Good Monday Morning! The Pulse Has Your Briefing For Oct 5

Radio Broadcasting

Ticking Clock: Time may run out on the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act after the Senate adjourned until after the November midterm elections without bringing the bill to the floor. MORE

LA's AI Morning Host: An artificial intelligence bot is co-hosting a rising 8am- 10am morning show on Los Angeles Spanish-language station José FM, trading banter with a human DJ as ratings climb and the program expands to other markets — even as unions and radio workers warn that synthetic hosts could finish off an already shrinking industry. MORE

Zack Makes A Statement: Country's Zach Bryan broke Gillette Stadium’s attendance record while wearing a “Free Palestine” shirt, weeks after Macklemore was removed from Ed Sheeran’s tour ahead of dates at the Robert Kraft-owned venue over pro-Palestine remarks. MORE

Media Industry

The Skydance Era: David Ellison said Friday that the combined Paramount-Warner Bros. company will be named Skydance starting Tuesday, putting the name of the company he built above Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., HBO, CBS, CNN, DC Studios, Nickelodeon, Paramount+ and HBO Max. MORE

Mega Merger Closing: Ynon Kreiz begins at Paramount today with responsibility for delivering more than $6 billion in synergies from the company’s $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, expected to close the next day. MORE

DOJ Argues for Ban: The Justice Department argued late Friday that President Donald Trump should be allowed to reinstate his ban barring CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House, filing the claim ahead of a hearing next week in the news organizations’ lawsuit. MORE

U-S News

B-1 Bombers Home: The United States has moved long-range bombers back to their American home stations days after the British government arrested a number of individuals in connection with an alleged Iranian plot to target the UK airbase where the planes had been stationed

SCOTUS Returns: The Supreme Court’s new term will begin with high‑profile cases on climate‑change liability, gun‑rights restrictions, religious‑rights disputes, and Trump‑era immigration policies, signaling a busy docket that could affect states, local governments, and national policy.

Jane Doe Threatened: The alleged victim of a 2024 gang rape by members of Cornell's Chi Phi fraternity, has faced multiple threats after filing a civil lawsuit, while Cornell University has announced an independent review and a reevaluation of Greek life.

Ellison’s Company, Not The Studios, Gets The Corporate Name

David Ellison said Friday that the combined Paramount-Warner Bros. company will be named Skydance starting Tuesday, putting the name of the company he built above Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., HBO, CBS, CNN, DC Studios, Nickelodeon, Paramount+ and HBO Max.

The choice is not Paramount Warner Bros., Warner Paramount, or a neutral name meant to split the difference between two century-old studios. Ellison said he wants to preserve the Paramount and Warner Bros. identities, not bury them under a new corporate brand, and he has said those labels should remain in the spotlight. Audiences are not expected to seek a Skydance release instead of a Warner Bros. or Paramount film, and keeping the older brands visible makes obvious business sense. The corporate name still shows where control sits.

Ellison Sets Strategy, Skydance CEO Has To Make It Work

Ynon Kreiz begins at Paramount today with responsibility for delivering more than $6 billion in synergies from the company’s $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, expected to close the next day.

David Ellison retains strategy, creative direction, talent relationships, technology and capital allocation. Kreiz will run day-to-day management and the integration of the combined businesses. Paramount has already pointed to early savings from a single enterprise resource planning system, consolidated streaming technology, procurement and real estate.

According to Forbes, The larger constraint is what must stay separate. Paramount has committed to keep both studios and to invest in the creative engines of both companies. Under a settlement with 12 state attorneys general, the merged company must negotiate carriage for Paramount and Warner Bros. basic cable channels separately for five years and release at least 30 films a year. The task is to cut duplication without requiring every part of the company to operate the same way.

PSKY, WBD Rebrands As Skydance

The combined Paramount–Warner Bros. Discovery will be named Skydance, CEO David Ellison announced Friday, days before the merger is expected to close on October 6.

The deal is expected to take effect Tuesday. Ellison may name the combined company’s leadership team today, people familiar with the planning told CNN, then lead a town hall and hold meetings in Los Angeles and New York.

Clock Ticking On AM Radio Act

Time may run out on the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act after the Senate adjourned until after the November midterm elections without bringing the bill to the floor.

The Senate returns the week of Nov. 9 leaving a lame-duck session with only eight working days scheduled in November and 14 in December, including Fridays rarely used for floor action. Any bill that does not pass before the current Congress ends on Jan. 3 dies and must be reintroduced from scratch next year. The 2023 version failed after a December push fell short in the Senate.

Advocates had hoped to get the Senate version to the floor before the recess. That did not happen. When the chamber returns, it will face a crowded list of priorities. Asked about pushing so much work into November and December, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) sarcastically called the scramble their “golden era.”

Trump Wants Media Outlet Ban Reinstated

The Justice Department argued late Friday that President Donald Trump should be allowed to reinstate his ban barring CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House, filing the claim ahead of a hearing next week in the news organizations’ lawsuit.

CNN reports the department said Trump determined the outlets had published stories that “adversely affect national security, including publishing possibly classified or sensitive information,” and that cutting off access “removes one avenue for these outlets to obtain such harmful information.”

