TV Ratings: Winter Olympics Dominate For NBC

FOX News Channel’s (FNC) The Five finished the week of February 9th beating CBS Evening News with Tony Dokoupil for the first time this year in total viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research Big Data + Panel. 

The network also topped both CBS and ABC in both weekday and weekend primetime. Averaging 3.3 million weekday primetime viewers and 353,000 A25-54, FNC led ABC (2.7 million viewers and 397,000 A25-54) and CBS across the board (1.7 million viewers and 268,000 A25-54), according to Nielsen Big Data + Panel. Notably, CBS posted its lowest-rated weekday prime since 1992. 

Monday - Sunday total day (6 AM-6 AM/ET), FNC delivered over 1.8 million viewers and 188,000 in the 25-54 demo, while in primetime the network averaged nearly 2.8 million viewers and 285,000 in the 25-54 demo, marking the network’s highest rated weekday and primetime performance of the year.

The Five delivered 4,126,000 viewers and 355,000 in the 25-54 demo, securing 64% share of cable news viewers for the hour and posted its third consecutive week averaging more than 4 million viewers. Additionally, the program outpaced CBS Evening News (4,100,000 viewers) for the week with all airings.

• At 6 PM/ET, Special Report with Bret Baier averaged 3.3 million viewers and 332,000 in the 25-54 demo. 
• The Ingraham Angle at 7PM/ET drew 3.2 million viewers and 361,000 in the 25-54 demo, marking its highest rated week in the 25-54 demo since September. 
• Jesse Watters Primetime commanded 3.6 million viewers, posting its highest-rated week since September and 377,000 in the 25-54 demo at 8 PM/ET. 
• At 9 PM/ET, Hannity delivered 3.1 million viewers and 319,000 in the 25-54 demo, securing its strongest week in both demos since September. 
• FNC’s late-night hit Gutfeld! (weekdays, 10 PM/ET) averaged over 3.1 million viewers and delivered 340,000 in the 25-54 demo. 
• At 11 PM/ET, FOX News @ Night with Trace Gallagher averaged over 2.1 million viewers and 274,000 in the 25-54 demo, delivering the program’s highest-rated week in total viewers since June and best week in the demo since September.

FNC continued to see its daytime programs outperform the broadcast competition. America’s Newsroom (weekdays, 9AM-11AM/ET; 2,176,000 viewers), The Faulkner Focus (weekdays, 11AM-12PM/ET; 2,161,000 viewers), Outnumbered (weekdays, 12 PM/ET; 2,148,000 viewers), America Reports (weekdays, 1PM-3PM/ET; 2,179,000 viewers) The Story with Martha MacCallum (weekdays, 3PM/ET; 2,255,000 viewers) and The Will Cain Show (weekdays, 4 PM/ET; 2,514,000 viewers) all led CBS Mornings (1,694,000 viewers) and ABC’s GMA 3 (1,505,000 viewers).

On Saturday: Kayleigh McEnany's Saturday In America (Saturdays, 10AM-12PM/ET) was the highest rated show of the weekend in total viewers and the 25-54 demo averaging 2.4 million viewers and 255,000 in the 25-54 demo. FOX News Live anchored by Aishah Hasnie (Saturdays, 12 - 2PM/ET) delivered nearly 2 million viewers and 191,000 in the 25-54 demo. The Big Weekend Show (Saturdays/Sundays, 5-8 PM/ET) averaged 1.7 million viewers.

Ratings Graphics Courtesy of RoadMN

On Sunday: Maria Bartiromo’s Sunday Morning Futures (Sunday, 10 AM/ET) was the number one cable news show of the day averaging nearly 1.9 million viewers and 151,000 in the 25-54 demo. The Sunday Briefing (Sunday, 11 AM/ET) hosted by Jacqui Heinrich delivered 1.6 million viewers and 148,000 in the 25-54 demo. In primetime, Sunday Night in America with Trey Gowdy averaged nearly 1.6 million viewers.

Source: Nielsen. Big Data + Panel. Week of 2-9-26 ratings data. Average audience for cable news networks Monday-Sunday based on Total Day and Prime (6a-6a, 8P-11P), P2+, P25-54. Cable News/Broadcast Program averages exclude repeats and include the corresponding program name.

