Good Morning! Let's Begin With The Pulse for Monday, April 13

Radio Broadcasting

Digital advertising continues to expand rapidly, fueled by a few dominant tech platforms and the fast rise of retail media networks, while traditional channels such as radio, TV and print are adopting digital extensions and data-driven targeting to stay competitive.

Pearson Broadcasting of Northwest Arkansas has reached a definitive agreement with the Baker Family Trust to acquire the 93.7 FM frequency, which will be rebranded as ESPN Arkansas 93.7, significantly extending ESPN Arkansas’s coverage across Northwest Arkansas and the greater River Valley. The current KISR (Kisser 93) will move from 93.7 FM to 93.1 FM and will continue serving the River Valley with its established local format.

After CBS News Radio shut down, Live Channel USA launched Radio Network News (RNN). Led by executives from Sky News, the BBC and CNN, RNN will run a “Bridge Service” starting May 23 before a full launch on June 1 to support stations affected by CBS’s exit. Using a hybrid model—U.S.-based production paired with a London global hub—RNN will deliver domestic and international reporting; founder Dan Warren says it provides affiliates a more globally integrated news solution.

Media Industry

The Pentagon asked a federal judge Friday to keep in place its policy requiring escorts for journalists entering the military complex, saying the restriction is necessary to prevent national security leaks while it appeals recent court defeats. The filing follows two rulings by U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman that struck down major portions of the Defense Department’s press restrictions as unconstitutional in a New York Times lawsuit; the Pentagon argued that “allowing members of the public unfettered access to the Pentagon poses unique and acute dangers.”

Puck News reports that Bob Iger and Disney have mounted a preemptive response to an upcoming unauthorized biography, portraying Iger as “thin‑skinned” about media coverage. According to the story, Disney has retained litigator Charles Harder to press the author and publisher and has had Harder send letters to HarperCollins requesting information and additional time for fact‑checking.

U-S News

President Donald Trump said on Sunday that the price of oil and gasoline may remain high through November's midterm elections, ​a rare acknowledgement of the potential political fallout from his decision to attack Iran six weeks ago. "It could be, or the same, or maybe a little ‌bit higher, but it should be around the same," Trump, who is in Miami for the weekend, told Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures With Maria Bartiromo" when asked whether the cost of oil and gas would be lower by the fall.

U.S. Representative Eric Swalwell on Sunday said he was suspending his campaign for governor of California, as ​he faces calls from fellow Democratic lawmakers and dozens of his former staffers to leave Congress following accusations of sexual assault. "To my family, staff, friends, and supporters, ‌I am deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past," Swalwell wrote in a post on X, without elaborating. "I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made - but that's my fight, not a campaign's."

Rory McIlroy has done it again. On Sunday, the Northern Irishman became the fourth player in Masters history to go back-to-back, joining Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods. McIlroy further cemented his legacy in the tournament’s history not by blowing away the field or by producing a final-round score for the ages. After 36 holes, he had a record six-shot lead. But he sweated out this Masters Sunday, with two birdies in Amen Corner the difference.

Trump Talks Blockade

President Donald Trump announced a naval blockade on all ships entering and leaving the Strait of Hormuz during a Fox News interview on Sunday morning, confirming an earlier post on Truth Social. The move comes after intense negotiations with Iran failed to yield an agreement.

Speaking on "Sunday Morning Futures" with Maria Bartiromo, Trump stated, "We’re going to be blockading. It’ll take a little while, but it’ll be effective pretty soon." He confirmed that talks, which he described as lasting 21 hours with U.S. representatives like J.D. Vance, Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner, broke down over Iran's refusal to abandon its nuclear ambitions. "They want to have nuclear weapons. They’re not going to have nuclear weapons," Trump asserted.

Watch @MariaBartiromo Face As @realDonaldTrump Tells Her Gas Prices Might Go 'A Little Bit Higher' before midterms on @FoxNews @SundayFutures

(@ 1:49 point)https://t.co/zCrjVNMGan

— RoadMN (@RoadMN) April 12, 2026

The President characterized Iran's negotiating stance as an attempt to act like "they had the cards," a notion he dismissed by claiming, "Their army and their whole military is obliterated. The whole place is obliterated. And as you know, levels of leaders are gone. They’re literally gone. Khamenei’s gone, the whole thing is gone, the whole place is gone."

Trump described Iran's potential response, such as placing mines in the Strait, as "extortion," saying, "if you have a ship that costs a billion dollars, you say, ‘well, you know, I prefer not getting whacked by a mine, losing my ship or damaging it badly, at least.’" Despite calling the negotiations "very friendly," he reiterated that Iran's nuclear program was the critical sticking point. "We got just about every point we needed, except for the fact that they refused to give up their nuclear ambition. And that’s the only point, frankly, to me, that was the most important point by far."

