Paramount Skydance Earnings Show Mixed Results

Skydance Corp. is preparing for major operational shifts in 2027 following its $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, as executives target significant cost reductions to manage a debt load exceeding $80 billion.

As part of a strategy to prioritize streaming, the company announced Monday that it will bundle HBO Max and Paramount+ early next year. The company did not disclose pricing for the combined service.

iHM Reports Higher Q3 Revenue on Podcasting, Political Ads

iHeartMedia reported third-quarter revenue of $1.03 billion, a 3.3% increase from a year earlier, as growth in podcasting and political advertising more than offset declines in its traditional broadcast and network businesses.

Excluding political advertising, revenue rose a more modest 0.9%. The company swung to operating income of $73 million from an operating loss of $116.3 million in the same period last year. Its net loss narrowed to $8.2 million from $65.8 million, while adjusted EBITDA declined to $170.5 million from $204.8 million.

Urban One Reports $126.6M Q3 Operating Loss

Urban One Inc. reported net revenue of about $88 million for the third quarter, down 5% from the same period last year, as lower digital and cable television revenue outweighed growth in its radio division.

The company reported an operating loss of about $126.6 million for the three months ended Sept. 30, compared with operating income of about $2.5 million a year earlier. Net loss attributable to common stockholders was about $119.2 million, compared with a net loss of $2.8 million.

Broadcast and digital operating income was about $19.4 million, down $500,000 from a year earlier. Adjusted EBITDA was about $12.3 million, compared with about $14.2 million.

Radio revenue rose to $36.7 million from $34.7 million, helped by the acquisition of KKDA-FM and KRNB in Dallas and political advertising. The increase was partly offset by weaker demand from national and local advertisers.

Financial Warning Signs Posted For MediaCo

MediaCo Holding has obtained a one-month extension on a key loan, giving the multicultural broadcaster a short additional runway while its lenders continue to acknowledge ongoing defaults.

The company entered into a Third Amendment on November 2 to its First Lien Term Loan Credit Agreement, dated April 17, 2024, according to a Form 8-K filed with the SEC. The amendment pushes the maturity of the Delayed Draw Term Loans from October 31 to the earliest of November 30, the date the loans are accelerated or deemed accelerated, or 91 days before the maturity of any other debt exceeding a threshold in the credit agreement.

WhiteHawk Capital Partners, the administrative agent and collateral agent, acknowledged in the amendment that certain Defaults and/or Events of Default have occurred and are continuing. The agent and lenders reserved all rights and remedies. MediaCo and other loan parties reaffirmed their obligations and the security interests under the loan documents, and released the agent and lenders from known claims arising on or before the amendment date. The filing does not specify the nature of the defaults.

Tony Romo Makes TV Return On ESPN2

Tony Romo made a surprise return to television Monday night, appearing remotely on Pat McAfee’s ESPN2 “Monday Night Football Field Pass” alt-cast during the Buffalo Bills-Minnesota Vikings game—his first on-air media appearance since a July operating-while-intoxicated arrest in Wisconsin that led to his departure from CBS Sports.⁠

The former Dallas Cowboys quarterback and longtime CBS lead NFL analyst joined early in the second quarter via video as McAfee introduced him as the broadcast’s “quarterback expert” (or “quarterback specialist”). 

NFL Removes Steelers, Eagles Game From National TV Slot

The NFL has moved the Philadelphia Eagles’ Week 11 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers out of a national broadcast slot.

The game, billed as the “Battle of Pennsylvania,” will be played Sunday, Nov. 22, at 1 p.m. ET on CBS. It had been scheduled for 4:25 p.m.

The league moved the Jacksonville Jaguars-New York Giants game into the later national window. Jacksonville is 6-2, and New York is 5-2-1.

Podcasters Urge Paid Listener Support As Sponsors Exit

Hosts of the progressive podcast “I’ve Had It” is now asking listeners to become paid members and buy a book after multiple advertisers ended or distanced themselves from the show following laughter at a social media post about the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Jennifer Welch and co-host Angie “Pumps” Sullivan made the appeal in a nearly 30-minute episode released Monday titled “Not Today, TPUSA.” Welch said, “If you want to sponsor us financially, you can become a member on YouTube or join us on Substack. … Also go buy my book,” referring to her title “Not Today, Fascists.” She added that the show’s audience had grown since the controversy and that the hosts “are not going anywhere.”⁠

The remarks followed a Nov. 5 episode in which Welch read an X post that said, “We’re digging up Charlie Kirk and doing it again.” Welch and Sullivan laughed for roughly 20 seconds. They later stated that Kirk had been shot by someone from a “super MAGA family” or a “MAGA person.” Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, was fatally shot while speaking at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10, 2025.

