TV Ratings: Strong Week For NBC and FOX News Channel

FOX News Channel (FNC) finished the week of February 2 averaging 3.1 million weekday primetime viewers and 331,000 A25-54, leading CBS across the board (2.4 million viewers and 317,000 A25-54), according to Nielsen Big Data + Panel. 

 Monday- Sunday total day (6 AM-6 AM/ET), FNC delivered over 1.7 million viewers and 178,000 in the 25-54 demo, while in primetime the network averaged 2.6 million viewers and 275,000 in the 25-54 demo, marking the network’s highest rated week of the year, and best performing demo since September 2025. For the week, FNC held 50% share of cable news viewers in primetime and drew 93 of the top 100 telecasts in all of cable among total viewers.

The Five delivered 4.1 million viewers and 364,000 in the 25-54 demo, securing a 65% share of cable news viewers for the hour. At 6 PM/ET, Special Report with Bret Baier averaged 3.2 million viewers and 301,000 in the 25-54 demo. The Ingraham Angle at 7PM/ET saw over 2.9 million viewers and 275,000 in the 25-54 demo, marking its highest rated week across both demos since September. Jesse Watters Primetime commanded 3.4 million viewers and 343,000 in the 25-54 demo at 8 PM/ET. At 9 PM/ET, Hannity delivered over 2.9 million viewers and 301,000 in the 25-54 demo, securing its strongest week since November with Adults 25-54 and strongest week since September with total viewers. At 11 PM/ET, FOX News @ Night with Trace Gallagher averaged 1.7 million viewers at 11PM/ET.

FNC’s late-night hit Gutfeld! (weekdays, 10 PM/ET) averaged over 3.1 million viewers and delivered 364,000 in the 25-54 demo, continuing to lead all late-night competition in total viewers and the 25-54 demo. It also continued to outpace the broadcast competition including CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (2 million viewers; 241,000 A25-54), which marked its lowest rated week in the A25-54 demo since June 2025, ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! (2.1 million viewers; 337,000 A25-54) and NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon (1.5 million viewers; 316,000 A25-54).

FNC continued to see its daytime programs outperform the broadcast competition. America’s Newsroom (weekdays, 9AM-11AM/ET; 2 million viewers), The Faulkner Focus (weekdays, 11AM-12PM/ET; 2.2 million viewers), Outnumbered (weekdays, 12 PM/ET; 2.2 million viewers), America Reports (weekdays, 1PM-3PM/ET; 2.1 million viewers) The Story with Martha MacCallum (weekdays, 3PM/ET; 2.1 million viewers) and The Will Cain Show (weekdays, 4 PM/ET; 2.3 million viewers) all led CBS Mornings (1.8 million viewers) and ABC’s GMA 3 (1.6 million viewers).

Ratings Graphics Courtesy of RoadMN

Saturday:  Kayleigh McEnany's Saturday In America (Saturdays, 10AM-12PM/ET) was the highest rated show of the weekend with 2.1 million viewers. FOX News Live anchored by Aishah Hasnie (Saturdays, 12 - 2PM/ET) delivered 1.6 million viewers. The Big Weekend Show (Saturdays/Sundays, 5-8 PM/ET) averaged nearly 1.9 million viewers.

Sunday: FNC delivered its highest ever Super Bowl Sunday in total day (1.3 million) and primetime viewers (1.2 million). Maria Bartiromo’s Sunday Morning Futures (Sunday, 10 AM/ET) was the number one cable news show of the day with 2 million viewers. The Sunday Briefing (Sunday, 11 AM/ET) hosted by Peter Doocy delivered 1.8 million viewers. In primetime, One Nation with Brian Kilmeade averaged 1.5 million viewers.

Source: Nielsen. Big Data + Panel. Week of 2-2-26 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 Evening News with Tony Dokoupil) for the week of February 2-8, 2026, are as follows, based on Nielsen national live+same-day data reported by ABC and related sources: 

ABC World News Tonight: 8.987 million total viewers, 1.150 million Adults 25-54, 856,000 Adults 18-49. This ranked #1 across broadcast and cable in total viewers and key demos.

NBC Nightly News: 7.233 million total viewers, 1.100 million Adults 25-54, 789,000 Adults 18-49.

CBS Evening News: 4.576 million total viewers, 579,000 Adults 25-54, 426,000 Adults 18-49.

ABC led significantly, beating NBC by about 1.754 million total viewers (and CBS by 4.411 million). It outperformed NBC in the key Adults 25-54 demo (+50,000) and Adults 18-49 (+67,000), while dominating CBS by wide margins in all categories (roughly +96-101% advantages).