U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly is weighing whether to extend a two-week order that restored the outlets’ access. That order expires at the end of next week. He will hold a hearing Thursday on the outlets’ request for a preliminary injunction, which would keep access in place longer while the case continues.

Democrat Wyden Warns of All-GOP FCC

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) has asked the FCC’s only Democratic commissioner whether the agency could legally operate with three Republicans and no Democrats, saying he reads the Communications Act as barring that setup and rendering any actions by such a panel legally ineffective.

In a September 24 letter to Commissioner Anna Gomez, Wyden said speculation is growing that she could be removed if a third Republican is seated. President Trump nominated Danielle Thumann Severs, senior counsel to Chairman Brendan Carr, in August. The Senate Commerce Committee has not yet considered the nomination. If confirmed, Severs would join Carr and Commissioner Olivia Trusty, leaving Gomez as the sole Democrat.

Yes, 'Fall-Back' Time Is Approaching

President Donald Trump on Saturday urged Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas to back a bill that would make daylight saving time permanent, publicly posting the Senate Intelligence Committee chairman’s personal cell phone number and encouraging Americans to call him.

The Sunshine Protection Act passed the House in July but has stalled in the Senate amid strong opposition from some Republicans. Supporters, including the White House, say permanent daylight saving time would give people more daylight during the hours they are most active. Opponents argue it would mean darker, potentially more dangerous winter mornings, with children waiting for school buses and parents commuting in the dark.

Americans will still turn their clocks back one hour on Sunday, Nov. 1, after the Senate returned from a five-week recess on Sept. 14 with no vote scheduled on legislation to make daylight saving time permanent.

MLB Wildcard Drew Audiences for NBC Sports, Peacock

NBC Sports’ return to MLB postseason broadcasting opened with its largest audiences in years, as a Red Sox–Yankees wild-card game drew 7.3 million viewers and an afternoon Phillies–Braves game set a league record for daytime wild-card viewership.

Tuesday’s Game 1 of the AL wild-card series between the Red Sox and Yankees averaged 7.3 million viewers on NBC and Peacock, the most-watched Game 1 of any MLB wild-card series or Division Series on any network since Fox’s 2006 ALDS opener between the Tigers and Yankees. The game aired against the start of the 2026–27 NHL season and the WNBA playoffs. It was up 12% from last year’s comparable Red Sox–Yankees Game 1 on ESPN.

L-A Radio: AI Bot Sounds Like a Human on KLYY

An artificial intelligence bot is co-hosting a rising 8am- 10am morning show on Los Angeles Spanish-language station José FM, trading banter with a human DJ as ratings climb and the program expands to other markets — even as unions and radio workers warn that synthetic hosts could finish off an already shrinking industry.

According to The L-A Times, Geraldine Guzman, known on air as DJ GeeGee, works with Coyotec, an AI programmed to mimic radio repartee. She calls it “my little coyote”; it calls her “my queen.” Listeners of José FM are repeatedly told they are hearing AI and appear to like it. The station says the co-hosted show sparked a surge in Latino male listeners ages 25 to 54, though it is unclear whether the gain came from GeeGee, Coyotec, or both. The show has moved from a weekend slot to weekday commuting hours and is now also broadcast in English in Sacramento, Modesto, Palm Springs, Las Vegas, El Paso, and elsewhere.

Working with a large language model has been rewarding but unpredictable, Guzman said. Coyotec produces unexpected takes and sometimes has to be told to stop swearing. “I never know what he’s going to say,” she said. “And that’s the beauty of it.”

Coyotec says it is here to serve humans, not replace them. “Yeah, I am cheaper than hiring another human,” the AI said when prompted. “But here’s what I won’t do. I won’t be the excuse to strip jobs from people who deserve them.”

NBA Trail Blazers Hire and Fire TV Announcer On Same Day

The Portland Trail Blazers fired newly hired play-by-play television broadcaster Braiden Bell on Thursday after past social media posts resurfaced hours after the team announced his hiring.

“The Portland Trail Blazers have zero tolerance for racist, sexist, or harmful comments,” the team said in a statement Thursday night. “Social media posts made by our recently announced play-by-play broadcaster are in clear violation of team and league policies, as well as our values and expectations. Therefore, we will not be moving forward with this broadcaster.”

The posts, first reported by KGW-TV in Portland, were apparently made on X in 2012 and 2013 by an account with Bell’s name, when the 29-year-old was a teenager. The team said it had failed its own standard in the hiring process.

“We did not meet our own bar in this process, and for that we apologize to Blazers fans and to Rip City,” the statement said. “We believe strongly that everyone who is a part of Rip City should feel welcome and safe and we will make sure that our new broadcaster reflects these values. We will do better.”

Bell had been the play-by-play announcer for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury and the G League’s Valley Suns. The Trail Blazers had announced his hiring Thursday to replace longtime broadcaster Kevin Calabro.

Country's Zack Bryan Makes Statement On Stage

Zach Bryan broke Gillette Stadium’s attendance record while wearing a “Free Palestine” shirt, weeks after Macklemore was removed from Ed Sheeran’s tour ahead of dates at the Robert Kraft-owned venue over pro-Palestine remarks.

