Good Morning: Here's The Pulse For Wednesday, June 10

Radio Broadcasting

R.I.P.: Beloved Grand Ole Opry announcer and longtime WSM Radio host Bill Cody, died Tuesday at age 67 after battling kidney and heart failure. WSM Radio confirmed the news Tuesday evening.

Good Ole Days: From viral memes declaring “2026 is the new 2016” to celebrities flooding social media with 1990s throwback photos, and chart-topping songs channeling Y2K and ’90s vibes, nostalgia has taken over.

ASCAP Sues Stations: ASCAP has filed federal copyright infringement lawsuits against four radio station groups operating a total of 15 stations, accusing them of repeatedly broadcasting music from ASCAP’s songwriters and publishers without a valid license for several years.

PSKY CEO Pledges Editorial Independence For 60 Minutes

David Ellison, chief executive of Paramount, promised to respect the editorial independence of “60 Minutes” during a phone call with longtime correspondent Lesley Stahl, she told The New York Times on Tuesday.

David Ellison

The Sunday call was among Ellison’s first direct steps to ease turmoil at the CBS news program following the abrupt firing of its top leadership and several star correspondents. The changes, directed by new editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, drew a sharp public rebuke from Scott Pelley, a “60 Minutes” veteran who was himself later fired.

On Monday, Stahl tried to boost morale by hosting a champagne toast for the staff at the program’s Midtown Manhattan offices. She informed colleagues of Ellison’s assurance during the gathering.

Stahl, along with remaining stars Bill Whitaker and Jon Wertheim, had seriously considered leaving after the upheaval and Pelley’s dismissal. In a letter to staff on Friday, however, the three said they would stay because they did not “want to see ‘60 Minutes’ die.”

“My toast was, ‘to us,’ meaning the survivors,” Stahl said in a text message Tuesday. “Maybe ‘us’ with a twinge of survivor’s guilt.”

Bari Weiss Expected to Oversee CNN Editorial

CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss is likely to gain editorial oversight of CNN if Paramount Skydance’s proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery is approved, according to Axios.

Paramount executives have held preliminary discussions with several high-profile candidates to serve as a business-side counterpart. Weiss would continue to focus on editorial direction for the combined CBS News and CNN operations, while the new executive would manage day-to-day business and operational responsibilities.

Nostalgia Is Dominating Pop Culture in 2026

From viral memes declaring “2026 is the new 2016” to celebrities flooding social media with 1990s throwback photos, and chart-topping songs channeling Y2K and ’90s vibes, nostalgia has taken over.

Reboots and revivals of beloved franchises now dominate both film and television screens.

Consumer data confirms the trend is more than a fleeting fad. Interest in older music has steadily risen in recent years, with a larger share of listeners across every generation reporting they enjoy tracks from past decades compared to 2023. 

Capital Weather Gang Goes Independent

After more than 18 years as part of The Washington Post, the beloved DC-area weather team known as the Capital Weather Gang has relaunched as an independent operation under its original name: Capital Weather.

The move marks a full-circle moment for the popular meteorology outlet. It first launched as an independent weather blog in 2004 before partnering with The Washington Post in 2008 and rebranding as the Capital Weather Gang. Now, in June 2026, it’s back on its own at capitalweather.com, complete with a new mobile app (available on iOS and Android).

A Cult Following in the Capital Region

In the Washington, D.C., metro area, the team has built something rare in weather media: a devoted, almost cult-like following. Locals rely on them for hyper-local forecasts, insightful analysis of everything from summer thunderstorms and severe weather outbreaks to the region’s tricky winter storms (think Snowmageddon 2010 and more recent events). 

Led by founder and chief meteorologist Jason Samenow, along with experts like winter specialist Wes Junker and severe-storms forecaster Jeff Halverson, the crew delivers round-the-clock updates, radar, alerts, and a strong community vibe.

What’s New in This Independent Chapter

• Core forecasts and updates remain free for everyone.
• A new website and app offer enhanced features, including community chats and deeper insights via premium memberships.
• The team will continue radio segments on WAMU 88.5.
• Subscribers and supporters will help sustain the independent model.

The relaunch went official on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, following a soft launch. Fans have reacted enthusiastically, celebrating the return of a trusted local voice that has guided the region through blizzards, heat waves, and everything in between.

Radio History: June 10

Hattie McDaniel

➦In 1895...actress/singer Hattie McDaniel was born in Wichita Kansas.