Ca-Ching: NBCUniversal Banked $800M On The Super Bowl

The Super Bowl LX ads delivered a massive payday for Comcast's NBCUniversal, generating approximately $800 million in revenue—matching the haul Fox achieved from the previous year's game.

NBC sold out its entire ad inventory well in advance, commanding an average of $8 million per 30-second spot, a record high that held steady from the prior year. Several premium slots fetched even more, with as many as 10 commercials selling for over $10 million each, reflecting intense demand from brands eager to reach the game's huge audience.

More than 64 brands secured spots during the broadcast, including a mix of returning heavyweights and fresh faces making their Super Bowl debut. New advertisers this year included chocolate treat Kinder Bueno, cereal staple Raisin Bran, and sports betting/merch platform Fanatics. Leading the pack once again was Anheuser-Busch InBev (owner of Budweiser), which remained the game's biggest advertiser with its high-profile presence, including a celebrated Clydesdale-themed spot honoring the brand's 150-year legacy.

This strong performance underscores the Super Bowl's enduring status as advertising's premier event, even as viewership dipped slightly year-over-year, with robust pricing and diverse brand participation driving the revenue parity with Fox's 2025 results.

Talks To Save The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Going Nowhere

Local efforts to save the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette from closure have stalled, with at least one prospective buyer citing the owner's refusal to engage in discussions.

The newspaper, owned by Block Communications, is set to publish its final edition and cease operations on May 3, 2026—less than three months from now. This would leave Pittsburgh as the only major U.S. city without a daily newspaper, ending a publication with roots dating back to 1786 and nearly 240 years of continuous operation.

The shutdown announcement came on January 7, 2026, just hours after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to stay a lower-court ruling unfavorable to the company. Block Communications cited massive financial losses—more than $350 million over the past 20 years—as the primary reason, stating that ongoing cash drains from local journalism pressures were no longer sustainable. 

The decision followed a prolonged, bitter labor dispute with the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh, including court losses over union contract terms, health benefits, and bargaining practices.

Since the closure news broke, multiple groups have expressed interest in acquiring and continuing the Post-Gazette. One prominent effort is led by local figure Acklin, who has gathered private investors and discussed plans with Pittsburgh's nonprofit foundations to buy and operate the paper under a restructured model, potentially with philanthropic support similar to successful newspaper rescues in other cities.

However, these initiatives have hit a significant roadblock. Prospective buyers report frustration over Block Communications' apparent unwillingness to negotiate, respond to inquiries, or provide information on liabilities, debts, or sale terms. Acklin described the lack of an "open and transparent process" as a major barrier, with the owners showing no interest in exploring a sale despite public interest in preserving the outlet.

Block Communications, a family-owned company based in Toledo, Ohio, that also publishes The Blade there, has not publicly commented on sale discussions or responded to recent media inquiries about buyer outreach.

News Deserts Turning To Alternatives For Local News

Residents in news deserts—areas with little to no professional local journalism—are increasingly turning to alternative sources for information, such as social media, influencers, friends, and family, according to a recent survey by Northwestern University's Medill Local News Initiative.
Among those who follow local news daily in these areas, 51% rely on non-journalistic (non-professional) sources. Many report feeling they aren't missing out on anything essential. 

Local TV stations stand out as the only traditional journalistic outlet ranking in the top five.Trust in local news remains relatively high in these underserved areas, with 46% of residents expressing confidence, though this lags behind the 59% in communities with stronger news coverage.

The bigger concern, experts say, is the loss of professional accountability. “You might feel like you’re part of a close-knit community that knows what’s going on, but places with a lack of journalism are missing an external source of information and a system of accountability for people in power,” said Zach Metzger, director of the Medill State of Local News Project, who led the research. 

“The danger is what happens when they rely on social media because they have lost the journalistic view of things they are no longer able to see in their daily lives.”

Engagement with traditional journalism is notably lower in news deserts:

• Only 15% subscribe to or donate to a newspaper, compared to 33% in areas with abundant news.
• Just 9% have spoken with or been interviewed by a journalist in the past five years, versus 22% elsewhere.
• Only 20% have taken action on a community issue inspired by a news story, compared to 34% in well-covered areas.

The U.S. has lost approximately 3,500 newspapers over the past two decades. As of the latest Medill State of Local News Report (2025), there are 212 news desert counties—primarily rural—where residents have limited or no access to reliable local reporting, affecting about 50 million Americans overall when including counties with just one news outlet.

The survey, Medill's first focused specifically on news desert residents, was conducted from July 22 to August 8, 2025, by Qualtrics on behalf of the Medill Local News Initiative. It included 1,000 respondents: half from news desert counties and half from areas with plentiful professional news sources.