Pentagon Asks Court To Reconsider Press Restrictions

The Pentagon asked a federal judge on Friday to maintain its policy requiring escorts for journalists entering the military complex, arguing the restriction is essential to prevent national security leaks while it appeals recent court losses.

The filing follows two rulings by U.S. District Court Judge Paul Friedman, who recently struck down major parts of the Defense Department’s press restrictions as unconstitutional in a lawsuit brought by The New York Times. Seeking to keep the escort rule active during the appeals process, the Pentagon argued in its filing that “allowing members of the public unfettered access to the Pentagon poses unique and acute dangers.”

The legal battle stems from a controversial set of rules adopted in October that allowed the Pentagon to declare credentialed journalists “security risks” and revoke their press passes. Rather than sign the new policy, journalists at many traditional media outlets surrendered their credentials, and The Times sued in December, arguing the rules violated the First and Fifth Amendments.

The press restrictions are part of a broader push to limit media access under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Since taking office in early 2025, Hegseth has repeatedly targeted journalists' access to the Defense Department, including removing several news organizations from their on-site workstations and previously proposing to ban a reporter from NBC News.

Digital Advertising Remains Challenging For Legacy Media

Digital advertising continues its strong growth, driven primarily by the dominance of a few major tech platforms and the rapid ascent of retail media networks, while traditional channels like radio, TV, and print are compelled to innovate with digital extensions and data-driven targeting to remain competitive.

The lion's share of this growth in digital advertising is consolidated among major players like Google (Search, YouTube), Meta (Facebook, Instagram), Amazon (e-commerce ads, Twitch), and TikTok. These platforms benefit from massive global user bases, proprietary first-party data, and integrated ecosystems that allow for highly granular targeting and measurable campaign performance, from search and social media ads to programmatic display and video.

A particularly fast-growing segment is retail media networks, spearheaded by companies like Amazon (Amazon Ads), Walmart (Walmart Connect), Target (Roundel), and Kroger (Kroger Precision Marketing). These networks allow brands to advertise directly on retailers' e-commerce sites, apps, and sometimes even in-store screens, leveraging invaluable first-party purchase data to offer closed-loop attribution—meaning advertisers can directly link ad exposure to actual sales, a powerful incentive for marketing spend.

LA TV: Telemundo Resurges, Call It The Bad Bunny Effect

Telemundo, the NBCUniversal-owned Spanish-language network, is experiencing significant viewership growth and increased relevance, defying earlier predictions that Spanish-language television would decline. The network is gearing up for extensive coverage of this summer’s FIFA World Cup championships, which it anticipates will be the largest Spanish-language media coverage in history.

Last year, Telemundo's evening news saw an 11% audience increase, according to Nielsen data. Its Los Angeles station, KVEA Channel 52, has surpassed long-standing rivals like Walt Disney Co.’s KABC and Univision’s KMEX in local evening and late-night newscasts. Furthermore, its Telemundo Noticias (News) account on TikTok boasts 16 million followers, outranking major English-language news outlets.

The L-A Times reports this resurgence is attributed to a combination of cultural and demographic shifts, including a renewed sense of pride in the Spanish language among Latinos (referred to as the "Bad Bunny effect"), and a strategy to deliver content directly relevant to its audience. Gemma Garcia, Telemundo’s executive vice president for news, noted, "We are growing because we are telling the stories that are important to our audience."

News anchor Julio Vaquiero

A key factor in Telemundo's rise was NBCUniversal’s substantial investment, particularly in securing the U.S. Spanish-language media rights for the FIFA World Cup in 2011, dethroning long-time broadcaster Univision. This strategic advantage, combined with Univision's own struggles under various ownerships, has further propelled Telemundo.

The Miami-based division has a strong social media presence. Its Telemundo Noticias (News) account boasts 16 million followers on TikTok, topping ABC News, CNN and Fox News.

Earlier forecasts for Spanish-language TV's decline were based on the idea that as the Latino population growth increasingly came from U.S. births, rather than immigration, English-speaking U.S.-born Latinos would turn to English media. However, the U.S. Latino population nearly doubled between 2000 and 2024, reaching 68 million, with cultural pride in Spanish language and identity seemingly strengthening.

CBS Atlanta Expands Local News Line-Up

CBS Atlanta is launching a new hourlong weekday newscast at 5 p.m. starting Monday in response to viewer demand for more early evening news.

Anchored by Sharon Lawson, alongside meteorologist Dagmar Midcap and traffic reporter Orelon Sidney, the 5 p.m. broadcast will feature daily headlines paired with lighter, lifestyle-oriented stories. The new show will lead directly into the station’s existing flagship 6 p.m. newscast.

