In One Word, Teens Describe News Media

The most striking finding from a November 2025 News Literacy Project (NLP) survey is that an overwhelming 84% of U.S. teens describe today's news media in negative terms, with common words including "biased," "boring," "fake," "crazy," "bad," and "sad."

The report, titled “Biased,” “Boring” and “Bad”: Unpacking perceptions of news media and journalism among U.S. teens, draws from an online survey of 756 teens ages 13-18 conducted in spring 2025 (April 28–May 12) as a follow-up to the organization's 2024 study on teen news habits. 

It reveals deep cynicism toward journalism, with many teens viewing the media as deceptive, chaotic, stressful, or intentionally biased. Only 9% offered positive descriptions (such as "interesting" or "informative"), while 7% gave neutral or unclear responses.

Top 30 U-S News Websites During January

The Minnesota Star Tribune experienced explosive triple-digit growth in website traffic in January 2026, driven by its extensive local coverage of controversial Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in the state—including two fatal shootings of Minnesota residents by federal agents.

According to the latest Similarweb data reported by Press Gazette, the Star Tribune recorded 16.3 million visits last month—a 126% increase from December 2025 (month-on-month) and a 67% rise year-on-year. This marked the largest month-on-month traffic surge among the top 30 U.S. news sites.

The spike aligns with heightened public interest in ICE's aggressive enforcement actions, which included the Jan. 7 fatal shooting of Renee Good in south Minneapolis and the Jan. 24 killing of Alex Pretti in the Whittier neighborhood—incidents that sparked protests, clashes with agents, and widespread scrutiny of federal tactics. The Star Tribune's in-depth reporting on these events, community reactions, and related developments (such as denied access to evidence and agent suspensions) drew significant audiences amid national debates over immigration policy.

Courtesy of PressGazette 

In the broader U.S. news landscape, 41 of the top 50 sites saw month-on-month traffic gains, with the Star Tribune outpacing AP News (up 36% to 98.1 million visits) and NBC News (up 35% to 89.4 million). Only ten sites grew year-on-year, led by The Sun (up 70% to 39 million) and The Hill (up 38% to 51 million). 

The Star Tribune's year-on-year gain ranked it competitively but behind those leaders.Conversely, major declines hit several outlets: Forbes and LA Times both fell 51% year-on-year (to 60.1 million and 20.9 million visits, respectively), while Newsweek dropped 43% to 45.2 million and posted the biggest month-on-month decline at 17%. 

Other notable monthly drops included The Times of India (down 15% to 28.1 million), SF Gate, and New York Post (both down 7%).The Star Tribune's performance highlights how hyper-local, high-stakes reporting on breaking national issues can drive outsized digital growth even for regional publishers.

Winter Games Pulling Strong Numbers for Affiliates

Independently owned NBC affiliates in medium-sized markets are drawing the strongest local viewership for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina, according to Nielsen data released by the network.

Fort Myers, Florida (Hearst-owned WBBH-TV), and Minneapolis, Minnesota (TEGNA-owned KARE-TV), tied for the top spot nationwide during the first week. 

Both stations posted a 14.9 rating and 22 share for NBC's prime-time coverage, from the Opening Ceremony through February 12 events.

All of the top 20 markets by local ratings feature independently owned affiliates—not NBC-owned stations—and none are in the nation's top 10 TV markets. Tied for 15th overall (highest among larger markets) is Denver's KUSA-TV (Channel 9).

According to TheDesk.net, the pattern echoes the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, where 19 independently owned NBC affiliates led prime-time viewership.

CBS Refutes Claim It Prohibited Colbert From Airing Interview

CBS pushed back Tuesday against claims by Stephen Colbert that the network prohibited "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" from broadcasting an interview with Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico, stating the show was never barred from airing the segment on TV.

In a statement, CBS said: “The Late Show was not prohibited by CBS from broadcasting the interview with Rep. James Talarico. The show was provided legal guidance that the broadcast could trigger the FCC equal-time rule for two other candidates, including Rep. Jasmine Crockett, and presented options for how the equal time for other candidates could be fulfilled.” 

The network added that the show ultimately chose to release the interview on its YouTube channel, with on-air promotion during the broadcast, rather than pursue those equal-time options.

The dispute stems from Monday night's episode, where Colbert, in his final season following the show's abrupt cancellation announcement last summer (with the series set to end in May 2026), told his studio audience that CBS lawyers had called and stated “in no uncertain terms” that Talarico could not appear on the broadcast. He further claimed he was initially instructed not to mention the issue on air, prompting him to defiantly discuss it anyway, criticize FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, and tie the decision to the agency's recent guidance narrowing exemptions for talk shows under the equal-time rule.

Colbert Calls CBS Statement 'Crap'

Stephen Colbert sharply criticized CBS on Tuesday night's The Late Show after the network issued a statement disputing his claim that CBS lawyers blocked his interview with Texas Senate candidate James Talarico from broadcast due to fears of triggering the FCC's Equal Time rule.

Colbert, holding up the CBS statement on air, called it "a surprisingly small piece of paper considering how many butts it’s trying to cover" and expressed surprise that the network released it "without ever talking to me." 