TV Ratings: CNN Has Lost Viewers and Credibility

CNN's ongoing decline in viewership signals a significant loss of credibility among American audiences, according to Fox News contributor Joe Concha.

Recent data highlights the extent of the drop: In 2025, CNN averaged just 573,000 primetime viewers and 432,000 total day viewers — representing a loss of more than 40% in both categories compared to 2017, the first year of Donald Trump's initial presidency when the network enjoyed a "Trump bump" in ratings.

Joe Concha

Concha attributed this "hemorrhaging" of viewers directly to perceived erosion of trust, telling Fox News Digital: “This shows that the networks that have cried wolf, or in this case, cried Trump, have gone to that well about one thousand times more than even many of their viewers can stand.”

He pointed to what he described as slanted coverage on major stories since 2017. Concha specifically criticized CNN for aggressively promoting the Russian collusion narrative regarding Trump while downplaying or dismissing the Hunter Biden laptop story as unreliable or disinformation in the lead-up to the 2020 election.

Concha's comments align with broader analyses of cable news trends, where networks perceived as overly focused on anti-Trump messaging have seen audiences shift away, especially in a changing media landscape with more fragmented viewing options and post-election audience fatigue.

While CNN has reported some month-to-month gains in early 2026 tied to breaking news events, the long-term trajectory from 2017 through 2025 shows substantial erosion in its core audience.

FTC Warns Apple Of Violating Consumer Protection Laws

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sent a warning letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook on Wednesday alleging that the Apple News app may be violating consumer protection laws by systematically promoting left-leaning news outlets while suppressing or excluding conservative ones.

FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson (appointed under the Trump administration) stated that such curation practices could breach Section 5 of the FTC Act, which prohibits unfair or deceptive acts in commerce. He cited reports—including a Media Research Center study claiming no articles from right-leaning sources like Fox News, Breitbart, the New York Post, Daily Mail, or The Gateway Pundit appeared in top stories from January 1–31, 2026—while left-leaning outlets (e.g., The Washington Post, NBC News, The Guardian) and some center ones dominated.

Ferguson argued this may deceive users if it contradicts Apple's terms of service, representations about the app, or reasonable consumer expectations for neutral news aggregation used by tens of millions of Americans. He emphasized that while the First Amendment protects editorial choices and Big Tech speech, it does not shield material misrepresentations, omissions, or unfair practices—even those involving content curation.

The letter urges Apple to conduct a comprehensive review of its curation policies, terms of service, and practices, and to take swift corrective action if inconsistencies are found. Ferguson clarified the FTC is not demanding ideological balance or acting as "speech police," but focusing on potential consumer deception and injury without offsetting benefits.

Apple has not yet issued a public response. This is a warning and inquiry, not a formal investigation or enforcement action so far.

This development highlights ongoing debates over tech platforms' news aggregation and content moderation in the current regulatory climate.

Good Morning! Let's Check The Pulse for Wednesday, Feb 12:

Radio Broadcasting

FCC Regulatory Activity: The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) published a rule in the Federal Register titled "Radio Broadcasting Services; Various Locations". This appears to involve routine or specific allocations/changes for radio stations in multiple areas, which could affect licensing, frequency assignments, or service expansions for broadcasters.

World Radio Alliance Report Reinforces Radio's Trust Leadership: A key global study from the World Radio Alliance (in collaboration with egta), highlighted around World Radio Day themes and still prominent in industry discussions, confirms radio as the most trusted medium in the U.S. and worldwide. In non-European countries (including the U.S.), 70% of people view radio as the most reliable information source—higher than other media. This trust edge bolsters radio's role in news, emergency alerting, and community engagement, especially valuable amid competition from digital platforms and ongoing debates about media credibility.

Media Industry

Lingering Debate Over FCC Broadcast Media Ownership Rules:  Momentum from Monday's Senate Commerce Committee hearing ("We Interrupt This Program: Media Ownership in the Digital Age") persists, with ongoing discussions on modernizing or repealing rules like the 39% national TV household reach cap. Witnesses, including Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy and industry advocates, argued the cap is outdated in a streaming-dominated era, potentially limiting broadcasters' ability to compete with Big Tech. Concerns include impacts on local journalism, media diversity, and conservative representation. The pending Nexstar-TEGNA merger (announced 2025, potentially closing in late 2026 pending approvals) remains a flashpoint—if approved without cap changes, it could exceed household limits significantly. No action occurred on February 12, but the hearing fuels calls for congressional or FCC updates.

