Rumor of the Day; myriad varieties of "The Nurney Song"; and the introduction of the nonsense word "insegrevious", which was briefly included in the Funk & Wagnalls Dictionary.
Owens moved from KMPC to another Los Angeles station, KPRZ 1150 AM, in the early 1980s, hosting mornings at the "Music Of Your Life"-formatted station.
In the late 1990s, Owens hosted the morning show on the Music of Your Life radio network, where he later had the evening shift and hosted a weekend afternoon show until 2006.
He died Feb. 12 2015 of complications from his life-long diabetes, at age 80.
➦In 1954...Bill Haley and the Comets released the classic "Rock Around The Clock," which became the first rock and roll song to top the charts.
➦In 1972…George Washington Trendle died (Born - July 4, 1884). He was a Detroit lawyer and businessman best known as the producer of the Lone Ranger radio and television programs along with The Green Hornet and Sergeant Preston of the Yukon.
George Trendle
During the 1920s, George W. Trendle was a Detroit, Michigan, lawyer who had established a reputation as a tough negotiator specializing in movie contracts and leases. Trendle became involved in the Detroit area entertainment business in 1928 when local motion picture theater owner John H. Kunsky offered Trendle 25 percent ownership in exchange for his services.
Trendle and Kunsky formed the Kunsky-Trendle Broadcasting Company in 1929 after purchasing Detroit radio station WGHP. The radio station's call letters were changed to WXYZ.
WXYZ was initially affiliated with the CBS but became an independent station within a year. Trendle's partner, Kunsky, legally changed his name to King in 1936, and the Kunsky-Trendle Broadcasting Company became the King-Trendle Broadcasting Company. WXYZ improved its technical facilities through the 1930s, expanding its studios, raising its daytime power from 1,000 to 5,000 watts in the late 1930s, and increasing nighttime power to 5,000 watts in time for its mandated 1941 move from 1240 to 1270 kHz under the North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement.
In 1931, Kunsky-Trendle acquired WASH and WOOD in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The two stations merged facilities, including studios and transmitters, but retained both station licenses. WASH was on the air from 8 a.m. to noon, and WOOD from noon to midnight. WOOD-WASH became an NBC Red affiliate in 1935. King and Trendle decided to drop the WASH license in 1942, keeping the WOOD identification.
In 1946, the newly formed American Broadcasting Company purchased the King-Trendle Broadcasting Company and its radio stations for $3.65 million. This sale was for the broadcast facilities (including WOOD, WXYZ, and the Michigan Regional Network) and a construction permit for what would later become WXYZ-TV (channel 7) but did not include ownership of Trendle's radio programs.
Here is an episode of The Lone Ranger from 1937...
➦In 1982...Top 40 formatted WABC 770 AM, New York City, played it's last record before converting to Talk Radio.
WABC ended its 22-year run as a music station with a 9 am–noon farewell show hosted by Dan Ingram and Ron Lundy. The last song played on WABC before the format change was "Imagine" by John Lennon, followed by the familiar WABC "Chime Time" jingle, then a moment of silence before the debut of the new talk format.
ABC has charged the Federal Communications Commission with infringing on its First Amendment rights, paving the way for what could become a lengthy and high-profile legal confrontation between the network and the Trump administration.
In a filing with the agency, the network argued that regulators were creating a “chilling effect” on free speech by attempting to penalize political content they opposed. The document, which became public on Friday, marks the most forceful pushback by any major television network since President Trump launched his sustained effort last year to rein in media organizations.
The stance represents a notable shift for ABC. Under its parent company, Walt Disney, the network had initially adopted a more conciliatory approach toward Trump, settling a defamation lawsuit with him for $15 million in December 2024—a case that many legal experts viewed as unlikely to succeed in court.
The FCC has also targeted ABC’s daytime political talk show “The View,” questioning whether it can continue to receive an exemption from the “equal time rule,” which requires broadcasters to give opposing political candidates equal airtime.
In a formal filing, Disney’s Houston station KTRK-TV called the FCC’s actions “unprecedented” and “beyond the Commission’s authority.” The station argued that “The View” has long qualified as a “bona fide” news interview program and is therefore exempt from the equal time obligations, reports The L-A Times.