He described the statement as "crap" in some reports, emphasizing he had no adversarial intent toward CBS but was stunned the "giant, global corporation" refused to challenge what he called FCC overreach under Chairman Brendan Carr.

CBS's Tuesday afternoon statement clarified: "The Late Show was not prohibited by CBS from broadcasting the interview with Rep. James Talarico. The show was provided legal guidance that the broadcast could trigger the FCC Equal Time rule for two other candidates…and presented options for how [that] could be fulfilled." The network added that The Late Show opted to post the interview on YouTube instead of risking equal-time obligations.

Colbert pushed back by noting that CBS lawyers had approved every word of his Monday night script, including the segment discussing the issue, and that he was unusually pulled backstage mid-show for additional notes from lawyers, a first in his experience. He insisted the lawyers were dictating his content while now denying the prohibition's severity.

The controversy stems from Monday, when Colbert revealed CBS lawyers told the show "in no uncertain terms" that airing the Talarico interview could violate the Equal Time rule—recently emphasized by FCC guidance questioning exemptions for talk shows—and barred it from broadcast. 

The full interview was instead released exclusively on YouTube.

According to latenighter.com, Colbert highlighted that no similar enforcement of the rule has occurred for talk show interviews in decades, dating back to the 1960s, questioning why CBS suddenly feared a fight against "bullies" in this instance. He stressed he wasn't angry at the network but disappointed it wouldn't stand up for free expression.

FCC Commissioner Slams CBS for ‘Capitulation’

FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez sharply criticized CBS on Tuesday for refusing to broadcast Stephen Colbert's "The Late Show" interview Monday night with Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico, calling it "yet another troubling example of corporate capitulation" to political pressure from the Trump administration.

Gomez, the lone Democratic commissioner at the FCC and a Biden appointee confirmed in 2023, stated that the network's self-censorship was unnecessary and stemmed from intimidation efforts. 

"The FCC has no lawful authority to pressure broadcasters for political purposes or to create a climate that chills free expression," she wrote. "CBS is fully protected under the First Amendment to determine what interviews it airs, which makes its decision to yield to political pressure all the more disappointing."

Buffalo Radio: New FM Homes for WGR Sports Radio

Audacy announces the launch of WGR Sports Radio, an FM simulcast of WGR 550 (WGR-AM) in Buffalo, further expanding the station’s reach as the voice of Western New York’s sports fans. The station will now be heard on 104.7 FM in Buffalo and 107.7 FM in Rochester, and will continue to broadcast on 550 AM.

“WGR has been the heartbeat of Buffalo sports, and now that beat is louder than ever,” said Tim Wenger, Senior Vice President and Market Manager, Audacy Buffalo-Rochester. “We know our fans are second-to-none, and simulcasting on FM allows us to expand our footprint to the furthest corners of Western New York, allowing more fans to join the live, local and high-energy conversations that define our region all year round.”

Good Morning! Let's Check The Pulse for Wednesday, February 18

Radio Broadcasting

FCC Open Commission Meeting Scheduled for February 18, 2026:  The FCC holds its monthly Open Meeting on this date at its headquarters in Washington, DC. Agenda items directly relevant to radio include a Public Notice proposing eligibility restrictions and a limit (e.g., up to 10 applications per entity) for the upcoming filing window for new noncommercial educational (NCE) reserved-band FM translators. This could expand coverage options for public/NCE FM stations but introduces new application caps to manage processing. Other items focus on spectrum (e.g., 900 MHz band for broadband) and unrelated reforms, but the translator window is a notable opportunity for FM radio extension, especially for educational broadcasters.

Ongoing FCC Regulatory Actions and Ownership Reviews:  Broader FCC work in early-mid February includes potential progress on the 2022 Quadrennial Review of broadcast ownership rules (including radio limits). While no final decision hits exactly on the 18th, the environment suggests continued debate over relaxing or maintaining caps on radio station ownership per market, which could affect consolidation and localism in AM/FM operations.

Media Industry

Ongoing Media Consolidation Buzz: Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount:  Warner Bros. Discovery briefly reopens takeover talks with Paramount Global to review a potential "best and final" offer, amid Netflix granting a waiver for discussions. While the board still backs a Netflix merger, this highlights persistent pressures on legacy media companies facing streaming competition, declining linear TV revenues, and the need for scale in content production and distribution.

Using One Word, Teens Describe News Media: The most striking finding from a November 2025 News Literacy Project (NLP) survey is that an overwhelming 84% of U.S. teens describe today's news media in negative terms, with common words including "biased," "boring," "fake," "crazy," "bad," and "sad." Read More

Advertising and Industry Forecasts Remain Bullish:  Recent updates (from late January/early February) show U.S. ad spending growth projections rising to around +8.8% for 2026, driven by Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) optimism. This supports optimism in digital and connected TV/media sectors, even as traditional broadcast faces headwinds.