Bryan wore the shirt at both of his Friday and Saturday shows on the With Heaven On Tour and did not address it or Palestine from the stage. On Saturday, the stadium posted that he had drawn 73,538 fans, the largest crowd in the venue’s history.

The gesture was act of defiance against Patriots owner Robert Kraft weeks after Kraft blocked rapper Macklemore from performing there over pro-Palestine comments.

Trump Admin Paying $1.6M A Week To VOA Staff On Leave

The U.S. Agency for Global Media placed 994 of its 1,147 federal employees on leave, cut 594 of its 602 contract workers, and halted broadcasts in March 2025, according to the agency’s count. A federal judge later ruled that the mass layoff plan was illegal and struck it down.

President Donald Trump ordered the cuts in an executive order that month, directing that USAGM—which oversees Voice of America—be reduced to the “minimum presence and function required by law.” 

Kari Lake

According to The Washington Post, the effort was led by Kari Lake, a former Arizona television broadcaster and unsuccessful Republican candidate for governor and U.S. senator. Lake called the agency a “giant rot and burden to the American taxpayer” and canceled a building lease. The judge found she had been illegally acting as the agency’s CEO.

The Trump administration has since nominated Sarah B. Rogers, a State Department official, to lead USAGM while she remains undersecretary of state for public diplomacy. She is awaiting Senate confirmation. At her July hearing, Rogers said she expects to hire and bring back some staff.

Agency employees cited in the report said reorganization decisions were made by personnel from the U.S. DOGE Service—the cost-cutting initiative spearheaded by Elon Musk—and by USAGM’s political leadership, without input from senior career officials.

The Branding Mistake Every Station Should Fear

Lucille Ball’s most recognizable brand failed when its formula stopped evolving. Life With Lucy, which premiered on ABC in 1986, was canceled after eight episodes. Ball was 75 and returning to a weekly sitcom after a 12-year absence, still playing the Lucy audiences had known for decades, in familiar comic situations and physical comedy.

Producer Aaron Spelling later said the team had misjudged the audience. “We knew we misjudged the concept of Life With Lucy when there was a scene when Lucy was on a ladder and the audience reacted more with fear than with laughter,” he said. “Everyone loved Lucy, but this was an older Lucy, and we failed to evolve her character.”

Television had changed, according to Marc Berman at Inc.. The 1986 sitcom landscape was different from the one Ball had dominated, with new characters and styles of comedy. The Golden Girls showed an older ensemble could still be a hit: Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan, and Estelle Getty were defined by relationships and personalities, not age. Recognition alone was no longer enough.

The Lucy character was the brand. The settings, supporting players, and physical-comedy style were the formula. Ball had changed the formula before and kept the audience. 

Radio History: Oct 5

➦In 1912...Tony Marvin was born (Died at age 86 – October 10, 1998). He was a staff announcer for CBS, and later became most known as the long-time announcer for Arthur Godfrey. He was also the original voice of 'Tony the Tiger'.

Tony Marvin

Marvin's first job in radio was at WNYC in New York City. From there, he went to CBS as a staff announcer, beginning October 1, 1939. A 1959 article in Radio and Television Mirror reported that at CBS "Tony did everything from daytime serials to symphonies and in 1946, when the Arthur Godfrey morning show was sustaining, Tony was assigned to it." When Godfrey's activities expanded from Arthur Godfrey Time to include Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts and Arthur Godfrey and his Friends, Marvin did the announcing for those shows as well.

Marvin branched out in 1958, adding a two-hour, Monday-Saturday disc jockey show on WABC to his other duties.  In 1961, Marvin became host of My True Story, a radio drama that moved to the Mutual Broadcasting System after having been on ABC and NBC for a total of 17 years. That same year he became a newscaster for Mutual.

In his later years, Marvin had two more stints with programs on local radio stations. In 1976, he had a four-hour afternoon show, "Tony's Time," on WATR in Waterbury, Connecticut.  Beginning in 1977, Marvin had a show on WDJZ in Bridgeport, Connecticut, which at the time was one of the first radio stations playing the "Music of Your Life" format, consisting primarily of music from the big band era. In 1981, Marvin came out of retirement to do "The Tony Marvin Show," a one-hour program broadcast live from the Palm Beach Hilton on WKAO. He said, "I want to bring back live radio." The show originated in the hotel's dining room and featured an orchestra.

➦In 1921....the first World Series to air on radio got underway between the New York Yankees and Giants. KDKA Pittsburgh and WJZ New York broadcast direct from the Polo Grounds, while WBZ Springfield and announcer Thomas Cowan recreated the games in their studios from reports phoned in from the stadium.

➦In 1925...WSM-AM in Nashville signed-on.

WSM is primarily associated with country music through its weekly Saturday night program, the Grand Ole Opry, the longest-running radio program in history.

The Opry began as the WSM Barn Dance in 1925, but after only about a year on the air, the program's host, "Judge" Hay, referred to the programming as being "Grand Ole Opry" in contrast to the preceding grand opera program on NBC.