📺BROADCAST EVENING NEWS

The TV ratings for the broadcast evening newscasts (ABC's World News Tonight with David Muir, NBC's Nightly News with Tom Llamas, and CBS's CBS Evening News with Tony Dokoupil) for the week of February 9, 2026 (likely covering February 9–15, based on standard Nielsen weekly reporting periods) come from Nielsen's live+same-day big data plus panel program ratings.

This week coincided with the first week of the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics and followed Super Bowl LX, which influenced viewership patterns.

• ABC's World News Tonight ranked as the No. 1 newscast overall (across broadcast and cable) in total viewers, averaging 8.657 million total viewers. This was down from the prior week's 8.987 million. It also led in other categories like Adults 25-54 (1.105 million) and Adults 18-49 (823,000), more than doubling CBS's performance in those metrics. ABC highlighted this as its ninth consecutive Olympic week win over NBC in total viewers.
• NBC's Nightly News averaged 7.797 million total viewers, up from the previous week's 7.233 million—the only one of the three to show week-over-week growth in total viewers. It topped the key Adults 25-54 demographic with 1.240 million, also up from the prior week's 1.1 million (the only increase in that demo). This positioned it strongly in the advertiser-coveted younger audience despite trailing ABC in total viewers by about 860,000.
• CBS's CBS Evening News trailed in third place, averaging 4.163 million total viewers (down from 4.576 million the prior week) and 458,000 in the Adults 25-54 demo (down from 579,000).

ABC maintained its overall lead in total viewers, while NBC showed momentum in the key demo amid Olympic coverage on NBC. CBS continued to lag behind the top two. For context, the prior week (February 2) had higher totals for ABC and CBS, with NBC gaining ground this week.

Speculation Surfaces: No Guthrie Return to NBC TODAY Show

Savannah Guthrie

Reports are emerging in media outlets suggesting that Savannah Guthrie may never return to her role as co-anchor on NBC's Today show, amid the ongoing disappearance of her 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie.

The speculation stems primarily from anonymous industry insiders and TV executives cited in recent articles (as of February 19-20, 2026). 

Key points include:

• Multiple veteran TV executives told the newsletter Status News that Guthrie is unlikely to come back, with one stating bluntly, "There’s no way Savannah’s coming back," and adding, "I can’t imagine she would even want to." This view is echoed in coverage by Page Six, Daily Mail, The Daily Beast, RadarOnline, and others, attributing doubts to the traumatic, highly public nature of her mother's apparent abduction.
• Guthrie has been absent from Today since February 1, 2026, when Nancy Guthrie was reported missing from her home near Tucson, Arizona. The case is treated as an abduction, involving FBI investigation, ransom demands (including bitcoin), security footage of a masked individual, and recent discoveries like unrelated DNA evidence at the scene. The search has expanded, including international outreach.
• 
  Sources indicate Guthrie believes her high-profile job and past on-air features about her mother may have contributed to the targeting, raising family safety concerns (including for her husband, siblings, and children). Some reports note she was already on medical leave earlier in 2026 for vocal cord surgery (nodules and a polyp), but the family crisis has extended her hiatus indefinitely.
• NBC and Today have not confirmed any permanent departure. 
• Coverage emphasizes support for Guthrie during this "unimaginable personal ordeal," while noting the show's need to plan ahead given its massive ad revenue (around $315 million in 2025). Substitutes like Hoda Kotb have filled in, but no long-term replacement has been named, partly to avoid alienating loyal viewers.
• Earlier reports (mid-February) from NewsNation's Paula Froelich described Guthrie as weighing a permanent exit and predicted she might not return for "at least three to six months... if ever."

These are based on insider speculation rather than official statements from Guthrie or NBC. The situation remains fluid as the search for Nancy Guthrie continues, with no resolution yet. Guthrie has shared emotional public pleas for her mother's safe return via social media and statements read on air.

FOX News Media To Provide 2026 SOTU Coverage

FOX News Media (FNM) will present special multiplatform programming covering President Donald Trump’s 2026 State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress and the Democratic response on Tuesday, February 24.

