Karoline Leavitt To Exit TWH

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt will leave her post at the end of the month to spend more time with her family, President Donald Trump announced Wednesday.

In an Aug. 12 Truth Social post, Trump said: “Our wonderful White House Press Secretary, and one of my most trusted aides, Karoline Leavitt, will be departing her role at the end of the month so she can spend more time with her beautiful young children and family, a decision I totally understand and respect!”

Leavitt, 28, is the youngest press secretary in White House history and has held the position throughout Trump’s second term.  She recently returned to the job after maternity leave following the birth of her second child, a daughter.

Trump said Leavitt will continue as one of his top outside advisers and remain “an influential voice within the Republican Party” as the party works to win the midterm elections. He did not name a successor.

Report: Paramount Has Talked About Editorial Board To Oversee CNN

Paramount has discussed creating an editorial board for CNN and other safeguards to protect the network’s journalistic independence as it prepares to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery for $81 billion, according to people familiar with the matter.

The Wall Street Journal reports the internal talks about an oversight committee for news have arisen while Paramount, owner of CBS News, plans for the deal’s closing. Paramount’s stock recently rose 1.33% and Warner Bros. Discovery’s rose 1.75%.

The acquisition is currently on hold because of an antitrust lawsuit filed by California and 11 other states. A trial is scheduled for March. The states allege the combination would give one company excessive power over theatrical movie distribution and cable television. Paramount says the deal is pro-consumer and would help it compete with larger rivals such as Disney, Netflix and Amazon. It has already cleared the U.S. Justice Department and regulators in the European Union, the U.K. and elsewhere.

Sale Of CNN 'On the Table'

A sale of CNN is “on the table” as Paramount Skydance seeks to complete its $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery and resolve a lingering multistate antitrust lawsuit, the company’s chief legal officer said.

Makan Delrahim made the comments at Politico’s California Agenda conference, noting a potential deal for the news network could help end the suit if it addresses regulators’ concerns. California Attorney General Rob Bonta and 11 other states argue that the combined “media behemoth” risks higher prices and reduced competition for movies and cable television.

The lawsuit is the final major obstacle after Paramount Skydance secured clearances from U.S. federal regulators, the United Kingdom, the European Union, China and other jurisdictions. By putting CNN on the auction block, the company aims to make the merger appear less monopolistic. Paramount Skydance already combines Skydance and Paramount assets, including production studios and CBS News; adding Warner Bros. Discovery would bring in HBO, DC Studios, TNT and other properties.

Makan Delrahim

Delrahim also became the first Paramount Skydance official to publicly state the company may leave California, following earlier reports linked to CEO David Ellison. “There is a point at which where you have a duty, a fiduciary duty to your shareholders, and those are the factors you consider,” he said. “If I was governor, I wouldn’t want to lose Hollywood from the state. I wouldn’t want to lose a major company like Paramount to another state. It isn’t a blackmail attempt. You go where you’re wanted.”

Reports indicate possible relocation to Tennessee, Texas or Georgia. A $7 million-per-day ticking fee takes effect if the Warner Bros. Discovery deal is not completed by Oct. 1. Leaving California could save an additional $500 million annually in taxes plus billions from selling studio lots. California Gov. Gavin Newsom has expressed concern about the antitrust case and is encouraging Bonta’s office to pursue an out-of-court settlement.

ACLU Wants Access To FCC Records On ABC-Owned TV Stations

The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the FCC seeking records on the agency’s decision to require select ABC-owned stations to renew their broadcast licenses early.

In the August 11 filing, the ACLU argued the move is part of a broader Trump administration effort to chill news coverage critical of the administration. 

Beasley Credits Digital, Local Direct For Increased Momentum

Beasley Media Group reported second-quarter net income of $84.3 million, or $45.95 per diluted share, driven primarily by a significant non-cash gain on debt extinguishment after its May 1 restructuring, compared with a $200,000 net loss, or 9 cents per share, a year earlier.

Revenue fell 16.8% to $44.1 million from $53 million, with same-station revenue down 9.6% amid ongoing weakness in traditional national and local agency advertising. The declines were partially offset by same-station digital revenue growth and stabilization in local direct spot advertising. Adjusted EBITDA rose to $5.3 million from $4.7 million, while operating income dropped to $1.3 million from $2.9 million.

Digital revenue totaled $11.7 million, down 11.6% on a reported basis but up 7.1% on a same-station basis, accounting for 26% of net revenue with a 15.4% operating margin. 

Local revenue, including digital packages sold locally, represented 74% of net revenue and rose 9% year-over-year. New business contributed 13% of net revenue.

TV Ratings: Fox News Channel Dominates Summer Primetime

FOX News Channel (FNC) finished the week of August 3rd with nearly 2.6 million weekday primetime viewers, outpacing ABC (2.2 million viewers) and CBS (2 million viewers), according to Nielsen Media Research Big Data + Panel.

Summer to date (6/21/26 - 8/09/26): FNC is leading broadcast networks NBC (2,576,000 viewers), ABC (2.3 million viewers), and CBS (2 million viewers) in weekday primetime viewers, averaging over 2.6 million viewers. 