Paramount Skydance's Enhanced Hostile Bid: Paramount (led by David Ellison) further sweetened its all-cash $30 per share offer for the entire WBD (valuing it at ~$108.4 billion enterprise value). Key additions to pressure shareholders and demonstrate confidence: A $0.25 per share "ticking fee" (~$650 million quarterly) payable to WBD shareholders for each quarter the deal doesn't close after December 31, 2026. Activist Investor Pushback: Ancora Holdings (holding a ~$200 million WBD stake) publicly opposed the Netflix deal as "flawed" and "inferior," citing lower value, spinoff uncertainty, and regulatory risks. Ancora plans to vote against Netflix at the shareholder meeting, solicit proxies against it, and urges WBD's board to engage with Paramount. It criticizes the Netflix path as rushed and less certain.

U.S. News

Nancy Guthrie Missing/Abduction Case Enters Day 12: Key updates include:

• No suspects are in custody, but the Pima County Sheriff indicated more detentions are likely as investigators process thousands of tips (over 18,000 total since February 1, with more than 4,000 in the last 24 hours after releasing new evidence).
• FBI agents are scouring rugged desert terrain, roadways, and foothills near her Catalina Foothills home. A black glove (matching one worn by a suspect in surveillance footage) was reportedly found on a dirt path nearby.

The U.S. labor market showed a notable hiring rebound in January 2026: Key highlights:

• Nonfarm payrolls increased by 130,000 jobs in January. This significantly exceeded economists' expectations, which had ranged around 55,000 to 70,000 jobs added.
• It represented the strongest monthly job growth since December 2024, following a period of extremely sluggish hiring throughout much of 2025.
• The unemployment rate edged down to 4.3% from 4.4% in December

House Rebukes Trump on Canada Tariffs: In a rare bipartisan move, the Republican-led U.S. House voted to block or end President Trump's imposed tariffs on Canada, with several Republicans crossing party lines. This signals growing midterm election anxieties over economic fallout from his trade agenda. The vote increases pressure on the administration to adjust course amid broader tariff threats.

TV Ratings: Guthrie Case Causing Surge For Today Show

NBC's The Today Show has experienced a significant 23% surge in viewership during the week ending February 6, 2026, drawing an average of 3.32 million viewers as audiences tuned in for updates on the disappearance of co-anchor Savannah Guthrie's mother, Nancy Guthrie, alongside coverage of the Winter Olympics. 

This marked a gain of approximately 624,000 viewers compared to the same period in 2025, with the program capturing 41% of morning TV audiences, outperforming ABC's Good Morning America (2.91 million viewers, 36% share) and CBS Mornings (1.84 million viewers, 23% share).

The boost is attributed in part to public fascination with the Nancy Guthrie case, as the show served as a key source for developments in the investigation, including breaking news segments and expert analysis. However, the concurrent broadcast of the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics on NBC and Peacock also played a role, as Olympic events historically elevate morning show ratings during such periods. 

Savannah Guthrie has been absent from the program since her mother's abduction, with co-host Hoda Kotb stepping in to anchor alongside others.

Nancy Guthrie, 78, was last seen at her Tucson, Arizona, home on January 31, 2026, and authorities are treating her disappearance as a kidnapping, with no suspects identified as of February 11, 2026. The case has drawn widespread media attention, including increased security at the Today Show's New York studio out of caution, and speculation about potential high-ratings specials on NBC's Dateline. 

The FBI has reported a surge in tips following the release of surveillance footage, and other networks like ABC's World News Tonight have also covered developments with expert breakdowns.

Historically, The Today Show has maintained strong ratings under Savannah Guthrie's co-anchorship since 2012, often leading in the key 25-54 demographic, though personal crises like this one highlight the program's role as both a news outlet and a perceived "family" for viewers.

Radio Most Trusted Mass Medium

Radio remains the most trusted and widely used mass medium in the U.S., according to fresh data compiled by the World Radio Alliance (WRA). This reaffirms radio's resilience and credibility in an era of declining overall media trust and increasing fragmentation from digital platforms.

Key findings from the WRA include:79% of U.S. adults aged 18 and older rate radio as very trustworthy or trustworthy. This edges out newspapers (77%), television (68%), magazines (68%), and dramatically surpasses social media (28%).

The WRA, a global coalition of radio industry bodies (including the U.S. Radio Advertising Bureau), compiles these metrics to showcase radio's strengths for advertisers, audiences, and public information roles. The data highlights radio's local, live, and community-oriented nature as key factors in its perceived authenticity and accuracy—qualities often lacking in algorithm-driven social feeds or polarized TV/news outlets.