Beginning at 8:50 PM/ET on FOX News Channel (FNC), chief political anchor and Special Report’s Bret Baier and The Story’s anchor and executive editor Martha MacCallum will lead the network’s coverage. 

The broadcast will also feature analysis from The Five co-hosts Dana Perino and Harold Ford Jr., The Ingraham Angle host Laura Ingraham, chief political analyst Brit Hume and FOX Business Network’s (FBN) Larry Kudlow. Senior White House correspondent and co-anchor of The Sunday Briefing Jacqui Heinrich and congressional correspondent Bill Melugin will be live from the White House and the Capitol, respectively. 

At 11 PM/ET, FNC’s Sean Hannity will host a special edition of Hannity live from the Capitol followed by FOX News @ Night with Trace Gallagher airing from 12-1 AM/ET. FBN will simulcast FNC’s special coverage of the address, starting at 9 PM/ET.

Subscribers to FOX Nation, FOX News Media’s direct-to-consumer streaming service, will be able to stream FNC’s coverage live on the platform. Meanwhile, FOX News Digital’s coverage will include original reporting, political analysis, real-time live blog updates and an interactive live chatroom throughout the night. The live stream will also be available on FOX One.

Denver Radio: Alice 105.9 Raises $1M+ To Care For Kids

Alice 105.9 (KALC-FM), an Audacy station in Denver, raised $1,087,000.00 during its annual “Alice 105.9 Cares for Kids Radiothon™” benefiting Children’s Hospital Colorado. This year marked the 25th anniversary of the continued partnership between Alice 105.9 and Children’s Miracle Network®. Since the radiothon’s inception in 2001, the station has raised over $27 million for the kids.

“Alice 105.9 Cares for Kids Radiothon™” was hosted by on-air talent BJ & Jamie, Carson, Heather Collins and “The Slacker Show” on February 12 at the Audacy Denver studio. Throughout the day, patients, families, frontline workers, and patient ambassadors from Children’s Hospital Colorado shared moments of hope, healing, and stories from then and now.

“Our partnership with the Children’s Miracle Network is so special, and the success of this radiothon is driven by the fact that our community cares deeply about the Children’s Colorado mission of improving the health of children,” said Micah Goldberg, Senior Vice President and Market Manager, Audacy Denver. “The funds that have been raised during the radiothon have allowed the hospital to pioneer new technologies and bring expert care directly into our neighborhoods. We are honored to bridge the gap between a donor’s kindness and a child’s recovery, making a healthier future a reality for every family.”

NYC Radio: 50+ Years Later, Jim Kerr Still Plays The Hits

Jim Kerr

iHeartMedia has signed legendary morning personality Jim Kerr to a five-year contract extension at classic rock “Q104.3” (WAXQ) in New York, securing the Radio Hall of Famer's role into the next decade and extending his record as the longest-running morning radio host in the city's history.

Kerr, who joined Q104.3 in January 2002, has anchored mornings there for the past 23 years. 

His more than five-decade career in New York has made him a beloved fixture, known for his distinctive voice, deep listener connection, and hosting the iHeartRadio “Icon” interview series with legendary artists.

“Jim Kerr is synonymous with New York radio,” said Thea Mitchem, EVP of Programming for iHeartMedia. “His passion, connection with listeners, and commitment to excellence make him a true icon. We’re proud to continue this partnership and excited for the next five years.”

Bob Pittman, Chairman and CEO of iHeartMedia, added: “Jim is legendary as the longest-running morning personality in New York City history. We’re pleased and proud that he is staying with us at Q104.3, extending his deep bond with his audience as an iconic voice of New York City.”

Kerr reflected on his lifelong passion: “My entire adult life, I’ve been able to do what I dreamt about as a kid. Every morning, I get up and spend time with my friends—whether they’re in their cars, trucks, Ubers, taxis, gyms, workplaces, or kitchens. I still believe I have half a million friends.”

The extension follows the recent retirement of longtime co-host Shelli Sonstein in January.

