Radio Broadcasting
Atlanta Squabble: V-103 morning host Francesca Amiker has filed a federal defamation lawsuit against Alicia Brown, the wife of her co-host Big Tigger, accusing Brown of falsely claiming on social media that Amiker is having an affair with him.
Climbers Scaled Skyscraper: Two unauthorized climbers scaled the Empire State Building's spire Wednesday, forcing New York City FM and TV stations to switch to backup antennas for about an hour. The pair — identified as Angela Nikolau, 33, and Ivan Beerkus, 32 — reached the top of the spire, 1,454 feet above ground, and were seen holding a pro-peace banner. They were removed from the structure, after which stations returned to normal operations.
Cumulus Sell-Off: Cumulus Media is selling two of its Pennsylvania stations — including a Class B FM signal in the Harrisburg market — to Family Life Ministries. It filed paperwork with the FCC. For $2.25 million, 106.7 WWKL(FM), licensed to Hershey, and 96.7 WLLF(FM), licensed to Mercer, Pa., and targeting the Youngstown-Warren market, will go to Family Life.
Media Industry
Gomez On News Distortion: FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez sharply criticized the agency for dismissing a petition to repeal its news distortion policy through an unpublished staff letter rather than a full Commission vote, arguing the approach improperly shields the decision from judicial review.
FNC Dominates: During the second quarter of 2026, FOX News Channel (FNC) dominated all of cable with viewers across total day and primetime and also finished June by leading CBS and NBC with weekday primetime viewers, according to Nielsen.
SCOTUS Skirts 1A Issue: The Supreme Court on Thursday declined to block a lower-court order requiring former Fox News reporter Catherine Herridge to reveal a confidential source or face $800 daily fines, a decision with potential implications for journalists’ ability to protect sources.
U-S News
Trump In The Dark: President Trump says he didn't know about his family's cryptocurrency ventures that helped earn him more than $1.4 billion since returning to the White House. Trump, in a July 2 interview with CNBC, said he was unaware of the crypto investments before the release of his 2025 financial disclosure that showed the president brought in $2.2 billion in 2025, with the bulk coming from $1.4 billion through the crypto industry.
Congress In Philly: On Thursday, a select group of congressional representatives came back to the place where it all happened, 250 years ago to the day. A special congressional session was held at Independence National Park's Congress Hall in Philadelphia, where the Continental Congress officially declared freedom on July 2, 1776.
Hot Fun: Aggressive heat swept across the New York region as sweltering weather stifled the Northeast on Thursday, disrupting travel and prompting emergency measures as states took precautions against hazardous heat and humidity ahead of a holiday weekend. The heat wave toppled records, many set during another sweltering summer nearly 60 years ago. The temperature in Central Park reached 100 degrees by 2 p.m., according to the National Weather Service, the first time it was that hot there since July 18, 2012, and it tied its daily record set in 1966.