U-S News

U.S.-Iran Nuclear Talks Show Progress Amid Tensions: Indirect negotiations in Geneva between the U.S. and Iran continue, with officials from both sides (including Vice President JD Vance) reporting "good progress" or "guiding principles" reached. However, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued threats to sink U.S. warships, and Israeli media expressed skepticism about the talks' success, amid reports that President Trump and advisers may favor military options if diplomacy fails. This remains a high-stakes foreign policy focus.

Partial Government Shutdown Drags On Over DHS Funding and ICE Reforms:  A partial shutdown tied to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) appropriations persists, with Democrats submitting a new counterproposal but little urgency or breakthrough. Debates center on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reforms, border security, and related funding. Congressional hearings and commentary (including from figures like Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi) highlight the impasse, with no quick resolution in sight.

Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics: Day 12 Action:  The ongoing Games in Italy feature key events today, including women's Alpine skiing (with Mikaela Shiffrin in contention for a final medal opportunity), freestyle skiing, snowboarding, and more. Nine gold medals are up for grabs, keeping U.S. audiences engaged in live coverage and results from the international sporting spectacle.

Paramount Skydance to Negotiate With WBD Over Deal

Paramount Skydance has signaled its readiness to enter negotiations with Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) during a limited seven-day window, but stopped short of committing to raise its $30-per-share hostile takeover bid.

The company issued a statement Tuesday describing WBD's board actions as "unusual" while affirming it is "prepared to engage in good faith and constructive discussions." This comes after WBD, with a waiver from Netflix (its preferred merger partner), opened the brief negotiating period ending February 23, 2026, to allow Paramount to address remaining "deficiencies" in its proposal and submit a potential "best and final" offer.

The move revives talks that had stalled, as WBD previously rejected Paramount's all-cash offer to acquire the entire company—valuing it at around $108 billion—in favor of Netflix's $83 billion deal focused on WBD's streaming and studio assets (including HBO Max and franchises like Harry Potter). 

Paramount has pursued a hostile tender offer directly to shareholders and plans to continue advancing it, along with a proxy fight by nominating directors for WBD's board.

FNC's Sean Hannity To Host New Podcast

Fox News host Sean Hannity is launching a twice-weekly podcast called “Hang Out with Sean Hannity,” becoming the network’s biggest on-air personality to enter the growing podcast space.

The long-form interview podcast will debut March 3, 2026, and be available on YouTube, Spotify and other major platforms. Episodes will typically run about an hour, but Hannity plans to let conversations continue as long as they remain compelling, free from the time constraints and commercial breaks of television.“You just keep going,” Hannity said in an interview. “I love the freedom that offers.”

The format builds on his experience hosting extended interviews on Fox Nation, including conversations with Sylvester Stallone and Stephen A. Smith. Hannity said the no-time-limit structure allows for deeper, more intimate storytelling and ensures guests can’t dodge tough questions.

“I’m not going to stop for an hour and a half until you give me my answer,” he said. “And it doesn’t matter if we agree, disagree, but you gotta give an answer.”

“Everybody has a story,” he added. “And the beauty is, I don’t have to work hard to pull it out of them in a certain period of time.”

Talk Host Mark Levin To Launch New Vodcast

Cumulus Media’s Westwood One has announced the launch of a new digital video series from their legacy host, Mark Levin. Liberty’s Voice with Mark Levin will publish vodcast episodes three times per week – Monday through Wednesday – and will be available on both YouTube and Rumble in digital video format with future expansion on other platforms.

For the first time, Levin will offer audiences access to original digital video content via an ad-supported model, instead of a subscriber paywall. Liberty’s Voice with Mark Levin will present exclusive, in-depth commentary from one of America’s most influential constitutional scholars and political thinkers. 

Sharing his intellectual rigor, brilliant wit, and signature passion, Levin will draw on history, economics, law, and philosophy as he goes beyond the headlines to examine the ideas and principles that shaped the United States—and the forces challenging them today. 

Each episode will deliver substantive analysis of current events, grounded in the founding ideals of liberty, limited government, and individual sovereignty, while exposing the dangers of centralized power and historical amnesia.

Radio History: Feb 18

➦In 1920...Bill Cullen born (died from lung cancer July 7, 1990).

He was a radio and television personality whose career spanned five decades. His biggest claim to fame was as a game show host; over the course of his career, he hosted 23 shows, and earned the nickname "Dean of Game Show Hosts". Aside from his hosting duties, he appeared as a panelist/celebrity guest on many other game shows, including regular appearances on I've Got a Secret and To Tell the Truth.

Cullen's broadcasting career began in 1939 in Pittsburgh at WWSW radio, where he worked as a disc jockey and play-by-play announcer or color commentator for Pittsburgh Steelers and Pittsburgh Hornets games. In 1943, Cullen left WWSW to briefly work at rival station KDKA before leaving Pittsburgh a year later to try his luck in New York. A week after arriving in New York, he was hired as a staff announcer at CBS.

His last regular radio job was as one of the hosts of NBC Radio's Monitor from 1971–73.

➦In 1922...WOC-AM, Davenport, Iowa, went on the air. WOC is widely known as the radio station where future U.S. President Ronald Reagan got his start re-creating Chicago Cubs baseball games.