Before Q104.3, Kerr spent 15 years at WPLJ-FM, where he became New York’s youngest morning host at age 21. His earlier stops included stations in Chicago, Detroit, and Orlando. He began his radio career at age 14 after a childhood inspired by listening to the radio.Beyond broadcasting, Kerr remains active in charity, serving 40 years on the board of HeartShare Human Services of New York, on the SAG-AFTRA Foundation board, and as Vice President of SAG-AFTRA.

Most Nets Omit Reporting on Idaho ICE Attack Atempt

Conservative media watchdog Newsbusters highlighted that major broadcast networks largely ignored or minimally covered what it described as an attempted terror attack on a federal building tied to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations near Boise, Idaho.

A suspect remains at large after allegedly stealing an ambulance, loading it with pre-staged gas cans, ramming it into a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) office building in Meridian (a Boise suburb), and attempting to set the vehicle and structure on fire. The incident occurred late Wednesday night, February 18, at the Portico North building leased by DHS for administrative purposes. 

Meridian Police Chief Tracy Basterrechea described it as premeditated, with the suspect retrieving hidden accelerant from nearby vegetation before crashing the stolen Canyon County Paramedics ambulance from St. Luke’s Meridian Medical Center into the structure at about 25 mph around 11:10 p.m. 

🚨 BREAKING: An attempted terrorist attack to KlLL ICE agents in Idaho just FAILED

Thank GOD.

Per local police, the assailant stole an ambulance, loaded it up with gas cans, and drove into a DHS office in Idaho

PLEASE pray for DHS heroes tonight 🙏🏻
pic.twitter.com/zt4xHCx1UH

— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) February 20, 2026

Authorities classified it as suspected attempted arson and a potential domestic terrorism incident. First responders arrived quickly, preventing ignition and forcing the suspect to flee; no injuries or fire resulted, and officials stated no ongoing public threat exists. The joint investigation involves Meridian Police, FBI, DHS, and state agencies.

Newsbusters' Jorge Bonilla criticized the broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, NBC) for mostly omitting the story from evening newscasts. Only ABC's World News Tonight aired a segment, featuring correspondent Pierre Thomas on the manhunt, premeditation evidence, and the suspect's failed arson attempt after ramming the building. CBS and NBC provided no coverage, per the analysis. 

Bonilla framed this as part of a broader pattern: immigration enforcement violence has become an "afterthought" on evening news since the 2020 Minneapolis unrest faded, with efforts to obstruct ICE—often violently—persisting "whether or not they make the evening news."

The building houses DHS administrative offices but is not an ICE detention or processing facility, and police clarified ICE agents are not stationed there. Some conservative outlets and social media amplified the story as an "anti-ICE" or "radical leftist" attack amid heightened national immigration tensions under the Trump administration's enforcement push. Mainstream local reporting (e.g., Idaho Statesman, KIVI) focused on the facts of the crash and search without emphasizing terrorism labels, while right-leaning sources like Gateway Pundit and Geller Report tied it directly to anti-ICE sentiment and called for stronger responses.

The suspect has not been identified or apprehended as of February 20, with authorities urging tips.

Good Morning! Let's Check The Pulse for Friday, Feb 20

Radio Broadcasting

FCC  Pushes 'Fairness': The most prominent ongoing story is the FCC's push on equal time rule enforcement for political appearances on broadcast media. This has raised concerns for talk radio stations (especially conservative talk formats). FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has stated that the rule applies "across the board" to broadcasting, including radio, amid a split among commissioners. While initial focus was on TV (e.g., investigations into ABC's "The View" and controversies involving shows like Stephen Colbert's), radio operators are closely monitoring for potential spillover. This stems from recent FCC open meetings (including February 2026), where enforcement inconsistencies were debated. Related coverage highlights questions about syndicated hosts like Sean Hannity facing similar scrutiny, though Carr previously downplayed immediate radio enforcement priorities.

Another FCC-related update: The agency is advancing plans for a late 2026 filing window for noncommercial FM translators in the reserved band (88.1–91.9 MHz). This could expand opportunities for educational and community broadcasters, including noncommercial FM, LPFM, and AM stations to add translators.

The AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act (H.R.979/S.315) remains a top priority: The NAB pushing for an early 2026 House floor vote. The bill would mandate AM radio as a standard feature in new passenger vehicles, amid automaker plans (e.g., Tesla phasing out AM/FM in some 2026 models) to remove it due to interference concerns in EVs. NAB has rolled out hyper-local PSAs thanking supportive lawmakers, and the legislation has bipartisan support plus White House backing.

Media Industry

Major consolidation battle in streaming/entertainment: Netflix vs. Paramount for Warner Bros. Discovery assets. Netflix's $82.7 billion offer for Warner Bros. Discovery's studio and streaming business (including HBO Max) remains the preferred bid, but Paramount Skydance has submitted a competing hostile offer worth over $108 billion for the entire WBD entity. WBD reportedly gave Paramount a short window (until around February 23) to improve its bid, while sources indicate Netflix has financial flexibility to counter if needed. This high-profile tug-of-war highlights ongoing consolidation pressures in streaming amid profitability challenges for legacy media players.

Pew Research Center study underscores low public trust in U.S. media:  A recent Pew report released this month shows 57% of U.S. adults have low confidence in journalists to act in the public interest, amid an evolving news landscape with scrutiny on bias, social media influence, and traditional outlets' adaptations. This erodes audience engagement for news broadcasters, newspapers, and digital media, pushing outlets toward transparency efforts or niche strategies.

U-S News

Trump threatens military action against Iran amid escalating tensions:  President Trump has warned of "bad things" if Iran fails to reach a nuclear deal within 10-15 days, as a second U.S. aircraft carrier group moves toward the Middle East. Reports highlight a buildup of U.S. forces, including carrier groups, fighter jets, and bombers, with little public explanation for the potential strikes—described as rare in modern U.S. history for lacking debate or clear justification. Rationales cited include Iran's nuclear program, missile threats to Israel, support for proxies like Hamas/Hezbollah, and recent protester crackdowns. This follows a prior claimed strike on Iranian nuclear sites.

Trump orders release of Pentagon and government files on UFOs, aliens, and extraterrestrials:  In response to a viral interview clip involving former President Obama and amid public interest, Trump directed federal agencies, including the Pentagon, to declassify and release files related to UFOs (now often called UAPs) and potential alien evidence. Trump stated he doesn't know if aliens are real but emphasized transparency, tying it to broader national security and public curiosity themes.

Olympic Gold: The US women’s hockey team clinched gold yesterday with a 2-1 overtime victory over Canada. The two nations have met in all but one Olympic women’s hockey final since the first tournament in 1998. The US women’s hockey team now has three gold medals to Canada’s five.

Carr Quips: Public Trusts Gas Station Sushi More Than News Media

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr sharply criticized the national media during a press conference Wednesday following the agency's February open meeting, accusing journalists of perpetuating a "hoax" on the public and claiming Americans trust "gas station sushi" more than legacy news outlets.

Carr's remarks centered on a recent controversy involving Texas Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico and his interview on CBS's "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert." Talarico had claimed the FCC pressured CBS to pull the interview from broadcast television over equal-time rules, a claim that led to widespread media coverage and fundraising for his campaign. Carr dismissed the episode as a deliberate "hoax" orchestrated by Talarico to exploit media biases for clicks and donations, insisting no FCC censorship occurred."

Tuesday was a perfect encapsulation of why the American people have more trust in gas station sushi than they do in the national news media," Carr said. He added that reporters "should feel a bit ashamed for having been lied to" and then amplifying falsehoods without corrections.

Carr also confirmed that the FCC has launched formal enforcement proceedings against ABC over an appearance by Talarico on the daytime talk show The View. The probe examines potential violations of the FCC's equal-time rule, which requires broadcasters to provide comparable airtime to opposing political candidates when one appears in a non-news program. The investigation follows a letter of inquiry sent to ABC and reflects broader FCC scrutiny of talk shows that may not qualify for traditional news exemptions when featuring candidates.

In the same press conference, FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, the agency's sole Democrat, urged a full commission vote on Nexstar Media Group's proposed $6 billion acquisition of TEGNA. 

The deal would create the largest U.S. local television broadcaster, reaching an estimated 80% of households and exceeding the current 39% national ownership cap set by Congress.