This trust advantage holds amid broader skepticism toward mass media. For context, a September 2025 Gallup poll found overall trust in newspapers, TV, and radio combined at a historic low of just 28% (for reporting news "fully, accurately, and fairly"), down from prior years. Radio consistently outperforms in targeted surveys, including a recent Katz Radio Group study showing it as the top trusted medium among adult women at 83%—ahead of newspapers (79%), TV (74%), podcasts (70%), magazines (69%), and social media (48%).

Radio's enduring reach—especially in cars, workplaces, and daily routines—combined with high engagement in ad-supported formats, continues to make it a dominant audio force despite competition from streaming and podcasts. The WRA's emphasis on these figures, often tied to World Radio Day promotions and global comparisons (where radio also leads in trust in markets like the EU), positions it as a credible, high-impact medium in a distrustful landscape.

Pittsburgh Radio: Salem Makes 2 Key Leadership Moves

Salem Media has announced two key leadership appointments impacting its Pittsburgh market.

Jason Mosher has been promoted to Regional General Manager overseeing the Pittsburgh market in addition to Atlanta. Dave Cuddihy has been named General Sales Manager for Salem’s Pittsburgh radio and digital operations.

Cuddihy, a Pittsburgh native, will spearhead local advertising sales and strategic business development for Salem’s Pittsburgh portfolio, including WORD-FM (101.5 FM), WPGP-AM The Answer (1250 AM), and WPIT (730 AM), along with Salem Surround, the company’s full-service digital marketing division. He most recently served as Publisher of the Latrobe Bulletin and Ligonier Echo in Westmoreland County and brings more than two decades of proven media and advertising leadership, along with deep-rooted relationships throughout the Pittsburgh business community. His appointment strengthens Salem’s commitment to delivering integrated marketing solutions across broadcast and digital platforms.

Jason, Dave

Allen Power, President of Broadcast Media, commented, “We are excited to combine Jason’s leadership track record at Salem with Dave’s deep market knowledge of Pittsburgh. They are focused on growing our sales team in the market with a commitment to providing outcome-based solutions for advertisers.”

“Pittsburgh has always been about relationships, work ethic, and trust,” Cuddihy said. “I’m proud to be from this area and to work with local businesses as a neighbor who understands how success is built here. One factor that stood out to me in joining the team at Salem Media is that our stations and complete digital portfolio allow us to reach deeply engaged Christian and conservative audiences while delivering modern marketing solutions that drive real, measurable results for our partners.”

Mosher is based in Salem Media’s Atlanta office and will provide strategic leadership and operational oversight for multiple markets, including Pittsburgh. Mosher has been with Salem Media for six years and was recently promoted from Regional Sales Director where he led sales efforts for Pittsburgh, Atlanta and Cleveland and brings 20 plus years of broadcast leadership experience, including leadership roles with iHeartMedia and CBS Radio.

“We are committed to growth in Pittsburgh,” Mosher added. “In the near future, we are looking to bring on additional media strategists to build out the local team.”

SiriusXM To Air Coverage of The Daytona 500

SiriusXM will offer listeners extensive coverage of the 68th running of the DAYTONA 500 on February 15, as well as other live races happening during NASCAR’s Speedweek, access to in-car audio from drivers, and daily coverage from Daytona International Speedway.

NASCAR fans can hear it all in their cars and on the SiriusXM app on the exclusive 24/7 SiriusXM NASCAR Radio channel (channel 90).

On DAYTONA 500 race day, Sunday, Feb. 15, SiriusXM will broadcast live from the track starting at 7 am ET. When the green flag drops (approximately 2:30 pm ET) listeners will hear every lap of the race live, followed by post-race coverage that will include interviews with the 2026 DAYTONA 500 Champion and other drivers. In addition to the main race broadcast on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, SiriusXM will also offer 10 additional Driver2Crew ChatterTM channels that will carry the in-car communication feeds of several teams throughout the race.

SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will also provide live coverage of the America 250 Florida Duel at DAYTONA on Thursday, Feb. 12 at 7 pm ET, the Fresh from Florida 250 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race on Friday, Feb. 13 at 7:30 pm ET, and on Saturday, Feb. 14, both the General Tire 200 NASCAR ARCA Series race at noon ET and the United Rentals 300 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race at 5 pm ET.

In addition to airing the live race broadcasts, the SiriusXM NASCAR Radio channel will broadcast from the infield at Daytona International Speedway throughout the week. Hosts Dave Moody, Danielle Trotta, Larry McReynolds, Mike Bagley, Pete Pistone, Brad Gillie, Todd Gordon, Mike and Angie Skinner, John Roberts, Pat Patterson and others will be live on site interviewing drivers, crew chiefs, owners and others, and providing insight on everything happening around the track.