“The Commission’s actions threaten to upend decades of settled law and practice and chill critical protected speech, both with respect to The View and more broadly,” KTRK-TV said in the petition for a declaratory ruling.
The dispute sets up a direct confrontation between ABC and the Trump administration. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has openly criticized both Kimmel and “The View.” Earlier this year, Carr declared that long-standing exemptions for certain programs, including “The View,” are no longer valid.
An FCC spokesperson said the agency would review Disney’s claim that “The View” qualifies as a bona fide news program.
“Decades ago, Congress passed a law that generally prohibits broadcast television programs from putting a thumb on the scale in favor of one political candidate over another,” the spokesperson said. “The equal time law encourages more speech and empowers voters to decide the outcome of elections.”
CBS News will part ways with “60 Minutes” correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi when her contract ends at the end of May, according to a Page Six report, following a high-profile editorial dispute with Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss last year.
Alfonsi, who remains on staff through May, has retained prominent Hollywood litigator Bryan Freedman.known for negotiating exits for Megyn Kelly, Don Lemon and Tucker Carlson to handle her departure, Page Six reported. A CBS News spokesperson declined to comment Friday. Alfonsi and Freedman did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The move comes as Weiss is preparing significant changes to the newsmagazine once its current season concludes this month.
Dispute over Trump administration segmentThe split stems from tension over a December 2024 segment titled “Inside CECOT,” which examined the Trump administration’s deportation of Venezuelan migrants to a high-security prison in El Salvador. Alfonsi publicly criticized Weiss’s last-minute decision to hold the piece, calling it “not an editorial decision” but “a political one.”
“If the standard for airing a story is that ‘the government must agree to be interviewed,’ then the government effectively gains control over the ’60 Minutes’ broadcast,” Alfonsi told colleagues. “We go from an investigative powerhouse to a stenographer for the state.”
Weiss said the segment was delayed because it lacked sufficient on-the-record responses from the administration to advance the reporting. She later acknowledged it should not have been pulled so close to airtime but maintained it needed additional work.
The piece ultimately aired the following month.
Alfonsi, who has reported for “60 Minutes” since 2015, described the incident last week while accepting the Ridenhour Courage Prize as part of a broader “toxic spread of corporate meddling and editorial fear” rather than an isolated dispute.
Rupert Murdoch personally warned President Donald Trump during a White House dinner in February that allowing streaming services to acquire more live sports rights would destroy traditional broadcast networks, according to a person familiar with the private conversation.
The media mogul’s intervention represented an unusually direct and aggressive lobbying effort. Murdoch, whose Fox Corporation pays billions of dollars annually for sports broadcasting rights, was actively urging the president to help protect the very industry partners from which Fox buys content — creating a striking conflict in which a major payer sought to undermine its suppliers’ leverage.
The warning underscores the intense fear within legacy television that digital streamers, such as Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, YouTube TV, and Apple TV+, are poised to fragment and ultimately dominate the lucrative live-sports market.
Sports programming remains one of the few content categories still reliably drawing massive audiences to linear television. If streamers secure a significantly larger share of marquee games, advertising and affiliate revenue for networks like Fox, CBS, NBC, and ABC could collapse.
The Wall Street Journal reports Murdoch’s move was described as a “bold play call” even by the standards of a businessman renowned for decisive, high-risk maneuvers. It highlights the existential pressure facing traditional broadcasters as media rights negotiations for major leagues, especially the NFL, grow increasingly competitive and expensive.
The situation is particularly noteworthy because Fox has long been a key partner to the NFL and other leagues, committing enormous sums, often in the billions, for broadcast rights. By pressing the White House on this issue, Murdoch was effectively asking the administration to intervene in a way that could limit the negotiating power of the leagues Fox itself pays so handsomely. This rare alignment of interests between a major media buyer and the government against its content suppliers illustrates the depth of concern over the future of the broadcast model.
DOJ Antitrust Review Adds Urgency
Murdoch’s lobbying occurs amid a separate but related Justice Department investigation. The DOJ is examining whether major sports leagues, including the NFL, should retain antitrust exemptions that allow them to collectively negotiate national television and streaming deals on behalf of their member teams. Any changes to these protections could reshape how rights are sold, potentially opening the door for more fragmented, streamer-friendly deals.