Gomez argued that such a significant transaction, which could require revising or waiving the cap, deserves transparent consideration by the full panel rather than delegated approval at the staff (Media Bureau) level. Chairman Carr has expressed support for the merger and indicated the FCC intends to move forward, though the ownership cap issue remains contentious.

Former SiriusXM Executive Dies In CA Avalanche

The deadliest avalanche in modern California history has killed eight backcountry skiers near Castle Peak in the Sierra Nevada mountains above Lake Tahoe, with a ninth person still missing and presumed dead.

Rescue crews recovered the bodies of eight victims Wednesday, but hazardous weather continues to delay full recovery efforts and the search for the remaining skier, according to the Nevada County Sheriff's Office. Officials expect operations to extend into the weekend.

The incident occurred Tuesday during the final day of a three-day guided backcountry ski tour organized by Blackbird Mountain Guides. Six people were rescued about six hours after the slide.

Kate Vitt

The first identified victim is Kate Vitt, 43, a former SiriusXM executive, Boston College graduate, and mother of two young sons. She lived in Marin County (Greenbrae/Mill Valley area) with her husband Geoff, a sales and marketing partner in the Bay Area. Neighbors described her as vibrant, friendly, devoted to her children, and full of "verve and zest for life." Her parents are grieving a "profound loss," confirmed through a family friend.

Many victims were mothers connected to the elite Sugar Bowl Academy, a competitive ski-focused school near Norden, California, in the Lake Tahoe region. The group appears to have been part of an informal annual parents' ski trip, not officially affiliated with the academy, where fathers and mothers sometimes split into separate excursions. It is unclear if Vitt's sons attended the academy.

Historical St. Louis Radio Broadcasts Added to Library of Congress

Frank Absher

Hours of historic St. Louis radio broadcasts are now being added to the Library of Congress, preserving key moments and everyday life from the city's airwaves thanks to decades of work by Frank Absher, executive director of the St. Louis Media History Foundation.

According to the St. Louis magazine, the accepted recordings include standout highlights such as the KMOX live broadcast from the Anheuser-Busch brewery marking the end of Prohibition in April 1933, which was fed nationwide over the CBS Network, and Harry Caray's coverage of the St. Louis Cardinals' sale on KXOK in 1947.

The Library of Congress is also incorporating everyday snapshots of mid-20th-century life. Absher notes that airchecks from stations like KXOK's top-40 format in the 1960s reveal what people heard: local topics, advertisements, and cultural details. Other examples include KSD’s “Alpine Varieties,” a music program sponsored by Alpen Brau Beer, and KMOX’s “Barnyard Follies,” a live hillbilly show networked on CBS from 1949–1950.The federal archive provides superior long-term preservation beyond cloud storage and makes the material accessible to researchers studying events like Prohibition's end or daily life in 1950s St. Louis.

Absher, a former KMOX announcer, has collected and preserved St. Louis radio since 1987, gathering airchecks, recordings of live broadcasts, and digitizing fragile 16-inch electronic transcription discs (ETs) with help from a Missouri Humanities Council seed grant and private donations.

His efforts gained traction two years ago through the National Radio Preservation Task Force, leading to initial sample submissions and now approval for more. He plans to eventually donate the original ETs as well.Looking ahead, Absher aims to post the recordings on the St. Louis Media History Foundation’s website, though music licensing issues from organizations like BMI or ASCAP have delayed this. He is editing out copyrighted music to avoid royalty claims, even for non-commercial use.

Radio History: Feb 20

➦In 1906..Radio/TV Actor Gale Gordon was born.

(Real Name  Charles Thomas Aldrich, Jr., died from lung cancer June 30, 1995) is best remembered as Lucille Ball's longtime television foil—and particularly as cantankerously combustible, tightfisted bank executive Theodore J. Mooney, on Ball's second television situation comedy.

Gale Gordon

Gordon's first big radio break came via the recurring roles of "Mayor La Trivia" and "Foggy Williams" on Fibber McGee and Molly, before playing Rumson Bullard on the show's successful spinoff, The Great Gildersleeve.

