Radio Broadcasting
WMAL Has New PD: Cumulus Media announces that it has appointed Luis Segura as Operations Manager for NewsTalk 105.9 WMAL-FM in Washington, D.C., effective May 4th. Segura was previously Program Director for Cumulus San Francisco’s KSFO 810 AM (News/Talk) and Program Director for Cumulus Los Angeles’ KABC 790 AM (News/Talk). Prior to joining Cumulus Media in 2013, he was an Executive Producer for CBS Radio in Chicago for more than 15 years.
Nielsen Audio has launched mSurvey: The mobile digital diary that began rolling mSurvey lets respondents log seven days of radio listening on a smartphone in real time or shortly after, using e‑screeners, address‑based sampling and digital incentives (Venmo/PayPal/gift cards) to boost response and data quality. Nielsen positions the tool to complement, not immediately replace, paper diaries; initial industry reports indicate mSurvey will comprise roughly 10% of diary samples at the start, expanding as testing continues.
Media Consumption stalls: Global media consumption barely grew in 2025, but radio remained the world’s No. 2 media silo behind television, and PQ Media projects a 2.4% rebound in total consumer time spent with media in 2026, the firm said in its Global Consumer Media Usage Forecast 2026–2030.
Media News
Nexstar–Tegna Court hearing today: A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order blocking integration after completion of the $6.2B Nexstar–Tegna deal; the court set further briefing and an in‑person preliminary‑injunction hearing Tuesday. The pause is driving new scrutiny of FCC sign‑off and broader local broadcast consolidation concerns.
Major newsroom layoffs, union actions, and asset sales: March/early‑April roundups show continuing cost cuts and labor tensions: CBS News cut ~6% of staff and plans to shutter CBS News Radio; ProPublica’s union overwhelmingly authorized a strike (AI‑use and job‑security provisions a core issue); and Yahoo sold Engadget to Static Media.
Colbert Replacement: CBS has announced that "Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen" will move into its 11:35 p.m. slot after "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" concludes on May 21. The comedy talk show, which premiered in syndication in 2006, is hosted by Byron Allen and features a rotating panel of comedians performing their material. It currently airs on CBS immediately after "The Late Show." Starting May 22, CBS will air back-to-back, half-hour episodes of "Comics Unleashed" Monday through Friday, the network said.
U.S. News
Risky, multiday mission to rescue detailed: Two American airmen whose fighter jet was shot down, stranding them in Iranian territory, involved more than 150 aircraft, a close-range gunfight and a complex CIA-led deception campaign, according to President Donald Trump and administration officials. The operation to rescue the plane's wounded backseat officer from a cliff crevice in Iran, where he'd been hiding for nearly 48 hours, involved 155 aircraft and hundreds of personnel, Trump told reporters at a WH briefing.
NASA Artemis passing close to the Moon pic.twitter.com/jLvGoW1IR9
Artemis II crew flies begins journey back home to Earth: The four crew members of Artemis II set a distance record for humanity on Monday, April 6 as they flew beyond the lunar surface while over 250,000 miles from Earth. The astronauts are not only the first humans to venture near the moon since NASA's final Apollo era mission in 1972: Just around 2 p.m. ET, the crew surpassed a record distance of 248,655 miles in space, set in 1970 during the infamous Apollo 13 mission, according to NASA. The historic launch of Artemis II drew an audience of over 18 million viewers, according to Nielsen.
Michigan powers to 2nd national title: High-scoring Michigan had to get down and dirty to dig out the national title Monday, making only two 3-pointers all night but still muscling its way to a 69-63 victory over stingy, stubborn UConn. Elliot Cadeau led the Wolverines with 19 points, including the team’s first 3, which came 7:04 into the second half. The second, from freshman Trey McKenney, came with 1:50 left and felt like a dagger, giving the Wolverines a nine-point lead. To no one’s surprise, UConn fought to the finish.