The outcome of both the policy discussions and the DOJ review carries enormous financial implications. Broadcast and cable networks have relied on sports as a cornerstone of their business, while tech giants with deep pockets are eager to use live games as a wedge to grow their subscriber bases. Murdoch’s intervention highlights that the battle is not merely corporate but reaches the highest levels of government, with the future structure of America’s sports-media ecosystem hanging in the balance.
For Fox and peer companies, the stakes extend far beyond any single rights deal, they involve the long-term viability of the traditional television business model itself.
Netflix will air the San Francisco 49ers against the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia, during Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season, marking the league’s first regular-season game ever played on Australian soil.
A person familiar with the plans told The Associated Press that the streaming service secured the rights. The source spoke on condition of anonymity because the full schedule has not yet been released.
The game is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026, with a prime-time U.S. kickoff at 7:35 p.m. CT (8:35 p.m. ET). Due to the 15-hour time difference, it will begin at 10:35 a.m. local time on Friday, Sept. 11, in Melbourne.
The Rams, led by reigning MVP Matthew Stafford, will serve as the home team against NFC West rival Brock Purdy and the 49ers. The teams split their 2025 season series.
The Melbourne matchup is one of nine international regular-season games the NFL has scheduled for 2026. It follows the season opener on Wednesday, Sept. 9, when defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks host a yet-to-be-determined opponent.
League officials are considering making that Wednesday game an immediate Super Bowl rematch, potentially against the New England Patriots. A Wednesday season opener would be only the second in NFL history; the first occurred in 2012 when the New York Giants hosted the Dallas Cowboys to avoid a conflict with the Democratic National Convention.
The NFL is expected to release the complete 2026 schedule next week, in time for network upfront presentations to advertisers beginning Monday.
Netflix, which has streamed Christmas Day games in recent seasons, is taking on a significantly larger presence in 2026. The platform is expected to broadcast additional major matchups, including the night before Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and two games on Christmas Day. NBC is expected to produce the Australia broadcast.
U.S. women 18 and older listen to music for a wide range of personal and emotional reasons, but those with children under 17 (“Moms”) show distinct preferences compared to women without young children, according to the 2025 Women’s Audio Report from Edison Research and SiriusXM Media.
The report reveals that the top two overall reasons women choose music are “to be entertained” and “to relax.” However, clear differences emerge when parenting status is factored in: Moms rank “to relax” as their number one reason (50%).
Women without children under 17 ranked “to be entertained” highest (51%).
Moms are also significantly more likely to use music as a coping tool. Nearly four in ten moms (39%) say they listened “to cope during a difficult time,” compared with just 28% of women who do not have children under 17. The data did not suggest moms face more hardships; rather, it highlighted that music serves as a particularly valuable emotional resource and mood regulator for them.
Music remains one of the few activities that can be deeply personal yet also highly communal. People turn to it for joy, comfort, focus, nostalgia, social connection, and emotional processing. The 2025 Women’s Audio Report offered a detailed look at how American women engage with audio content, with a dedicated focus on mothers and the unique role music plays in their daily lives.
Whether tuning into a favorite radio station during a commute, curating a Spotify playlist while doing household chores, or playing YouTube music videos with their children, moms appear to lean on music as a reliable source of calm and emotional support.
The findings underscore how life stage, particularly motherhood, shapes media consumption habits. For many moms, music is more than background noise or entertainment; it functions as an accessible, on-demand tool for stress relief and emotional resilience amid busy, often demanding routines.
iHeartMedia has appointed Michael Johnson Jr. as Program Director for its Sports and Talk radio outlets in Hartford and New Haven.
In the role, Johnson will lead a portfolio of four influential stations: WUCS (Fox Sports 97.9), flagship home of the UConn Sports Radio Network in Hartford; WPOP-AM (NewsRadio 1410) in Hartford; and in New Haven, 960 WELI-AM and WAVZ-AM (Fox Sports 1300).
He will be responsible for programming strategy, content development, on-air talent oversight, and growing the stations’ audiences across broadcast and digital platforms.