On Thursday, SiriusXM will team up with Dirty Mo Media, the multimedia content platform of Dale Earnhardt Jr., for a series of special fan-facing shows at the Daytona Fan Zone Stage. Fans at the track will be able to watch as Dale Jr. hosts a live episode of his popular podcast, “Dale Jr. Download,” from 3-4 pm ET. Dale Jr. will be joined on stage by 2023 NASCAR Cup Series champ Ryan Blaney.

Following the episode of the “Dale Jr. Download,” several SiriusXM NASCAR Radio and Dirty Mo personalities including Danielle Trotta, Jordan Bianchi, Pete Pistone and others will team up for a live show from 4-4:30 pm ET. SiriusXM’s Dave Moody will then host a special episode of “SiriusXM Speedway” live from the stage from 4:30-6 pm ET, leading into live coverage of that night’s America 250 Florida Duel at DAYTONA.

On Monday, Feb. 16, on “The Morning Drive,” hosts Mike Bagley and Pete Pistone will be back at the track to recap Sunday’s race and interview the 2026 DAYTONA 500 champion driver, crew chief and owner.

Gallup To End Polling President's Popularity

Gallup will stop tracking and publishing presidential approval ratings after more than eight decades, the polling organization confirmed Wednesday.

The decision, effective this year, ends the long-running Gallup Presidential Approval Rating — a key metric widely cited by media to gauge public views of a president's performance. Gallup will no longer publish approval or favorability ratings for individual political figures.

"This reflects an evolution in how Gallup focuses its public research and thought leadership," a spokesperson said. "Our commitment is to long-term, methodologically sound research on issues and conditions that shape people’s lives." 

The change aligns with Gallup's broader mission, with ongoing work continuing through efforts like the Gallup Poll Social Series, World Poll, and other U.S. and global surveys on topics such as workplace engagement, AI views, and institutional trust.

The announcement comes as President Trump's Gallup approval stood at 36% in December 2025 — among the lowest recorded since the 1930s — after peaking at 47% earlier in his second term.

For historical context, Gallup data showed:

• Former President Truman averaged 45% (1945–1953)
• Former President Biden averaged 42% (2021–2025)
• Former President Kennedy averaged 71% (1961–1963)
• Former President Eisenhower averaged 61% (1953–1961)

Gallup emphasized the shift is driven solely by its research priorities, with no input from the White House or administration. A spokesperson told The Hill: "This is a strategic shift solely based on Gallup’s research goals and priorities."

Britney Spears Cashes In

Britney Spears

Former pop superstar Britney Spears has sold the rights to her entire music catalog to independent music publisher Primary Wave, in a major deal reportedly worth around $200 million that underscores the booming market for legacy artist catalogs.

The transaction, finalized on December 30, 2025, transfers Spears' ownership share—including publishing rights, artist royalties, and master recordings—to Primary Wave, according to legal documents reviewed by multiple outlets and confirmations from sources familiar with the agreement.

 

Neither Spears nor Primary Wave has issued an official comment, and exact terms remain under non-disclosure agreements, though the figure aligns with other high-profile catalog sales like Justin Bieber's $200 million deal in 2023.

Spears' catalog spans nine studio albums and includes some of the most iconic pop hits of the late 1990s and 2000s, such as "...Baby One More Time," "Oops!... I Did It Again," "Toxic," "I'm a Slave 4 U," "Circus," "Gimme More," and "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman." These songs defined Y2K-era bubblegum and teen pop, helping Spears sell over 150 million records worldwide and become one of the best-selling female artists in history. 

She has not released a new album since Glory in 2016 or performed live in years, following the end of her 13-year conservatorship in 2021.Primary Wave, a New York-based company founded in 2005, specializes in acquiring and managing iconic music catalogs. It now controls rights from legends including Prince, Bob Marley, Whitney Houston, Stevie Nicks, Notorious B.I.G., James Brown, and others—representing thousands of Top 10 hits. 

The Spears acquisition adds one of the most commercially enduring modern pop repertoires to its portfolio, likely for use in licensing, sync deals (films, ads, TV), re-releases, and creative expansions.

Chicago Radio: WTBC Delivers Valentine's Day Cards for Kids

Throwback 100.3 / WTBC Chicago once again rallied its listeners to collect and deliver thousands of handmade Valentine’s Day cards to La Rabida Children’s Hospital as part of its 11th annual Valentine’s Day Cards for Kids campaign.