CBS Atlanta President and General Manager Tom Canedo noted that the 5 p.m. hour was a natural place to grow the station's programming. “The 6 p.m. had such a great response, and what the data was showing us is that the viewers wanted more early evening news prior to CBS Evening News (at 6:30 p.m.),” Canedo said.

The new broadcast is the latest step in CBS Atlanta’s ongoing expansion since launching its newsroom from the ground up last August. The network took over national programming on the formerly independent WUPA-TV last year after Atlanta News First (formerly CBS46) ended its CBS affiliation to become an independent station.

To build its local news operation, CBS Atlanta has hired approximately 70 people across its editorial, production, and digital teams. The station also implemented a virtual and augmented reality studio—the first of its kind in the Atlanta market—and previously expanded its programming in February with the debut of a 6 a.m. weekday morning newscast.

NFL Media Rights Escalating

NBC’s annual sports spending could increase about 19% to roughly $9.5 billion if it agrees to a price hike north of 50% for NFL rights, reflecting how leagues are extracting higher fees through multi‑outlet deals.

Bloomberg reports the projected jump would stem largely from a steeper price for NFL rights, which account for the single largest portion of broadcast sports rights spending. Leagues are packaging rights across broadcast, cable, streaming and digital platforms, driving up bid values as broadcasters compete to secure multi‑outlet deals that preserve audience reach.

A near‑50% increase in NFL rights costs would pressure NBC’s overall sports budget, likely forcing tradeoffs — higher ad rates, increased reliance on subscription revenue for streaming, deeper integration of sponsorships, or cuts elsewhere in programming and rights portfolios. Competitive responses from other networks and streamers could further escalate bidding and industry costs.

The NFL remains the most popular sport in the U.S., commanding premium viewership and advertiser demand. That market dominance gives leagues leverage to demand bigger, more complex packages that monetize content across platforms. Broadcasters seeking to maintain exclusivity and cross‑platform reach are therefore incentivized to meet those demands.

The government has signaled concern that rising rights fees and distribution practices are harming fans — by raising costs, fragmenting access across platforms, and reducing transparency — which could prompt regulatory scrutiny or policy interventions affecting future deals.

Bottom line: If NBC signs on to a 50%+ price increase for NFL rights, the network faces substantial budgetary and strategic pressure, while the broader market could see escalating rights costs, shifting revenue models, and potential regulatory attention as fan access and affordability come under scrutiny.

Bob Iger Lawyers-Up To Challenge Unauthorized Bio

Puck published a piece Friday by Matthew Belloni saying Bob Iger and Disney have gone on the offensive ahead of an upcoming unauthorized biography — and that Iger is “thin‑skinned” about media portrayals. The story reports that Disney has retained high‑profile litigator Charles Harder to press the publisher/author and has had Harder send letters to HarperCollins seeking information and more time for fact‑checking.

Key facts from the Puck article

• Puck says Disney retained Charles Harder (Harder Stonerock) to push back on Robbie Whelan’s unauthorized book, which Puck first reported in 2023 under the working title The House of Mouse: Bob Iger and the Fight for the Soul of Disney.
• According to Puck, Harder has sent multiple letters to HarperCollins seeking details about the book’s contents and pressing for time to “fact check” material; Puck describes the letters as threatening. Disney is the formal client, though Belloni reports Iger as a driving force behind the push.
• 
  Belloni’s piece emphasizes that, despite Iger’s long ties to news organizations (ABC News, ESPN), he’s known within Hollywood as “thin‑skinned” about how the media portrays him — and that many at Disney are worried about unflattering material from former insiders.
• Puck notes that Harder’s résumé includes representing high‑profile clients (examples cited: Donald Trump, Melania Trump, Hulk Hogan/Gawker matters, etc.), which is why Belloni calls him a surprising — and aggressive — choice for Disney.

Puck also reports Iger is working on a follow‑up book of his own and that sources say Iger sees his project as a way to counter unapproved narratives.

This is a pre‑publication dispute made visible by legal letters and public reporting; such letters are often intended to pressure publishers or shape narratives before a book appears. Puck frames the move as Disney trying to blunt potentially damaging reporting rather than engaging with the author.

Fort Smith Radio: 93.7 FM To Rebrand As ESPN Arkansas

Pearson Broadcasting of Northwest Arkansas has reached a definitive agreement with the Baker Family Trust to acquire the 93.7 FM frequency, which will be rebranded as ESPN Arkansas 93.7. The move will significantly expand ESPN Arkansas's reach across Northwest Arkansas and the greater River Valley. The current station, KISR (Kisser 93), will transition from 93.7 FM to 93.1 FM, continuing to serve the River Valley with its established local format.