Michael Johnson Jr
"Michael's energy, passion and leadership make him a strong fit to lead our Sports and Talk portfolio in Hartford and New Haven," said Dylan Sprague, Senior Vice President of Programming for iHeartMedia Boston/Hartford.
"These are powerful brands with deep community ties, and we're excited to build on their success under Michael's leadership."
Johnson joins iHeartMedia from Townsquare Media in Albany, New York, where he most recently served as Brand Manager of WTMM (104.5 The Team ESPN Radio). While there, he also worked extensively on-air as a play-by-play announcer for University at Albany football and men’s basketball, bringing both programming expertise and firsthand sports broadcasting experience to his new position.
"I am thrilled to begin this next chapter at iHeart," Johnson said. "Sports fans are passionate and engaged. I am eager to grow all of the stations, deepen the connections with listeners, and continue expanding our digital presence."
Axios is accelerating the growth of its local news operation, aiming to reach 43 U.S. cities by the end of 2026 as it seeks to capitalize on demand in underserved markets.
The company paused its local expansion at 30 cities in 2023 after falling short of revenue targets. It is now resuming growth with a sharper focus on “news impoverished” areas where local journalism has significantly declined.
Axios Local is not yet profitable, but executives view the renewed expansion, combined with new technology investments, as a key step toward financial sustainability. The company has seen strong audience momentum, particularly in paid membership. Since the end of 2025, the number of paying supporters has doubled in just four months.
This growth in donations and subscriptions signals increasing willingness among readers to financially support high-quality local news, a critical factor for Axios as it scales its city-level newsletters and reporting.
Courtesy of Press-Gazette
The renewed push reflects a broader recalibration at Axios. After an aggressive early rollout, the company pulled back to stabilize operations and refine its model. The current strategy emphasizes quality over rapid, unprofitable growth, prioritizing markets with limited competing local news sources.
These “news deserts” often have weaker coverage of city government, education, housing, and business, topics central to Axios’ concise, newsletter-driven style.
By targeting these areas, Axios hopes to establish itself as a trusted, essential source while building a more sustainable revenue base through advertising, sponsorships, and reader contributions.
Newsmax Inc. Friday reported continued strong audience growth across its cable channel, streaming services, digital platforms, and social media, further establishing itself as one of America’s fastest-growing news brands.
The network is now carried on all major cable and pay-TV systems after successfully renewing key distribution deals with DISH, Verizon, Mediacom, Fubo, Optimum, and Charter, while adding Hulu Live TV over the past year.
According to Nielsen data:
April total audience reach hit 16.6 million viewers, up 27% year-over-year.
More than 7 million viewers in the key 35-64 demographic tuned in during April.
Q1 2026 total viewership reached 30.4 million, a 29% increase from Q4 2025.
April also delivered notable ratings growth across major programs compared to Q1 averages:
“Wake Up America” +17%
“Finnerty” +11%
“Greg Kelly Reports” +9%
“Carl Higbie: FRONTLINE” +8%
“Rob Schmitt Tonight” +7%
All Newsmax dayparts and key demographics showed substantial growth in Q1 2026.
Newsmax has surpassed 25 million social media followers across major platforms, marking a new record.
Newsmax CEO Christopher Ruddy credited the company’s multiplatform strategy for the results. “Our strategy is working. We are continuing to build audiences and engagement across every platform and for every audience,” Ruddy said. “We have a tremendous foundation in the pay-TV ecosystem, and as ratings continue to grow, so do our cable affiliate revenues.”
Newsmax is projecting a 13% revenue increase for 2026, driven by growth in advertising, affiliate fees, streaming, and international licensing. The company also expects significant expansion for its paid streaming service Newsmax+ and its free ad-supported channel Newsmax2, now available on nearly all major OTT platforms.
➦In 1914...Clarence Eugene "Hank" Snow was born (Died at age 85 from heart failure – December 20, 1999). In a career that spanned more than 50 years, he recorded 140 albums and charted more than 85 singles on the Billboard country charts from 1950 until 1980. His number-one hits include the self-penned songs "I'm Moving On", "The Golden Rocket" and The Rhumba Boogie and famous versions of "I Don't Hurt Anymore", "Let Me Go, Lover!", "I've Been Everywhere", "Hello Love", as well as other top 10 hits.