Gordon and his character of Mayor La Trivia briefly left the show in December 1942 when Gordon enlisted in World War II and the storyline followed. He was the first actor to play the role of Flash Gordon, in the 1935 radio serial The Amazing Interplanetary Adventures of Flash Gordon. He also played Dr. Stevens in Glorious One.

In 1950, Gordon played John Granby in the radio series Granby's Green Acres, which became the basis for the 1960s television series Green Acres. Gordon went on to create the role of pompous principal Osgood Conklin on Our Miss Brooks, carrying the role to television when the show moved there in 1952. In the interim, Gordon turned up as Rudolph Atterbury on My Favorite Husband, which starred Lucille Ball in a precursor to I Love Lucy.

Jim Jewell

➦In 1906...James Jewell was born. He was a radio actor, producer and director at radio station WXYZ, Detroit, Michigan. (Died from a heart attack August 5, 1975 at age 69)

Jewell first got into radio in 1927. with a background of summer stock, vaudeville, burlesque, and even touring with a troupe of marionettes. In June 1932, George Trendle, the owner of radio station WXYZ Detroit, decided to drop network affiliation and produce his own radio programs. Jewell was hired as the dramatic director for the radio station. He supplied the actors from his own repertory company, the "Jewell Players".

Jewell was part of the station staff that worked out the original concepts for The Lone Ranger. Jewell is also credited for selecting The William Tell Overture as the theme music for the series. "Ke-mo sah-bee", Tonto's greeting to the masked Ranger, was derived from the name of a boys' camp owned by Jewell's father-in-law Charles W. Yeager. Camp Kee-Mo-Sah-Bee operated from 1911 until 1941 on Mullet Lake south of Mackinac, Michigan. After the radio show became popular, Yeager held "Lone Ranger Camps" at his camp.

Jewell produced, directed and occasionally wrote many of the early episodes for The Lone Ranger and The Green Hornet. He was the director for both series from their beginning up until 1938.

Jewell left WXYZ in 1938, and moved to Chicago and worked as a director-producer at WBBM (AM), the CBS radio affiliate in Chicago.

He directed Jack Armstrong, the All-American Boy beginning in 1938 until the series ended in 1951. From 1951-1955, Jewell was the producer/director of The Silver Eagle, a mountie adventure which ran on ABC and starred Jim Ameche, the brother of movie star Don Ameche.

As the era of radio dramatic series came to an end, attempted to bring The Silver Eagle to television.

➦In 1914...John Charles Patrick Croghan Daly was born (Died February 24, 1991). Known as John Daly, he was a radio and television personality, CBS News broadcast journalist, ABC News executive and TV anchor and a game show host, best known as the host and moderator of the CBS television panel show What's My Line?

Daly began his broadcasting career as a reporter for NBC Radio, and then for WJSV (now WTOP), the local CBS Radio Network affiliate in Washington, D.C., serving as CBS' White House correspondent. He appears on the famous "One Day in Radio" tapes of September 21, 1939, in which WJSV preserved its entire broadcast day for posterity.

Through covering the Roosevelt White House, Daly became known to the national CBS audience as the network announcer for many of the President's speeches. In late 1941, Daly transferred to New York City, where he became anchor of The World Today. During World War II, he covered the news from London as well as the North African and Italian fronts.  Daly was a war correspondent in 1943 in Italy during Gen. George S. Patton's infamous "slapping incidents". After the war, he was a lead reporter on CBS Radio's news/entertainment program CBS Is There (later known on TV as You Are There), which recreated the great events of history as if CBS correspondents were on the scene.

As a reporter for the CBS radio network, Daly was the voice of two historic announcements. He was the first national correspondent to deliver the news of the attack on Pearl Harbor on Sunday, December 7, 1941, and he was also the first to relay the wire service report of the death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt on April 12, 1945, interrupting the program Wilderness Road to deliver the news. Transcriptions of those bulletins have been preserved on historical record album retrospectives and radio and television documentaries. Among the first were the Columbia Records spoken word series I Can Hear It Now and the later CBS Television series, The Twentieth Century.

In July, 1959, along with the Associated Press writer John Scali, he reported from Moscow on the famous Kitchen Debate between USSR General Secretary Nikita Khrushchev and then U.S. Vice President Richard M. Nixon in 1959.