Kid Kelly Ending Syndication of BackTrax USA

Kid Kelly is ending his nationally syndicated radio program, Backtrax USA, after 34 years. The final new episode is scheduled to air Saturday, Nov. 28.

Kelly announced the show’s end in a social media post on Monday, following several months in which stations had aired repeat episodes.

“After three decades, Backtrax USA 80s and 90s radio show will come to an end,” Kelly wrote. “It’s been a privilege to share the music, memories, and magic of two of the greatest decades in music history with radio stations and listeners. What started as a passion for the music grew into something that became a huge part of my life.”

Kelly launched Backtrax USA in December 1992 while working at WHTZ (100.3 FM, “Z100”) in New York City. The show initially focused on 1980s music, then added a separate edition featuring 1990s hits about a decade later.

R.I.P.: Rochelle Fleming, Lead Singer Philly Group First Choice

1954-2026

Rochelle Fleming, lead singer of the Philadelphia soul and disco group First Choice, has died at 72.

Her manager, George Iz Correia, announced her death Nov. 5 in a post on her Facebook page. “She brought light, laughter and love to the world,” he wrote. A cause of death was not disclosed.

Chicago Radio: Mix Men Raise $311K+ During Wear Pink Campaign

Chris Petlak, Nikki Chuminatto, Whip, and McCabe

 

101.9 The Mix (WTMX-FM) is proud to announce that its Men of the Mix fundraising team helped raise an incredible $311,121 for the American Cancer Society's Men Wear Pink campaign, with The MIX Team finishing first in Chicago for total funds raised.

Saginaw Radio: Z93 Goes Pink to Raise $127K+

Adam Shilling (The Morning After with Matt and Adam), Brooklyn Kennings (American Cancer Society), Tanya Bardy (Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort and Saganing Eagles Landing Casino and Hotel), and Matt Bingham (The Morning After with Matt and Adam)

Rock station Z93 (WKQZ-FM) and Z93 Program Director Matt Bingham have raised $127,950 in community donations for the American Cancer Society as part of the organization’s annual Men Wear Pink fundraising campaign. All funds raised benefit the American Cancer Society in Mid-Michigan and the fight against breast cancer. Z93 and Bingham have participated in Men Wear Pink for the last eight years, raising a total of more than $200,000, which helps provide lodging and rides to treatment for patients, patient education, and breakthrough research that is vital and necessary in the fight against breast cancer.

TV Ratings: CNN, CBS News Show Strength For Skydance

NBC News, powered by data analyst Steve Kornacki, led Election Night coverage on November 3 with 6.74 million primetime viewers, topping every broadcast and cable rival and helping drive a combined audience of 31.2 million across 13 networks—up 23 percent from the 2022 midterms.⁠

Roughly 2.4–2.5 million of those NBC viewers were under 50. Kornacki’s 10.5-hour “Kornacki Cam” livestream peaked at more than 300,000 concurrent viewers on YouTube and generated a record 29 million views across platforms.

However, Skydance, which now owns both CNN and CBS, can point to a different measure of strength. 

Nielsen estimates show the two networks combining for approximately 6.91 million primetime viewers—slightly ahead of NBC alone. Both also grew from 2022: CNN posted a sharp gain of roughly 59 percent in total viewers, while CBS rose a more modest 8–12 percent.

Scorecard Courtesy of Puck

⁠The results underscore a fragmented but expanded election-night audience, with NBC claiming the single-network crown even as the newly combined Skydance properties collectively edged past it.

Get Updated: The Pulse Briefing For Tuesday, Nov 10

Radio Broadcasting

iHM Earnings: iHeartMedia reported third-quarter revenue of $1.03 billion, a 3.3% increase from a year earlier, as growth in podcasting and political advertising more than offset declines in its traditional broadcast and network businesses. MORE

Loan Extension...But: MediaCo Holding has obtained a one-month extension on a key loan, giving the multicultural broadcaster a short additional runway while its lenders continue to acknowledge ongoing defaults. MORE

CEO Change: SiriusXM has announced Anjali Sud will become its chief executive officer on Jan. 1, 2027, succeeding Jennifer Witz, who is stepping down after nearly 25 years with the company. MORE

Media Industry

Big Changes: Skydance Corp. is preparing for major operational shifts in 2027 following its $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, as executives target significant cost reductions to manage a debt load exceeding $80 billion. MORE

ESPN Scores: Disney-owned ESPN has secured exclusive media rights to an expanded 24-team College Football Playoff beginning with the 2027-28 season. MORE

Romo Return: Tony Romo made a surprise return to television Monday night, appearing remotely on Pat McAfee’s ESPN2 “Monday Night Football Field Pass” alt-cast during the Buffalo Bills-Minnesota Vikings game—his first on-air media appearance since a July operating-while-intoxicated arrest in Wisconsin that led to his departure from CBS Sports. MORE

U-S News

On Defense: Facing a looming impeachment vote in Congress, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth dug his heels in at a combative news conference Tuesday, the latest show of defiance in the face of persistent questions about his political future.

