TV Ratings: GMA Delivers Largest Audience In 6 Weeks

“Good Morning America” averaged 2.961 million Total Viewers, 475,000 Adults 25-54 and 345,0000 Adults 18-49 for the week of April 27, 2026, based on Live+Same Day Big Data Plus Panel Program Ratings from Nielsen Media Research.

Graphic Courtesy of RoadMN

• “GMA” grew over the previous week in Total Viewers (+1% – 2.961 million vs. 2.924 million) to draw its largest overall audience in 6 weeks — since w/o 3/16/26.
• For the third week in a row, “GMA” improved on the year-ago week in Total Viewers (+5% – 2.961 million vs. 2.810 million), Adults 25-54 (+4% – 475,000 vs. 458,000) and Adults 18-49 (+18% – 345,000 vs. 292,000). “GMA” stood as the only morning newscast to grow year to year across the board.
• On Friday (5/1/26), “GMA” ranked No. 1, beating NBC’s “Today” in Total Viewers (+143,000 – 3.032 million vs. 2.889 million).
• “GMA” narrowed its Adults 25-54 gap with NBC’s “Today” week to week (-7% – 122,000 vs. 131,000) to its closest in 9 weeks — since w/o 2/23/26.
• “GMA” decreased its margins by double digits with NBC’s “Today” compared to the same week last year in Adults 25-54 (-15% – 122,000 vs. 143,000) and Adults 18-49 (-34% – 56,000 vs. 85,000).
• “GMA” (2.961 million, 475,000 and 345,000, respectively) defeated “CBS Mornings” (1.815 million, 298,000 and 202,000, respectively) in Total Viewers (+1.146 million), Adults 25-54 (+177,000) and Adults 18-49 (+143,000). In addition, “GMA” led “CBS Mornings” in Total Viewers and Adults 25-54 for the last 1,424 weeks overall — since w/o 1/18/99.

Streamers Have Huge Churn Problem

A new survey reveals that 59% of Gen Z users in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia actively add and drop streaming services just to watch one movie or series, highlighting extreme subscription churn among younger consumers. 

Additionally, 71% of this cohort has completely stopped buying physical music formats, reports Variety.

This behavior underscores a broader trend: Gen Z is unsubscribing.  Rather than maintaining long-term loyalty to platforms like Netflix, Disney+, or Spotify, many treat streaming as an on-demand utility—paying temporarily for specific content before canceling to avoid ongoing fees.

Despite their digital-first, cost-conscious approach to home entertainment, Gen Z remains committed to the big screen. Younger viewers are 13% more likely than older generations to attend movies during their opening weekend, suggesting that shared, event-like experiences hold strong appeal even as at-home consumption becomes highly transactional.

What’s Driving Gen Z’s Media Habits?

Financial pragmatism: With economic pressures and competing entertainment options, many prioritize flexibility over commitment. “Subscribe for the show, cancel after” has become a common strategy.
Content abundance and fragmentation: The explosion of streaming options means no single service has everything, encouraging frequent switching.

Shift away from ownership: The 71% drop in physical music purchases reflects a full embrace of access-over-ownership, mirroring their streaming behavior.

Social and experiential value: While they churn subscriptions ruthlessly, the data shows they are willing to pay a premium for communal experiences like opening-night movie releases, which offer FOMO (fear of missing out), social media moments, and escapism.

This combination of high streaming churn and theatrical enthusiasm presents a mixed picture for media companies. Streaming services face pressure to retain subscribers through exclusive, high-quality content or bundling strategies, while theaters may find Gen Z a reliable audience for blockbuster releases and event cinema. 

The generation that grew up with infinite choice is forcing the entire entertainment industry to adapt to more fluid, experience-driven consumption patterns.

As Gen Z enters prime earning and spending years, how providers respond to their “subscribe-and-drop” mindset could shape the future of both streaming economics and the theatrical business.

WBD Streaming Leads Revenue Growth

Warner Bros. Discovery reported stronger-than-expected revenue growth from its streaming business on Wednesday, driven by robust international expansion of HBO Max that boosted both subscriber numbers and user engagement.

The positive streaming results came as the company posted a significantly wider first-quarter net loss of $2.92 billion. The loss included a $2.8 billion termination fee paid to Netflix. Although Paramount Skydance actually paid the fee as part of their $110 billion merger agreement, Warner Bros. 

Discovery recorded it as an obligation under the terms of the deal.

The streaming division’s outperformance highlights HBO Max’s successful push into overseas markets. International growth helped drive higher subscriber additions and increased viewing time across the platform, providing a bright spot amid broader financial pressures. 

This revenue beat suggests that Warner Bros. Discovery’s direct-to-consumer strategy continues to gain traction even as the company navigates a challenging media landscape.

The $2.92 billion net loss reflects the substantial $2.8 billion Netflix termination payment, which significantly inflated quarterly expenses. This fee stems from a prior agreement that was terminated in connection with the Paramount Skydance merger. While Paramount Skydance handled the actual payment, Warner Bros. Discovery’s accounting treatment of the obligation contributed directly to the deepened loss for the period.