Snow was an accomplished songwriter whose clear, baritone voice expressed a wide range of emotions including the joys of freedom and travel as well as the anguish of tortured love. His music was rooted in his beginnings in small-town Nova Scotia where, as a frail, 80-pound youngster, he endured extreme poverty, beatings and psychological abuse as well as physically punishing labour during the Great Depression. Through it all, his musically talented mother provided the emotional support he needed to pursue his dream of becoming a famous entertainer like his idol, the country star, Jimmie Rodgers.
Hank Snow
As a performer of traditional country music, Snow won numerous awards and is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame and the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.
In March 1933, Snow wrote to Halifax radio station CHNS asking for an audition. The rejection letter he received only made him more determined and later that year he visited the station, was given an audition and hired to do a Saturday evening show that was advertised as "Clarence Snow and his Guitar." Snow's audition with the Canadian division of RCA Victor in Montreal, Quebec, on October 29, 1936 led to the release of his first record with "The Prisoned Cowboy" coupled with "Lonesome Blue Yodel". He signed with RCA Victor, recording for the label until 1981. A weekly CBC radio show brought him national recognition and, he began touring Canada until the late 1940s when American country music stations began playing his records.
Snow moved to Nashville, Tennessee, in 1949, and "Hank Snow, the Singing Ranger" (modified from his earlier nickname, the Yodeling Ranger), began recording for RCA Victor in the United States in 1949.
A regular at the Grand Ole Opry, in 1954 Snow persuaded the directors to allow a young Elvis Presley to appear on stage. Snow used Presley as his opening act and introduced him to Colonel Tom Parker. In August 1955, Snow and Parker formed the management team, Hank Snow Attractions. This partnership signed a management contract with Presley but before long, Snow was out and Parker had full control over the rock singer's career. Forty years after leaving Parker, Snow stated, "I have worked with several managers over the years and have had respect for them all except one. Tom Parker was the most egotistical, obnoxious human being I've ever had dealings with."
Alan Freed
➦In 1929...WJW-AM, Cleveland, Ohio signed-on.
The station was a staple of the Cleveland airwaves for more than 40 years under its original call letters of WJW.
The station was started in Mansfield, OH as WLBV sin 1926 under the ownership of John Weimer. The call letters became WJW in 1928, reflecting his initials. He sold it in 1931 to Mansfield Broadcasting Association.
WJW moved to Akron in 1932. William O’Neill purchased the station in 1943 and moved it to Cleveland. The station moved from 1210 kHz to 850 kHz and increased its power to 5,000 watts.
During its history, WJW aired Alan Freed's "Moondog" rock'n'roll show.
O'Neil sold WJW on 17 Nov. 1954 to Storer Broadcasting, which teamed it with its local television operation, WXEL. Storer dropped the ABC radio affiliation in 1957 to become independent, although the station later had a brief affiliation with NBC before becoming independent again.
During the 1960s the "Ed Fisher Show" was immensely popular during a 10-year run, as was the station's adult contemporary format of news, talk, and jazz. Sold to Erie Broadcasting in the fall of 1976, WJW began to highlight talk shows and adult popular music. It had begun separate FM programming in 1965 on a station that eventually passed into separate ownership as WGCL.
WJW was sold 1986 to Booth American Broadcasting, at which time it exchanged its long-familiar call letters for WRMR. In 1990 Booth sold the station to Independent Group Ltd., a local group that owned WDOK.
Today, the station's call sign is WKNR 850 AM and airs sportstalk. The station now has 50Kw-Day, 5Kw-Night.
100.7 The Wolf (KKWF-FM), an Audacy station in Seattle, has launched “Ellen & Aaron,” featuring Ellen Tailor and Aaron Crawford, in morning drive. The duo can be heard weekday mornings from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. PT.
“We are excited to bring Ellen back home and welcome Aaron to mornings on 100.7 The Wolf,” said Drew Bland, Brand Manager, 100.7 The Wolf. “With Ellen’s established rapport and Aaron’s local stage presence, this show is a celebration of everything our community loves. Our listeners are in for a ride as we set a new chapter in Northwest mornings.”