In the 1910s she was a band vocalist, then began playing increasingly assertive maid roles on the big screen, culminating in the supporting-actress Oscar for her ‘Mammy’ in Gone With The Wind (1939), the first African-American to be so honored.  She played on the “Amos and Andy” and Eddie Cantor radio shows in the ’30s and ’40s, and had the title role in her own radio show “Beulah” (1947-51), which she also played on TV (1950-’52) until her death from  breast cancer Oct 2, 1952 at age 57.

➦In 1924…WTAM was the first radio station to broadcast coverage of a political convention when it covered the 1924 Republican National Convention at Cleveland's Public Auditorium from June 10–12, 1924. Graham McNamee provided coverage of the Republican National Convention from Cleveland. HE was also  one of the great sports broadcasters of radio’s early years.

➦In 1985...Bob Prince died of cancer at age 68 (Born - July 1, 1916). He was a radio and television sportscaster and commentator best known for his 28-year stint as the voice of the MLB Pittsburgh Pirates, with whom he earned the nickname "The Gunner" and became a cultural icon in Pittsburgh.

Bob Prince

Prince was one of the most distinct and popular voices in sports broadcast history, known for his gravel voice, unabashed style and clever nicknames and phrases, which came to be known as "Gunnerisms." His unique manner influenced a number of broadcasters after him, including Pittsburgh Penguins voice Mike Lange and Pittsburgh Steelers color analyst Myron Cope.

Prince called Pirates games from 1948 to 1975, including the World Series championship years of 1960 and 1971. Nationally, Prince broadcast the 1960, 1966, and 1971 World Series and the 1965 All-Star Game for NBC, as well as the first year (1976) of ABC's Monday Night Baseball. He also broadcast at different times for other Pittsburgh-area sports teams, including Steelers football and Penguins hockey.

An Army brat, he attended many schools in Pittsburgh. An athlete himself, he lettered in swimming at the University of Pittsburgh. Prince worked for radio station WJAS, then landed a sports show on KDKA-TV. Prince joined Rosey Rowswell in the Pirates' broadcast booth as a commentator in 1948, and he was promoted to the top spot shortly after Rowswell's death in February 1955. He also broadcast Pittsburgh Steelers and Penn State football and once a Duquesne basketball game in the 1950s.

As a result of his distinct voice, knowledge of baseball, and high-profile persona, Prince was very popular among Pirates supporters. Prince was a fixture on team broadcasts for three decades on KDKA-AM, a clear channel radio station that could be heard throughout the eastern United States after sundown.

➦In 1995…Radio/TV Sportscaster Lindsey Nelson died of Parkinson's disease at age 86.

TV Ratings: Title Series Start Big for ABC

ABC and Disney are continuing their strong NBA and NHL finals ratings surge, with Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final drawing 4.7 million viewers on Monday, a week ago.

That total marks an 88% increase from the comparable game last year on TNT Sports and a 33% jump from Game 2 two years ago on ABC. It is the most-watched Stanley Cup Final Game 2 since 2015.Game 1 of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final between the Hurricanes and Golden Knights averaged 4.8 million viewers, lifting the series average through two games up 93% from a year ago and marking the best start in 11 years. 

According to Front Office Sports, the gains build on broader postseason viewership growth for the NHL and boost the league’s position ahead of its next U.S. media rights negotiations.

A similar strong performance is expected Tuesday when ABC releases numbers for Game 2 of the NBA Finals between the Knicks and Spurs last night. Game 1 of that series drew 16.9 million viewers last Wednesday, up 90% from the prior year and the most-watched NBA Finals opener since 2018.

Both championship series have featured compelling action that has helped drive interest. In the Stanley Cup Final, the first three games have all been decided by one goal, with two going to overtime and Game 3 reaching double overtime before Vegas took a 2–1 series lead.

For Disney, the ratings success provides a bright spot as ESPN, its sister network involved in the coverage, prepares for another round of layoffs.

Apple Unveils AI-Powered Siri Upgrade

Apple on Monday introduced a major new artificial intelligence version of its Siri voice assistant, developed in collaboration with Google, as the iPhone maker seeks to regain ground in the fast-evolving AI race.

The announcement highlights Apple's strategy to revitalize Siri—long criticized for lagging behind competitors like OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Gemini—by integrating advanced generative AI capabilities. The partnership leverages Google's AI expertise while Apple maintains control over the user experience on its devices.

Details of the new Siri were showcased during Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), where executives demonstrated enhanced natural language understanding, context-aware responses, and deeper integration with iOS features. The updated assistant is designed to handle complex tasks, provide more intelligent suggestions, and compete more effectively in the voice AI market.

The move comes as Apple faces mounting pressure to catch up in generative AI after years of a more cautious approach focused on privacy and on-device processing. The collaboration with Google allows Apple to accelerate development without building every component from scratch, while still emphasizing security and data protection that differentiate its ecosystem.