Year to date (12/29/25 - 8/09/26): FNC continues to beat CBS (2,852,000 viewers) in weekday primetime with 2,876,000 viewers. 

TV Ratings: ABC WNT Is No.1 In All TV

For the 17th consecutive week, “World News Tonight with David Muir” stood as the No. 1 program in Total Viewers (8.339 million) on all of broadcast and cable (excluding sports) during the week of Aug 3, 2026, based on Live+Same Day Big Data Plus Panel Program Ratings from Nielsen Media Research.

• “World News Tonight with David Muir” ranked as the No. 1 newscast in all of broadcast and cable in Total Viewers (8.339 million) and Adults 18-49 (819,000).
• “World News Tonight” increased its Total Viewer lead over “NBC Nightly News,” both week to week (+9% – 1.682 million vs. 1.548 million), and year to year (+11% – 1.682 million vs. 1.519 million).

3 Years After Raid, Kansas Reporter Settles Lawsuit for $850K

Phyllis Zorn will receive $850,000 from the city of Marion to settle her federal lawsuit over the August 2023 police raid on the Marion County Record.

Phyllis Zorn

Attorneys for Zorn and the city filed a motion Tuesday—exactly three years after the raid—to dismiss the case. Kansas Reflector reviewed a copy of the settlement agreement, which has not yet been entered into the court record.

Zorn previously received $600,000 from Marion County, which settled various related lawsuits for a collective $3 million last fall. Former reporter Deb Gruver settled with the city in 2024 for $235,000. 

The city has not yet settled lawsuits filed by newspaper publisher Eric Meyer and former city Councilwoman Ruth Herbel.

“I’ve always been a fairly private person,” Zorn said. “It’s been an uncomfortable situation for me to be in, where pieces of my life are out there. That took some serious getting used to.” She added: “They picked on the wrong people. I think they thought they would get away with it because they’re some nothing little town in rural Kansas. But we were a newspaper. We have access to immediately draw the attention of the whole nation.”

Kansas Reflector first reported the August 2023 raid, which drew international attention for its clear violation of press freedom. Federal and state laws prohibit such raids on journalists because of the chilling effect of allowing authorities to review source materials and block unflattering coverage.Meyer called the settlements a costly lesson for local leaders who tried to weaponize law enforcement against the newspaper. 

“They proceeded at the encouragement of elected officials to trump up bogus charges they knew to be false, lied on warrant applications, tried to persuade others who normally review such things to look the other way, ignored advice from the KBI, and proudly set out to do the biggest raid ever in the history of Marion,” he said.

Good Morning! Here's The Pulse for Thursday, Aug 13

Radio Broadcasting

Beasley Credits Digital, Local Direct For Increased Momentum: They reported second-quarter net income of $84.3 million

Making News: Lee Harris, a National Radio Hall of Fame inductee and longtime New York radio news anchor, has resigned from 77 WABC and the Worldwide News Network after less than three months. 

Tour On Pause: Rod Stewart has canceled upcoming tour dates after a successful routine coronary stent procedure and is “very much on the mend.”

Lee Harris Exits Worldwide News Net

Lee Harris, a National Radio Hall of Fame inductee and longtime New York radio news anchor, has resigned from 77 WABC and the Worldwide News Network after less than three months with Red Apple Media. 

His departure was first reported by Barrett Media. 

Red Apple Media owner John Catsimatidis said a personnel issue arose and that he asked for Harris’s resignation, which was tendered on Wednesday. Catsimatidis expressed strong frustration, stating he was “outraged” and “mad as hell,” emphasizing equal treatment of all employees and long tenures at his companies, while adding that Harris should not seek a reference from him. 

Salem Narrows 2q Loss

Salem Media Group narrowed its second-quarter net loss to $3.4 million while preparing to sell itself to the Christian non-profit WaterStone, a deal expected to take the company private this month and potentially mark one of its final public earnings reports.

The right-of-center broadcaster reported net revenue of $45.9 million for the quarter, down from $54.2 million a year earlier. Its net loss improved to $3.4 million, or 11 cents per share, from $17.6 million, or 55 cents per share, in the prior-year period.

The smaller loss was driven mainly by a reduced non-cash impairment charge of $4.8 million in the second quarter of 2026, compared with $25.2 million a year earlier. General operating expenses also fell to $40.2 million from $51.2 million.

Earlier this year, Salem’s board and shareholders approved the sale to WaterStone for $1 per share. 

Regulatory approval remains the final major hurdle. The company still expects the transaction to close this month.

Salem continues to pursue cost reductions. In March it listed its corporate headquarters for sale and plans to become a tenant on the first floor of the same building. It has also stopped using a private jet rented from a company linked to its former CEO.

Salem operates Christian-themed and conservative spoken-word audio brands across radio stations, digital properties and other media assets. Going private would end its long tenure as a publicly traded company and place it under a non-profit foundation with a Christian-focused mission. It remains unclear whether WaterStone plans any programming changes after the acquisition.