Sports Rights Inquiry Unlikely to Produce New Rules

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has signaled the agency’s ongoing inquiry into skyrocketing sports programming costs is unlikely to result in new regulations, even as major broadcasters urged the FCC to protect free over-the-air sports broadcasts.

Carr, who launched the inquiry earlier this year to examine how rising rights fees are affecting consumers and the television marketplace, emphasized that the process is focused on gathering information rather than paving the way for mandates. 

“This inquiry might not lead to new rules,” he stated, underscoring a light-touch approach consistent with the current FCC’s deregulatory stance.

Brendan Carr

Bloomberg reports the comments came as broadcast giants Fox Corporation and Sinclair Broadcast Group formally submitted filings supporting the continued availability of live sports on traditional broadcast television. Both companies argued that sports programming remains a vital anchor for local stations and free-to-air viewing, helping to sustain the broadcast model amid cord-cutting and the shift toward streaming.

Sports rights fees have soared in recent years, with leagues such as the NFL, NBA, MLB, and college conferences commanding billions in annual payments. These escalating costs have contributed to higher cable and satellite bills, prompted some regional sports networks to fold, and raised concerns about whether premium sports content will remain accessible to viewers who rely on antenna television.

Broadcasters and consumer advocates have clashed over potential solutions. While some argue for regulatory intervention to curb exclusivity deals or promote wider distribution, others — including Fox and Sinclair — contend that market forces and existing carriage rules are sufficient, and that heavy-handed FCC action could harm local stations and viewers.

Sactown Radio: Grant Napear Exits iHM Fox Sports

Grant Napear’s weekday afternoon show on Fox Sports Radio Sacramento has been canceled after eight months. The former Sacramento Kings broadcaster announced the cancellation Monday on social media. 

The program, which aired from 3 to 6 p.m. on iHeartMedia’s Fox Sports Sacramento, launched in September 2025. It marked Napear’s first return to Sacramento radio since he lost both his TV and radio jobs in June 2020.

Napear had served as the television voice of the Kings since 1988 and dominated Sacramento’s afternoon drive on KHTK until a Twitter exchange with former Kings player DeMarcus Cousins ended his tenure. 

Legacy: Ted Turner, CNN Founder and Cable Television Pioneer

Ted Turner (1938-2026)

Media mogul Ted Turner, whose bold vision transformed television from limited broadcast schedules into a 24-hour, multi-channel universe, died Wednesday, at his home in Lamont, Florida. He was 87.

Turner’s innovations fundamentally reshaped how the world consumes news, entertainment, and sports, laying the groundwork for today’s fragmented streaming era while proving cable could compete with — and eventually dominate — traditional broadcasting.

Revolutionary Contributions to Media

• Founded CNN (1980): Turner launched the Cable News Network as the first 24-hour news channel in the United States. It revolutionized journalism by delivering continuous, real-time coverage, forever changing the news cycle and global information flow.
• Pioneered the “Superstation” Model: He turned his Atlanta independent station WTBS into TBS, the first “superstation,” using satellite technology to distribute it nationwide. This breakthrough expanded local signals into national audiences and helped fuel the cable television boom.
• Built a Portfolio of Niche Networks: Turner created or acquired influential specialty channels including:

TNT (Turner Network Television)

Cartoon Network

Turner Classic Movies (TCM)

And others that targeted specific audiences with movies, animation, and curated programming.

These moves expanded viewer choice and demonstrated the power of targeted, thematic cable channels.

Radio History: May 7

➦In 1895..Russian scientist Alexander Stepanovich Popov presented his invention—the world’s first radio receiver—to the Russian Physical and Chemical Society in St. Petersburg. This demonstration involved detecting electromagnetic waves, a foundational step in radio communication. The event is celebrated in Russia as “Radio Day,” marking a pivotal moment in the technology’s development.

Significance: Popov’s work predated Guglielmo Marconi’s practical radio systems and contributed to the theoretical groundwork for wireless communication. His receiver, which detected lightning-induced signals, laid the foundation for later broadcasting innovations. While Marconi is often credited with radio’s practical application, Popov’s May 7 demonstration is a landmark in the scientific history of radio.

➦In 1941..."Chattanooga Choo Choo" was recorded by the Glenn Miller Band. The song by Mack Gordon and composed by Harry Warren was featured in the 1941 movie Sun Valley Serenade. It was the first song to receive a gold record, presented by RCA Victor in 1942, for sales of 1.2 million copies.

➦In 1945...On radio Americans learned that the war in Europe was over...

NY Times 5/7/45

There were two sources of news during the World War II era - newspapers and radio.  Radio was faster, just as the internet and social media are (generally) faster with the news today.

NY Times 5/8/45

On May 7, an Associated Press reporter broke an embargo and sent first word of the German surrender to his wire service, ostensibly to be passed on to newspapers (the news was supposed to be embargoed to allow the leaders of the three Allied nations - the U.S., Britain and the Soviet Union - to jointly announce the surrender on May 8.  But radio stations and networks also subscribed to the AP wire, and as soon as the news was reported, it was on the radio - hours before it could be printed in a paper.  Thus began a long period, though short by today's cable news endless coverage standards, of reporting about the end of the first half of the war.