“The Cards for Kids program is a unique way to surprise our patients and brighten their spirits each February. We are extremely grateful to Throwback 100.3 for coordinating this exciting delivery year after year and want to thank everyone who sent a special card to the children in our care. Your kindness makes a difference," says Dr. Rolla Sweis, President and CEO of La Rabida Children’s Hospital.

Chris Eagan, Vice President of Brand and Content for Throwback 100.3, added, “I’m continually amazed by the generosity our listeners show for programs like Cards for Kids. Their support has a real impact, and we’re incredibly thankful to La Rabida Children’s Hospital for their continued partnership and dedication to this campaign.”

Over the past 11 years, Throwback 100.3 and its listeners have hand-crafted and donated more than 150,000 Valentine’s Day cards to children at La Rabida Children’s Hospital.

Radio History: Feb 12

➦In 1904...radio/TV talent show host Ted Mack was born William Edward Maguiness in Greeley Colorado. Mack died July 12, 1976 at age 72.

Mack succeeded Major Bowes as host of The Original Amateur Hour for the period 1948-52 on radio, and until 1970 on TV.  His discoveries include Gladys Knight, Pat Boone, & Teresa Brewer.  He also hosted TV’s Ted Mack Family Hour, a show similar to Ed Sullivan.

The Original Amateur Hour began on radio in 1934 as Major Bowes' Amateur Hour, and ran until the 1946 death of its creator, Major Bowes. Mack, a talent scout who had directed the show under Bowes, revived it in 1948 for ABC Radio and the DuMont Television Network.

The show lasted on radio until 1952 and until 1970 on television, where it ran on all four major networks, ending as a Sunday afternoon CBS staple. A success in the early days of television, the program set the stage for numerous programs seeking talented stars, from The Gong Show to Star Search to American Idol to America's Got Talent.

➦In 1909...singer/producer Barry Wood was born in New Haven Conn. He was the singing star of radio’s Lucky Strike Hit Parade in the early 40’s just ahead of Frank Sinatra, and went on to perform in lesser-known radio shows.  In the TV era he was host of several shows including Places Please & Backstage with Barry Wood, and producer for The Bell Telephone Hour & Wide Wide World.   He died July 19 1970 at age 61.

➦In 1910...Longtime radio announcer Ken Roberts born (died at age 99 June 19, 2009).  He was known for his work during the Golden Age of Radio and for his work announcing the daytime television soap operas The Secret Storm, Texas and Love of Life, each for a two-decade span.

Ken Roberts

His first announcing job was at WMCA in New York lasting three weeks. Next at WLTH in Brooklyn. In an interview for the book The Great American Broadcast, Roberts told Leonard Maltin that he had started at the Brooklyn station in 1930, where his responsibilities included answering phones and sweeping the floors, in addition to on-air roles playing piano and reading poetry.

During the 1930s and 1940s, at the height of the radio era, Roberts' voice appeared widely in live programming to introduce programs, moderate game shows and do live reads for commercials. Despite his Errol Flynn-like good looks and the frequent broadcasts featuring his voice, as often as several times each day, few listeners knew who he was or would have recognized him in public.

Radio credits include The Shadow (including the 1937-38 season on the Mutual Broadcasting System with a 22-year-old Orson Welles starring in the role of Lamont Cranston), the comedy Easy Aces, along with soap operas Joyce Jordan, M.D. and This is Nora Drake. In 1941, he achieved his goal of hosting his own quiz show, with Quick As a Flash on the Mutual network.

He also announced or hosted a number of game shows, such as What's My Name? and the parody It Pays to Be Ignorant, in which he would pose questions to actors portraying contestants such as "Who came first: Henry I or Henry VIII?" that would be answered incorrectly. At various times, he performed on eponymous programs for Fred Allen, Milton Berle, Victor Borge and Sophie Tucker.

In 1941, he achieved his goal of hosting his own quiz show, with Quick As a Flash on the Mutual network.

➦In 1912..Bigtime radio announcer Del Sharbutt was born in Cleburne Texas.

Del Sharbutt

His first appearance on radio was in 1929 as a singer on WBAP in Fort Worth, Texas.  He became a staff announcer for CBS Radio in 1933, and is best remembered as spokesman for Campbell’s Soup (“Mmm mmm Good!”) beginning in the ’30’s.  He was also TV announcer for Your Hit Parade, and worked until retirement in 1976 as newscaster for the Mutual Radio network.  He died April 26, 2002 at the ripe old age of 90.