93.7 FM (88 Kw)

The addition of the 88,000-watt signal will broaden ESPN Arkansas' coverage to include Fort Smith, Hot Springs, Northwest Arkansas, Harrison, Mountain Home, and parts of Eastern Oklahoma. Tommy Craft, General Manager of ESPN Arkansas, hailed the acquisition as a "game changer," anticipating increased listenership for its live and local sports talk programming, particularly University of Arkansas athletics.

Fred Baker, President of KISR and the station's founder over 55 years ago, stated the move aligns with KISR's original mission for local service, noting that an expanded signal had previously complicated maintaining a strictly local focus. He emphasized Pearson Broadcasting's commitment to local radio as a key factor in the partnership.

The transaction is subject to FCC approval and is expected to close early this summer. The Baker Family Trust operates six stations in the region, while Pearson Broadcasting Management Services oversees multiple outlets across Arkansas. Mark Jorgenson of Jorgenson Broadcast Brokerage represented the Baker Family Trust in the deal.

Radio History: April 13

➦In 1922..KHJ Los Angeles officially signed on.

KHJ - 1927

Today KHJ is owned and operated by Relevant Radio, Inc., the station broadcasts Roman Catholic religious programming as an affiliate of the Relevant Radio network.

KHJ was first licensed on March 18, 1922 to C. R. Kierulff & Company in Los Angeles, for operation on the 360 meter entertainment wavelength. The Kierulff company acted as contractors responsible for installing the station in the Los Angeles Times building at First and Broadway, and in November the newspaper's owner, the Times Mirror Company, became the official licensee.  The KHJ call letters were randomly assigned from a roster of available call signs, although the station quickly adopted the slogan "Kindness, Happiness and Joy".  Test transmissions began on April 8th.  The station's formal debut broadcast was held on April 13th from 6:45 to 7:45 p.m.

In April 1965, programming consultant Bill Drake crafted KHJ's top 40 format. Drake hired program director Ron Jacobs, who had created formats in Hawaii and California. The format, known as "Boss Radio", featured a restricted playlist and restrained commentary by announcers (although a few, such as Robert W. Morgan, Charlie Tuna, Humble Harve Miller, and The Real Don Steele, were allowed to develop on-air personas). 

Other DJs from this era (1965–1980) included Roger Christian, Gary Mack, Dave Diamond, Beau Weaver, John Leader, Sam Riddle, Johnny Williams, Frank Terry, Johnny Mitchell, Tommy Vance, Scotty Brink, Steve Clark, Bobby Tripp, Tom Maule, and Bill Wade. One defining characteristic of Boss Radio was the jingles by the Johnny Mann Singers.

Drake's format spread throughout North America, bringing high ratings to KFRC in San Francisco, WFIL in Philadelphia, KGB in San Diego, WQXI in Atlanta, WRKO in Boston, and CKLW in Windsor, Ontario, Canada (serving Detroit). Drake and his business partner Gene Chenault brought many of their announcers from the other Boss stations, using those stations as a farm system to develop talent.

The station switched to a country music radio format in 1980 and back to pop music in 1983. In 1986, KHJ changed its call letters to KRTH, adopting an oldies format as a sister station to KRTH-FM 101.1 FM. Three years later, the station was sold to Liberman Broadcasting who aired Spanish-language formats from 1990 to 2014, using the call letters KKHJ until 2000, when it regained its original calls.

➦In 1930...WHOM AM NYC signed on.

This station was founded in 1925 by the New Jersey Broadcasting Corp., owned by Outdoor Advertising executive Harry O'Mealia, whose company owned thousands of billboards around the metropolitan area. WHOM was originally a Jersey City station, having taken over 1450 AM from the merged WIBS/WKBO.

WHOM debuted with a 15 minute inaugural broadcast on April 13, 1930 at 5:45pm. The host was chief announcer Howard Lepper, previously the manager of WIBS. Then, according to Angelfire.com,  the station left the air to make time for WNJ and WBMS, returning to the air at 9pm for a gala show that lasted until 2am. In 1931, WHOM absorbed the airtime of WNJ, and the following year, it became a full-time station with the demise of WBMS.

In 1946, WHOM officially changed their "city of license" from Jersey City to New York.

In 1989, the station was sold to Infinity Broadcasting, owners of WXRK 92.3, among others. Calls were changed to WZRC on April 28, 1990 and the station instituted a heavy-metal rock format as "Z-Rock," a service of the Dallas-based Satellite Music Network and was so anxious to enter the New York market. In December 1992, WZRC switched to country music.

Then in 1993, Infinity signed a lease agreement with a Korean programming service making WZRC 1480  the first full-time Korean-language station in New York.

➦In 1953...Music ‘Til Dawn with host Bob Hall premiered on WCBS 880 AM NYC. American Airlines owned the program.  The show also aired on five other CBS-owned stations in cities served by the airline. The list of cities expanded to include at least eight others, with many hosts over the years all bearing the signature "soothing" voice.