Good Morning: Start The Day Checking the Pulse For Monday, May 11

Radio Broadcasting

CBS News Radio Nears End:  CBS Sunday Morning aired a reflective segment on the impending closure of CBS News Radio. CBS News announced in March 2026 that it would shut down its nearly 100-year-old CBS News Radio service on May 22, 2026, as part of broader layoffs affecting about 6% of the CBS News workforce.

Disney Vows 1A Fight: The Walt Disney Company and its ABC broadcast network are pushing back against a FCC investigation into whether the daytime talk show “The View” qualifies for a long-standing “equal time” exemption for bona fide news programming. In a petition filed with the FCC and made public Friday, Disney called the probe baseless and accused the agency of selective enforcement that targets television programs viewed as politically unfavorable while sparing conservative AM radio talk shows.

Atlanta Translator Sold: Cumulus Media announces the pending sale of its 97.9 FM translator and a series of frequency and HD channel realignments designed to improve signal efficiency and support long-term brand growth in the market.


Media Industry

Coalition Demands PSKY Financials: The Freedom of the Press Foundation and Reporters Without Borders have sent a letter to Paramount’s chief legal officer demanding access to the company’s books and records, citing reports that CEO David Ellison promised favors to the White House to secure federal approval for Paramount’s bid to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery.

Top Podcasts: The Joe Rogan Experience leads Spotify’s chart and ranks high on Apple, while The Daily from The New York Times dominates Apple Podcasts and remains a top performer on Spotify, according to the latest rankings. True crime, news, and long-form interviews continue to dominate both platforms, with significant overlap between the two.

Singer Slaps Samsung: British pop star Dua Lipa has filed a lawsuit against ‌Samsung Electronics (005930.KS), opens new tab seeking at least $15 million in damages, accusing the South Korean tech giant of using her image without permission to market its television sets.The lawsuit alleges that Samsung featured a copyrighted ​image of the pop star on the front of cardboard boxes containing ​televisions for retail sale, enabling the company to benefit from what seemed ⁠like her endorsement of the product.


U-S News

Totally Unacceptable: US President Donald Trump on Sunday rejected Iran’s response to Washington’s latest peace proposal, calling it “totally unacceptable.” Tehran didn’t resolve the US’ demands over its nuclear program, WSJ reported. Trump’s rejection is set to prolong the countries’ uneasy stalemate in the Strait of Hormuz. Tensions flared in the Gulf over the weekend, as the UAE, Kuwait, and Qatar all reported attacks from Iranian drones; a strike also briefly set a ship ablaze.

U-S, China Meet: President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are set to discuss Iran, Taiwan, artificial ​intelligence and nuclear weapons as they weigh extending a critical minerals deal, according to U.S. officials previewing Trump's two-day visit to China this week. The leaders of ‌the world's two largest economies will hold their first face-to-face talks in more than six months as they try to stabilize ties strained by trade, the U.S. and Israeli war with Iran and other areas of disagreement.

Iran Is An Issue: As the heads of the world’s two superpowers meet in Beijing this week, President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping will have another nation looming over their summit: Iran. The long anticipated meeting has already been delayed once due to the U.S. and Israel’s war against Iran, which has led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Trump is eager to move on from the Middle East war that is sapping his domestic power and straining the global economy.

CBS Sunday Morning Reflects On the Legacy Of CBS News Radio

CBS Sunday Morning aired a reflective segment on the impending closure of CBS News Radio, featuring correspondent Mo Rocca.

CBS News announced in March 2026 that it would shut down its nearly 100-year-old CBS News Radio service on May 22, 2026, as part of broader layoffs affecting about 6% of the CBS News workforce. The service, which provided hourly newscasts and features to roughly 700 affiliated stations nationwide, cited shifting radio programming strategies, challenging economics, and the rise of digital media and podcasts.

All positions in the CBS News Radio team were eliminated.

The Sunday Morning segment celebrates CBS News Radio’s storied history as a pioneer in broadcast journalism. It traces the network’s roots back nearly a century, highlighting how it set standards for radio news coverage and influenced the broader field of broadcast journalism. 

Key figures mentioned include Edward R. Murrow (famous for wartime reporting), Robert Trout, Charles Osgood (longtime “Sunday Morning” host who also contributed radio commentary), and others who helped shape modern news delivery.

Mo Rocca interviews current and former staffers, including:Martha Teichner (“Sunday Morning” correspondent who reported for radio for decades). Dan Rather (veteran radio correspondent and former “CBS Evening News” anchor).

The piece serves as both a tribute to the legacy—rooted in iconic coverage that informed generations—and a poignant farewell to an era of traditional radio news. It underscores the service’s role in delivering timely updates and in-depth reporting before the shift to modern platforms.

FCC Reacts To ABC's 1A Concerns

The Walt Disney Company and its ABC broadcast network are pushing back against a FCC investigation into whether the daytime talk show “The View” qualifies for a long-standing “equal time” exemption for bona fide news programming.

In a petition filed with the FCC and made public Friday, Disney called the probe baseless and accused the agency of selective enforcement that targets television programs viewed as politically unfavorable while sparing conservative AM radio talk shows. 

The company argued the action raises serious concerns about viewpoint discrimination and retaliatory targeting.

ABC Vows First Amendment Fight

FCC has been investigating ABC’s daytime talk show “The View” for months over whether it violated longstanding federal “equal time” rules requiring balanced airtime for political candidates.

ABC filed a forceful response last week, made public Friday, accusing the FCC of viewpoint discrimination and First Amendment violations. The network warned the probe could have a “chilling effect” on free speech ahead of the 2026 elections and said it is prepared to take the case all the way to the Supreme Court.