Old-time radio shows for which Sharbutt was an announcer included The Man I Married, Lavender and Old Lace, Guy Lombardo, Jack Pearl, Ray Noble, Bob Hope, The Song Shop, Hobby Lobby, Myrt and Marge, The Hour of Charm, Melody and Madness, Colgate Ask-It-Basket, Lanny Ross, Amos 'n' Andy, Club Fifteen, The Jack Carson Show, Lum and Abner, Your Hit Parade, The Campbell Playhouse, Request Performance, Meet Mr. McNutley and Meet Corliss Archer.

In 1958,Sharbutt became a disc jockey on 77WABC in New York City. He and another old-time radio announcer, Tony Marvin, began "hosting afternoon record shows in their distinctively deep voices."

He died April 26, 2002 at the ripe old age of 90.

➦In 1915...newscaster/actor Lorne Greene was born in Ottawa.  He was called “The Voice of Doom” as the nightly newsreader on CBC Radio during World War Two.(1939-42)  On TV he starred in Bonanza, Battlestar Gallactica & Code Red. He died Sept 11, 1987 after an operation for a perforated ulcer, at age 72.

➦In 1924…The Eveready Hour was the first commercially sponsored variety program in the history of broadcasting. It premiered February 12, 1924 (other sources: December 4, 1923 or November 4, 1923) on WEAF Radio (now WFAN) in New York City. Radio's first sponsored network program. it was paid for by the National Carbon Company, which at the time owned Eveready Battery

In early 1924 The Eveready Hour began to be carried simultaneously by a second station, WJAR in Providence, Rhode Island, and the number of outlets was expanded to a group of Eastern and Midwestern stations "as quickly as WEAF could add stations" to its "WEAF chain" radio network. On election night, November 4, 1924, the program, hosted by Wendell Hall, was carried by 18 stations, with Will Rogers, Art Gillham, Carson Robison and the Eveready Quartet entertaining between election returns given by Graham McNamee. Joseph Knecht led the Waldorf-Astoria Dance Orchestra.

The Bowery Boys were featured on the Eveready Hour

In 1926 the WEAF chain operations were purchased by the Radio Corporation of America, becoming the basis of the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) in early 1927. The Eveready Hour continued as a featured broadcast on NBC until 1930.

Calvin Coolidge

➦In 1924...President Calvin Coolidge became the first President to make a political speech on the radio. It originated from New York City and was broadcast on five radio stations to an audience of an estimated 5M listeners.  During his presidency, Coolidge made around 50 broadcasts. He soon learned how to make best use of the new technology, adding a consultant to his staff to help him polish his radio persona.

While Coolidge was a radio pioneer, the American president most associated with radio is Franklin D. Roosevelt. From 1933 to 1944, Roosevelt delivered 30 “fireside chats,” in which he addressed the American people in a friendly, plainspoken manner about his efforts to bolster the depressed economy through innovative government programs and about global challenges in the run-up to World War II.

➦In 1940…New York radio station WOR presented the first broadcast featuring the comic-strip hero, “Superman“. The 15-minute juvenile adventure became a feature of the Mutual Broadcasting System in 1942, three times a week to start, then daily.

\On Mutual, it was broadcast from August 31, 1942, to February 4, 1949, as a 15-minute serial, running three or, usually, five times a week. From February 7 to June 24, 1949, it ran as a thrice-weekly half-hour show. The series shifted to ABC Saturday evenings on October 29, 1949, and then returned to afternoons twice a week on June 5, 1950, continuing on ABC until March 1, 1951. In all, 2,088 original episodes of The Adventures of Superman aired on American radio.

The Man of Steel first appeared in Action Comics #1 in 1938. When Superman was first heard on radio less than two years after the comic book appearance, the character took on an added dimension with Bud Collyer in the title role.

During World War II and the post-war years, the juvenile adventure radio serial, sponsored by Kellogg's Pep, was a huge success, with many listeners following the quest for "truth and justice" in the daily radio broadcasts.

➦In 1951...Radio Personality, Pat St. John, was born in Detroit.

Pat St John age 18

In early 1969, at the age of 18, he landed his first gig as a radio personality on Windsor's CKLW, where he also worked for CKLW's 20/20 news doing newscasts one day a week, and part-time booth announcing on CKLW-TV Channel 9. In late 1970 he moved across the border to WKNR and was then hired in early 1972 at the ABC-owned album-oriented rock (AOR) station WRIF until 1973.

In April 1973, St. John began an almost 15-year stint at New York's WPLJ.  He survived the station's transition from AOR to top 40 in 1983.

He left WPLJ in 1987, and returned to his rock roots on WNEW-FM, which had been WPLJ's rival during its AOR years. He became the station's program director in the early 1990s.  St. John remained with the station until it switched to a hot talk format in 1998.