Gas Prices Dropping: National gas prices in the United States are approaching a sub-$4 per gallon average for the first time since April 2026. Experts suggest this decline is driven by seasonal shifts and increased refinery output rather than the results of the recent election.

Colder Weather Coming: A forecast nor'easter could bring the season's first snowfall to millions of people across the northeastern United States between Nov. 12 and Nov. 14, 2026. While a sharp turn toward cooler conditions is expected, meteorologists note uncertainty regarding the storm's exact track and whether temperatures will be low enough to produce snow in major coastal cities.

ESPN, College Football Expand Playoffs

Disney-owned ESPN has secured exclusive media rights to an expanded 24-team College Football Playoff beginning with the 2027-28 season.

The deal covers eight first-round games, eight second-round games, four quarterfinals, two semifinals and the national championship — a significant increase from the 11 games in the current 12-team playoff.

Buck Sexton Drops Stunning Rebuke of Trumpisms

Conservative radio host Buck Sexton publicly broke with President Donald Trump on Monday, flatly rejecting three positions now roiling the right: amnesty for illegal immigrants, claims the 2026 midterms were stolen, and the notion that “corruption is no big deal, everybody does it.”⁠

In a blunt social media post, Sexton wrote:

Not going along with amnesty
Not going along with “this election was stolen”
Not going along with “corruption is no big deal, everybody does it”

Mediate reports the rebuke followed Trump’s Sunday 60 Minutes interview, in which he called his deportation policy “too tough,” admitted it hurt Republicans, and floated a possible deal with Democrats for some long-term undocumented immigrants. Trump later insisted “there is no amnesty.” Hours before Sexton’s post, Trump also questioned the midterms on Truth Social, asking, “Does anybody really believe that this ‘Election’ was honest” and blaming machines and early-voting “dumps.”

Radio History: Nov 10

Kate Smith

➦In 1938...32-year-old Kate Smith first sang Irving Berlin's 'God Bless America' on her CBS radio network show. Smith was a major star of radio. She began with her twice-a-week NBC series, Kate Smith Sings (quickly expanded to six shows a week), followed by a series of shows for CBS: Kate Smith and Her Swanee Music (1931–33), sponsored by La Palina Cigars; The Kate Smith Matinee (1934–35); The Kate Smith New Star Revue (1934–35); Kate Smith's Coffee Time (1935–36), sponsored by A&P; and The Kate Smith A&P Bandwagon (1936–37).

The Kate Smith Hour was a leading radio variety show, offering comedy, music, and drama with appearances by top personalities of films and theater for eight years (1937–1945). The show's resident comics, Abbott and Costello and Henny Youngman, introduced their comedy to a nationwide radio audience aboard her show, while a series of sketches based on the Broadway production of the same name led to The Aldrich Family as a separate hit series in 1940.

Smith continued on the Mutual Broadcasting System, CBS, ABC, and NBC, doing both music and talk shows on radio until 1960.

"God Bless America" is an American patriotic song written by Irving Berlin in 1918 and revised by him in 1938. The later version has notably been recorded by Kate Smith, becoming her signature song.

Irving Berlin wrote the song in 1918 while serving the U.S. Army at Camp Upton in Yaphank, New York, but decided that it did not fit in a revue called Yip Yip Yaphank, so he set it aside.

In 1938, with the rise of Adolf Hitler, Berlin, who was Jewish and a first-generation Russian immigrant, felt it was time to revive it as a "peace song," and it was introduced on an Armistice Day broadcast in 1938, sung by Kate Smith on her radio show. Berlin had made some minor changes; by this time, "to the right" might have been considered a call to the political right, so he substituted "through the night" instead. He also provided an introduction that is now rarely heard but which Smith always used: "While the storm clouds gather far across the sea / Let us swear allegiance to a land that's free / Let us all be grateful for a land so fair, / As we raise our voices in a solemn prayer." (In her first broadcast of the song, Kate Smith sang "that we're far from there" rather than "for a land so fair".)

➦In 1950...a radio comedy series 'The Magnificent Montague' starring Monty Woolley debuted on NBC. It may rank as radio’s last original sitcom. Ironically, its final airing was exactly one year later, as TV continued to steal the radio audience.

➦In 1956...Billboard magazine's DJ survey reveals that Elvis Presley is the country's number one male artist on both the pop and country charts.

SiriusXM Announces New CEO

SiriusXM has announced Anjali Sud will become its chief executive officer on Jan. 1, 2027, succeeding Jennifer Witz, who is stepping down after nearly 25 years with the company.

Witz will remain in an advisory capacity through the end of 2027. Sud, who has served as an independent director on the SiriusXM board since March 2025, will continue in that role after assuming the CEO position.