Radio BroadcastingThe Grammys: The 68th Grammy Awards took place Sunday, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, hosted by Trevor Noah (his final time). Major winners included Bad Bunny for Album of the Year (making history as the first all-Spanish-language album to win), Kendrick Lamar and SZA for Record of the Year ("luther"), Billie Eilish for Song of the Year, and Olivia Dean for Best New Artist. Kendrick Lamar also set a record as the most-awarded rapper ever. The ceremony featured performances and marked the last CBS broadcast before moving to Disney platforms in 2027.
Dan Bongino Is Back: Conservative commentator and former FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino relaunchea his podcast, The Dan Bongino Show, Monday after stepping down from his Trump administration role in late 2025. The show returns as a daily two-hour program (Monday–Friday, 10 a.m.–12 p.m. ET), with video livestreams exclusive to Rumble and audio on major platforms, distributed via Cumulus Media and Westwood One. Bongino described it as a bolder, unfiltered return with fresh insights from his time at the FBI.
Gene Simmons: Radio Must Pay For Play: In The LA Times KISS frontman Gene Simmons again has advocated for the American Music Fairness Act, a bipartisan bill to close a copyright loophole allowing AM/FM radio stations to play music without paying royalties to performers (only to songwriters/copyright holders). In recent opinion pieces and Senate testimony (late 2025/early 2026), he argued radio earns billions from music without fair compensation to artists like Taylor Swift or Bruno Mars, calling "free promotion" outdated in today's discovery landscape.
Media News
Savannah Guthrie's Mother Missing: Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of TODAY show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, was reported missing from her home in the Catalina Foothills area outside Tucson, Arizona, on Sunday. She was last seen Saturday night (around 9:45 p.m.), and the Pima County Sheriff's Department described concerning aspects at the scene while continuing the search.
ESPN-NFL Media Merger Closes: The major deal between ESPN (Disney-owned) and the NFL officially closed over the weekend, after U.S. and international regulators approved it. ESPN acquired NFL Network, NFL Fantasy integration, and RedZone distribution rights, while the NFL received a 10% equity stake in ESPN. The transaction integrates NFL Media employees into ESPN, promising expanded programming, fantasy experiences, and coverage for fans.
The News:
Trump Announces 2-Year Closure of the Kennedy Center: President Trump revealed plans to close the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., for about two years starting in July for major renovations, aiming to make it the "finest" facility. This follows performer backlash and boycotts.
Sports:
Winter Olympics: The Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics start Friday (opening ceremony), overlapping Super Bowl (Feb 8) and NBA All-Star (Feb 15) on NBC. New events like ski mountaineering debut, with US stars like Chloe Kim, Jessie Diggins, and others in focus. Lindsey Vonn's recent crash comments add drama.