Outkick Integrating Into Fox News Media

Clay Travis is stepping away from day-to-day operations at OutKick as the sports and political site integrates fully into Fox News Digital, though he will remain with the network as a contributor and continue hosting his show on FS1.

Travis, who founded OutKick in 2011 and sold it to Fox News Media five years ago, has signed a new deal to serve as a Fox News contributor. He will also keep hosting OutKick the Show with Clay Travis on FS1 and his syndicated Premiere Networks talk radio program with Buck Sexton.

Fox News Host Calls CBS’s Scott Pelley a “Snob”

Fox News Channel host Laura Ingraham sharply criticized veteran CBS News anchor Scott Pelley on Monday, labeling him a “snob” based on their brief professional overlap at CBS News in the late 1980s.

Ingraham, speaking on her show Monday evening, revealed she worked as a commentator at CBS News during that period and crossed paths with Pelley while he served as a White House correspondent.

“I myself had a short stint at CBS News as a commentator in the late 80s and overlapped with Pelley when he was White House correspondent,” she said. “Just a few comments in the hallway, nothing big.”

She added: “He may not remember me, I was just a little peon. But I remember him. He was simply put a snob. The aura he put out was that he was above the rest of us.”

PSKY Makes Concessions To Appease State AGs

Paramount Global has made concessions to multiple state attorneys general in an effort to head off a potential antitrust lawsuit over its business practices and pending deals.

Negotiations remain ongoing as the company seeks to resolve concerns raised by states scrutinizing its operations, including the completed Skydance merger and the proposed $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.

The moves come amid heightened state-level antitrust enforcement, particularly from Democratic-led offices in California and New York, which have signaled willingness to challenge media consolidation independently of federal regulators.

NAB/RAB Issue Commercial Frequency Guidelines

How Many Radio Ads Should You Run Per Week?  The answer always starts the same: “It depends. What is your goal?”
According to a Piere Bouvard blog post, the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB) fields this question daily. 
To help advertisers and agencies get it right, Cumulus Media | Westwood One partnered with the RAB to establish clear, research-based guidelines built around four distinct campaign objectives. These tiers—Minimum (Very Light), Maintenance (Light), High Impact (Medium), and Launch (Heavy)—are defined by weekly reach and average frequency against a radio station’s audience.

Happy Tuesday: Here's The Pulse Briefing For June 9

Radio Broadcasting

Commercial Frequency Guidelines: Cumulus Media | Westwood One has partnered with the RAB to establish clear, research-based guidelines built around four distinct campaign objectives. These tiers—Minimum (Very Light), Maintenance (Light), High Impact (Medium), and Launch (Heavy)—are defined by weekly reach and average frequency against a radio station’s audience.

NPR Names COO: NPR has hired Nadine Zylstra, a senior Pinterest executive with deep experience in public media and children’s content, as its new Chief Content Officer (CCO).

Travis Exits Outkick: Clay Travis, who founded OutKick in 2011 and sold it to Fox News Media five years ago, has signed a new deal to serve as a Fox News contributor. He will also keep hosting OutKick the Show with Clay Travis on FS1 and his syndicated Premiere Networks talk radio program with Buck Sexton.

NPR Hires New Chief Content Officer

NPR has hired Nadine Zylstra, a senior Pinterest executive with deep experience in public media and children’s content, as its new Chief Content Officer (CCO). The network announced the appointment Monday.  She will join NPR on July 6.

At Pinterest, Zylstra serves as global head of programming and original content. She previously held senior creative roles at YouTube, including global head of YouTube Originals and head of kids and learning originals, and spent more than 11 years at Sesame Workshop, most recently as vice president of production and programming and supervising producer. She also sits on the PBS SoCal board.

Trump to Ask SCOTUS To Revive CNN Lawsuit

President Donald Trump’s lawyers have notified the U.S. Supreme Court that he intends to seek revival of his $475 million defamation lawsuit against CNN.

According to Bloomberg, the filing, docketed Friday, requests a 60-day extension until August 15 for Trump to submit a formal petition for review. It signals his plan to ask the justices to overturn lower court rulings that dismissed the case.

Trump originally filed the suit in October 2022 in federal court in Florida. He accused CNN of defaming him by repeatedly using the phrase “the Big Lie” in its 2020 election coverage and commentary. The term described Trump’s false claims of widespread fraud that he said cost him the election to Joe Biden.Trump argued the phrase evoked Nazi propaganda techniques associated with Adolf Hitler, damaging his reputation and political prospects. He sought $475 million in damages.