Radio Broadcasting
Sirius XM Holdings Inc. and iHeartMedia Inc. are in preliminary discussions about a potential merger that would unite the country’s largest satellite radio provider with its biggest radio station owner, according to Bloomberg News. The talks are still in their early stages and could ultimately collapse. Both companies declined to comment. A deal would create a major audio company with more than $12 billion in combined annual revenue, merging SiriusXM’s subscription model and Pandora streaming service with iHeartMedia’s extensive broadcast radio network, podcasts, and digital platforms.
In Savannah, radio legend Mark Robertson has died at age 73. 98.7 The River announced the news on social media Saturday, saying Robertson passed peacefully just after midnight following a battle with late-stage pancreatic cancer. He was diagnosed in April 2026, only months after retiring.
Media Industry
Social media erupted Sunday night and Monday morning over President Donald Trump’s tense 60 Minutes interview with CBS anchor Norah O’Donnell. The most viral moment came when Trump sharply criticized O’Donnell for reading excerpts from the gunman’s manifesto that labeled him a “pedophile, rapist, and traitor.”The confrontation took place less than 24 hours after an assassination attempt at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
On Saturday night, broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, NBC) and cable news channels provided extensive live coverage of the incident at the Washington Hilton. A gunman rushed a Secret Service checkpoint, exchanged gunfire, and triggered the rapid evacuation of President Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and other officials. Networks aired real-time footage of attendees taking cover amid the chaos, the Secret Service response, and Trump’s subsequent praise for law enforcement. The suspect — 31-year-old Cole Thomas Allen of Torrance, California — was taken into custody as a lone actor, with no injuries reported.
Lionsgate’s Michael Jackson biopic shattered box office records in its opening weekend despite mixed-to-negative reviews. Directed by Antoine Fuqua and starring Michael’s nephew Jaafar Jackson, the film earned an estimated $97 million domestically (with some projections nearing $100 million) from 3,955 theaters over Friday–Sunday. Worldwide, it has already surpassed $217 million in its first frame, including strong previews.
U.S. News
In the 60 Minutes interview aired Sunday, President Trump confronted anchor Norah O’Donnell, repeatedly denying allegations contained in the gunman’s manifesto and calling the veteran journalist a “disgrace” for reading the suspect’s words on air. The exchange occurred shortly after Trump survived the assassination attempt at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
Trump described the suspect as a “pretty sick guy” who had been flagged to law enforcement by family members. He noted that Cole Thomas Allen had posted what the president called an “anti-Christian” manifesto.
President Trump said Iran can call if it wants to negotiate an end to the two-month conflict, as Tehran’s foreign minister arrived in Russia on Monday seeking support from President Vladimir Putin. Hopes for diplomacy dimmed Saturday when Trump canceled a planned visit to Islamabad by envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi had shuttled between mediators Pakistan and Oman on Sunday before heading to Moscow. The two sides remain far apart on key issues, including Iran’s nuclear program and access through the Strait of Hormuz.