➦In 1922...WGY-AM, Schenectady, NY signed-on. As early as 1912, General Electric company in Schenectady began experimenting with radio transmissions, being granted a class 2-Experimental license for 2XI on August 13, 1912 by the Commerce Department.

WGY signed on on February 20, 1922 at 7:47pm at 360 meters wavelength (about 833 kHz), with Kolin Hager at the mike, or as he was known on the air, as KH. Hager signed on with the stations call letters, explaining the W is for wireless, G for General Electric, and Y, the last letter in Schenectady.

Collapse of RSNs Causes On-Air Changes At MLB

Major League Baseball's broadcast landscape is undergoing its most significant transformation in decades heading into the 2026 season, driven by the collapse of traditional regional sports networks (RSNs), a shift toward league-controlled production and streaming, and new national media rights deals emphasizing digital platforms.

The decline of RSNs and rise of MLB-controlled local broadcasts represent the biggest trend. The fallout from Diamond Sports Group (now Main Street Sports/FanDuel Sports Network)'s bankruptcy and ongoing financial struggles has forced many teams to abandon traditional cable RSNs. 

In 2026, MLB's in-house media unit now handles local broadcasts or distribution for about half the league—15 teams—including recent additions like the Brewers, Cardinals, Marlins, Rays, Reds, Royals, Angels, Tigers, and others (such as the Diamondbacks, Guardians, Rockies, Twins, Padres, Mariners, and Nationals from prior years). 

This centralization allows MLB to offer direct-to-consumer in-market streaming subscriptions (often blackout-free) via the MLB App or ESPN App for many clubs, priced around $99.99/season or bundled with out-of-market MLB-TV.

This move provides teams more control and future-proofing amid cord-cutting, though it trades guaranteed RSN fees for potentially variable streaming revenue. Nearly half of MLB teams now fall under this model, with in-market streaming available for 21 clubs overall.

National rights have been reshuffled with new three-year deals (2026-2028) involving ESPN, NBCUniversal/Peacock, and Netflix. 

Key changes include:

• ESPN distributes the out-of-market MLB.TV package (which set a record 19.4 billion minutes watched in 2025, up 34%) and streams over 150 out-of-market games daily, plus about 30 regular-season games.
• NBC/Peacock takes over Sunday Night Baseball, MLB Sunday Leadoff, Opening Day/Labor Day primetime games, and the full Wild Card Round postseason.
• Netflix exclusively airs standalone events like Opening Night, the Home Run Derby, and the Field of Dreams Game.

Mark Zuckerberg Grilled During Social Media Trial

Mark Zuckerberg Entering L-A Courtroom

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg took the stand Wednesday in a Los Angeles courtroom, facing intense questioning from plaintiffs' lawyers in a high-stakes civil trial that accuses social media giants of deliberately engineering addictive platforms that have fueled a widespread teen mental health crisis.

The case, often likened by experts and plaintiffs' attorneys to the tobacco industry's "Big Tobacco" reckoning of the 1990s, centers on claims that Meta (owner of Instagram and Facebook) and other companies like Google's YouTube knowingly designed features, such as infinite scrolling, recommendation algorithms, and engagement-maximizing tools, to hook young users, treating them like "digital casinos" and prioritizing profit over safety. 

This could mark a pivotal "Big Tobacco" moment for the social media industry, potentially establishing major legal precedents for corporate liability related to product design, youth protection, and internal decision-making on harmful elements like beauty filters or underage access.

The trial, which began earlier this month in Los Angeles County Superior Court, is considered a bellwether for thousands of similar lawsuits filed by minors, parents, school districts, and state attorneys general. It focuses on allegations that these platforms are defective and harmful products, sidestepping traditional Section 230 protections by targeting design choices rather than user-generated content.

At the heart of the current case is a now-20-year-old plaintiff, referred to in court documents as "Kaley" or "K.G.M." (or similar anonymized identifiers), and her mother. They allege that her exposure to Instagram and YouTube starting as a young child—sometimes for hours or even over 16 hours in a single day—led to severe issues including anxiety, body dysmorphia, depression, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, bullying, and sextortion.