Netflix To Steam 'Field of Dreams' Game

Netflix will stream the Minnesota Twins–Philadelphia Phillies MLB at Field of Dreams game on Thursday night in an exclusive broadcast.

The broadcast is part of Netflix's three-event 2026 MLB package that also included Opening Night, the Home Run Derby. MLB Network’s production team will co-produce Netflix's pregame and postgame coverage, and MLB has scheduled a special pregame ceremony featuring more than 25 Baseball Hall of Famers at the movie site. Notably, the game is MLB’s return to the historic Iowa venue after a four-year hiatus for renovations.

Looking ahead, Netflix will stream the NFL’s first regular-season game in Australia on September 10, as well as one NFL game on Thanksgiving Eve and two on Christmas Day. Of course, WWE Raw remains Netflix's (NFLX) steady live-sports anchor, airing live every Monday.

As MLB goes through final preparations for the third iteration of its Field of Dreams game, there has been no let up in ticket demand among fans. 

Resale pricing for Thursday’s game in Dyersville, Iowa, between the Phillies and Twins begins at about $650 per ticket across multiple marketplaces, but for most seats begins at more than $1,100. Those prices are similar to what occurred for the last version of this special-event game four years ago. 

On the primary market, tickets for the Field of Dreams game sold out months ago, with a limited allotment for Twins season-ticket holders and then a lottery for Iowa residents. The resale market, however, is resembling the high demand seen for last month’s MLB All-Star Game. 

The 2026 Field of Dreams game, to be streamed exclusively on Netflix, will take advantage of a newly completed stadium built at the filming site of the 1989 Field of Dreams movie starring Kevin Costner.

NFL Chiefs Unveil R/TV 2026 Broadcast Plans

The Kansas City Chiefs have announced their preseason television and radio talent teams for the 2026 season. The club's in-house preseason television network, the Chiefs Radio Network and Tico Sports will all return their full crews from the 2025 season.

"The collective goal of every Chiefs broadcast network team is to deliver world-class game coverage to Chiefs Kingdom, no matter the medium, and we couldn't be more excited to have our entire Chiefs Preseason Television crew, our Chiefs Radio Network crew, as well as the Chiefs Spanish Radio Network crew return for the 2026 season," Chiefs Vice President of Content and Production Robert Alberino, Jr. said. "The men and women who handle our preseason television broadcasts are the best in the industry, and we have tremendous partners in Audacy and Tico Sports for our radio coverage across preseason, regular season, and postseason football. We can't wait to kick off the 2026 season with the first preseason game this weekend."

Cincy Radio: NFL Bengals Expand Broadcast Partnerships

The Cincinnati Bengals are expanding partnerships with FOX19 NOW and iHeartMedia to further integrate their on-air talent across the club’s television and radio programming, providing fans with enhanced coverage and greater access throughout the season. As part of the expanded collaboration, the Bengals and FOX19 NOW have agreed to a multi-year extension of their partnership.

FOX19 NOW Sports Director Joe Danneman and iHeartMedia Host Tony Pike will be added to Bengals television and radio coverage. They will join a lineup that includes preseason television play-by-play announcer Mike Watts, preseason television analyst Anthony Muñoz, radio play-by-play announcer Dan Hoard, radio analyst Dave Lapham and radio pregame and postgame host Wayne Box Miller. Tune in to the television and radio broadcasts on Thursday at 7 p.m. when the Bengals host the Detroit Lions.

Rod Stewart Tour On Pause

Rod Stewart has canceled upcoming tour dates after a successful routine coronary stent procedure and is “very much on the mend.”

The 81-year-old British singer will take a four-week break from his “One Last Time” farewell tour but plans to return to performing soon. He is expected to resume his Las Vegas residency on September 24.

Radio History: Aug 13

➦In 1919...Alpha Rex Emmanuel Humbard born (Died at age 88 – September 21, 2007). He was a pioneering radio and TV evangelist whose Cathedral of Tomorrow show was aired on over 600 stations at the peak of its popularity.

➦In 1952...the original version of Hound Dog was recorded by Willie Mae (Big Mama) Thornton. It was the first hit for songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, who also wrote Kansas City for Wilbert Harrison, On Broadway for The Drifters, and Stand By Me for Ben E. King. Four years later, Hound Dog got the attention of the world when it was recorded by Elvis Presley.

➦In 1966…The controversy over John Lennon's "more popular than Jesus" comments had been growing since late July. A public bonfire was on this day organised by the radio station KLUE in Longview, Texas.

The following day, the KLUE broadcast tower was struck by lightning, damaging much of their equipment and sending the news director to the hospital.

➦In 1959...Daniel Bonaduce born. The son of veteran TV writer/producer Joseph Bonaduce (The Dick Van Dyke Show, One Day at a Time, and others), he became famous as a child actor of the 1970s on the TV sitcom The Partridge Family. He co-starred as Danny Partridge, the wisecracking, redheaded middle son of the singing family band (headed by Shirley Jones), and he was the fictional pop group's bass guitar player.