Press Freedom Groups Demand Paramount Financial Records

The Freedom of the Press Foundation and Reporters Without Borders have sent a letter to Paramount’s chief legal officer demanding access to the company’s books and records, citing reports that CEO David Ellison promised favors to the White House to secure federal approval for Paramount’s bid to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery.

The groups, both Paramount shareholders, argue the reports create a credible basis to believe Ellison, board members, and other executives may have breached their fiduciary duties or committed misconduct. 

Atlanta Radio: Cumulus Sells Translator and Realigns Frequencies

Cumulus Media announces the pending sale of its 97.9 FM translator and a series of frequency and HD channel realignments designed to improve signal efficiency and support long-term brand growth in the market.

Top Podcasts in the U-S Ranked

The Joe Rogan Experience leads Spotify’s chart and ranks high on Apple, while The Daily from The New York Times dominates Apple Podcasts and remains a top performer on Spotify, according to the latest rankings.

True crime, news, and long-form interviews continue to dominate both platforms, with significant overlap between the two.

NBA Playoffs Opened To Strongest U.S. Viewership Since 1993

The NBA averaged 4 million viewers per game during the first round of the playoffs across ABC/ESPN, Amazon Prime Video, NBC, and Peacock — a 22% increase from last year and the highest opening-round average since 1993.

NBC’s broadcast television games played a significant role in the jump, but all three major rights holders posted audience gains. Longer series also helped: six of the eight first-round matchups went at least six games, with three reaching a decisive Game 7.

NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Opened to Record U.S. Viewership

The NHL’s first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs drew its highest average U.S. television audience on record, with both TNT Sports and ESPN each averaging 1.2 million viewers per game.

TNT Sports, across TNT, TBS, truTV, and HBO Max, posted a 68% increase from last season — its strongest opening round since acquiring NHL rights in 2021–22. ESPN, broadcasting 22 games, saw a 69% jump from 2025 and its most-watched first round since regaining NHL rights five years ago. The NHL confirmed the combined 1.2 million average marks an all-time high for the opening round.

Local Digital Ad Growth Slows

Growth in local digital advertising has fallen to single digits and is projected to stay at its slowest sustained pace since the Great Recession, according to Borrell Associates’ 24th annual Local Digital Advertising report.

The deceleration marks the end of the easy-growth era for local media and exposes a structural problem for legacy companies that relied on 20–25% annual digital increases to offset declines in traditional revenue. With digital now expanding in low single digits while core products continue shrinking, the old math no longer works.

Perspective: Has Radio Forgotten How to Sound Dangerous?

By Dave Van Dyke,  President

Bridge Ratings Media Research 

There was a time when radio felt unpredictable. You turned it on because something might happen.

A personality might say something outrageous. A new song might explode before the rest of the culture caught up. A caller might change the entire mood of a show. A contest might take over a city. A station might suddenly feel like the center of the local universe.

Radio once had edge.

Not because it was reckless. Because it felt alive.

CNN: In The Beginning....

Ted Turner launched CNN, the world’s first 24-hour news network, on June 1, 1980, pioneering a continuous cable format that reshaped television journalism and established Atlanta as a global media capital.

According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the idea originated during a walk in the woods, as recalled by former Turner Broadcasting chief operating officer Steve Korn. Facing the rise of cable and satellite TV, Turner—already a media innovator—debated whether to focus on news or sports. 

Radio History: May 11

Israel Berlin

➦In 1888...Irving Berlin born as Israel Beilin (Died at age 101 from a heart attack -  September 22, 1989) was an American composer and lyricist, widely considered one of the greatest songwriters in American history. His music forms a great part of the Great American Songbook. Born in Imperial Russia, Berlin arrived in the United States at the age of five.

Whether for Broadway musicals or films, for humorous songs or romantic ballads, his compositions are celebrated for their appealing melodies and memorable lyrics. His many popular songs include “There’s No Business Like Show Business,” “God Bless America,” and “White Christmas.” In 1968 Berlin received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

➦In 1912...Foster Brooks born (Died at age 89 – December 20, 2001).  He was best known as a comedian for his portrayal of a lovable drunk in nightclub performances and television programs.

Foster Brooks

His career started in radio, notably with Marshall Krieger at station WHAS-AM in Louisville. He was a staff announcer, and his deep baritone voice was also well-suited for singing. Brooks gained fame for his reporting of the Ohio River flood of 1937, where he was featured on emergency broadcasts by WHAS and also WSM-AM from Nashville, Tennessee. In 1952, Brooks appeared on local TV in a short-lived spoof of Gene Autry and his "Singing Cowboys".

He later worked in local broadcasting as a radio and TV personality in Buffalo and Rochester, New York, before moving to the West Coast to launch a career as a stand-up comic and character actor. In Buffalo, Brooks performed with a country and western vocal group known as the Hi-Hatters.

In 1960, Brooks moved with his family to Los Angeles to seek more professional opportunities

He then began his drunk act, which went over well with crowds at Las Vegas nightclubs and on television. Brooks was a frequent guest on talk and variety shows and numerous Dean Martin celebrity roasts. Despite his on-screen personna he actually quit drinking in the early 1960s, on a bet, and remained a teetotaler for the rest of his life. He died Dec. 20 2001 at age 89.

➦In 1922...KGU Radio signed-on in Honolulu. In April 1935 it was used as a homing beacon by Captain Ed Musick and Fred Noonan during their survey flights of the Pacific in a Pan American World Airways Sikorsky S-42.