Radio Broadcasting
Listeners Conformable w/AI Voices: The research by Harker Bos Group’s Crowd React Media, conducted in May and June, tested 1,326 weekly radio listeners ages 18-45. Participants listened to station imaging and promotional spots recorded in both human and AI versions without knowing which they were hearing.
Insurances Costs Rising: Rising insurance costs for property and liability coverage are placing growing financial pressure on U.S. radio and television broadcasters. Broadcasters face a wide array of risks — including towers, antennas, buildings, broadcast equipment, vehicles, business interruption, special events and workers’ compensation — that have driven up premiums significantly in recent years.
Media Industry
Deal Expected To Be Blocked: U.S. states are poised to sue this week to block Paramount's $110 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, citing concerns the merger would harm competition by combining two of Hollywood's major studios.California Attorney General Rob Bonta is leading a multi-state investigation into whether the deal violates U.S. antitrust laws.
Jimmy Kimmel Leads Broadcast Late-Night: Jimmy Kimmel Live! topped late-night ratings for the week of June 28, leading in both total viewers and the key 18-49 demographic despite airing reruns for the second straight week on ABC.
Digital News Outlet Lose Ground: U.S. digital news outlets continued to lose ground in June, with traffic falling year-over-year at 90% of the nation’s top 50 news websites, according to new audience data. Similarweb figures analyzed by Press Gazette show that only five of the 50 largest news brands posted any growth compared with June of the previous year — a sharp drop from 20% of sites showing gains in May.
U-S News
Graham Was Booked As MTP Guest: Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a foreign-policy hawk who transformed from a fierce critic of President Trump into one of his closest allies on Capitol Hill, has died. He was 71 years old. A Graham spokeswoman said the District of Columbia medical examiner issued preliminary findings that the senator died following a tear in his aorta due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
McConnell Breaks Silence: Sen. Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) said Sunday that his lengthy Senate absence has been because of his recovery from a fall and a subsequent bout of pneumonia, breaking a weekslong silence about his hospitalization that had spurred speculation about his condition. McConnell said he planned to return to the Senate to finish his term but wouldn’t be back to vote “quite yet.” He didn’t provide a timeline.
U-S, Iran Trade Strikes: The U.S. conducted multiple waves of strikes on Iranian military targets Sunday, and Iranian forces fired at commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, as the two countries’ standoff over control over the critical waterway deepens. The U.S. military said late Sunday afternoon East Coast time it had launched new strikes against Iran, the third wave in 24 hours.