➦In 1946...Sony, originally known as Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering was founded with around 20 employees.

➦In 1955...Decca Records released, for the second time, “Rock Around The Clock” by Bill Haley & His Comets. It was first issued in May 1954 as a B-side to "Thirteen Women (and Only One Man in Town)."  While the song did make the American Cashbox music charts (contrary to popular opinion that it was a flop), it was considered a commercial disappointment. It was not until 1955, when "Rock Around the Clock" was used under the opening credits of the film Blackboard Jungle, that the song truly took off.

Media Mogul Barry Diller Wants to Buy CNN

Media mogul Barry Diller declared he would buy CNN immediately if it were available, warning that a pending Warner Bros. Discovery-Paramount merger would trigger aggressive cost-cutting, while revealing he had seriously explored acquiring Vox Media.

Speaking Tuesday at the Wall Street Journal's Future of Everything Festival in New York, the IAC chairman and longtime media executive expressed strong interest in the cable news network. 

“Absolutely, I would do it tonight and tomorrow night,” Diller told WSJ reporter Cara Lombardo. “Before they ruin it any further. Hopefully before it’s extinct, which, I mean, it’s not gonna be.”

Barry Diller

Diller, who previously approached Warner Bros. Discovery about buying CNN, argued the network is “so ripe” for innovation that it hasn’t seen in nearly a decade. He believes a Paramount acquisition of WBD would force a “savage process” of deep cost reductions worth billions as the combined company integrates operations and seeks efficiencies. 

“So how they do that and navigate also running the surviving businesses … I don’t know,” he said.

The comments come amid ongoing consolidation in traditional media. Paramount’s roughly $111 billion deal for WBD would pair CNN with CBS and other assets, potentially reshaping the news and entertainment landscape. Diller suggested CNN could ultimately align with CBS in such a merger.

Twin Cities Radio: Chris Eagan's Plate Just Got Fuller

Hubbard Radio has promoted Chris Eagan to Vice President of Brand & Content for Hot AC KS95 (KSTP-FM), giving him permanent oversight of the iconic Minneapolis/St. Paul station.

Eagan, who already leads Hubbard Chicago’s Millennial Hits Throwback 100.3 (WTBC-FM) and Hot AC 101.9 The Mix (WTMX), has been guiding KS95 on an interim basis since longtime Brand & Content Manager Mat Mitchell exited in January.

Eagan joined Hubbard Chicago in December 2024 after serving as Cox Media Group SVP of Audience & Programming. 

Rigorous Review of Foreign Investment Urged In PSKY-WBD Deal

FCC Commissioner Calls for National Security Review of Foreign Investments in Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery Merger

The sole Democrat on the Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday urged a rigorous review of foreign ownership in the proposed merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery, citing serious national security concerns.

FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez warned that sovereign wealth funds from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi are set to invest in the combined company, which would control CBS broadcast stations and major cable news outlets including CNN.

Anna Gomez

"There are serious, unresolved questions about how this foreign investment may jeopardize national security, and this commission has a legal obligation to answer them," Gomez said. "The American public deserves to know who owns the airwaves that carry their news."

She expressed alarm over what she described as an effort to "rubber stamp a financial structure that places nearly half of one of America’s largest broadcast and media companies into the hands of foreign governments with documented records of press suppression and a troubling willingness to silence journalists."

The call comes after Paramount Skydance asked the FCC last month to approve foreign investments backing its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. Paramount has said the family of CEO David Ellison would retain control of voting shares.The investors include Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), Abu Dhabi-based L'imad Holding Company, and the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA). Paramount has argued the deal and new equity would strengthen its television operations and help it navigate industry challenges.

Religious Broadcasters Urge FCC Caution

National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) is urging the FCC to investigate controversial remarks made on ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” last month, but the group is firmly opposing the FCC’s move to fast-track early license renewal reviews for eight Disney-owned television stations.

NRB emphasized that it does not support the agency’s accelerated review of Disney’s licenses. 

The organization stressed the need for a “stable” and “predictable” regulatory environment, especially for faith-based broadcasters operating in a fast-changing media landscape.

R.I.P.: Ted Turner, Dead at 87

Robert Edward “Ted” Turner III died peacefully Wednesday, surrounded by his family, according to a spokesperson for the family. He was 87. 

The Ohio-born Atlanta businessman, known as “The Mouth of the South,” built a vast media empire that included cable’s first superstation, popular movie and cartoon channels, and ownership of the Atlanta Braves. He revolutionized television news in 1980 by launching CNN, the world’s first 24-hour news network that delivered real-time coverage from around the globe.

In 1991, Time magazine named him Man of the Year for turning viewers in 150 countries into “instant witnesses of history.” Turner later sold his networks to Time Warner but often called CNN his “greatest achievement.”

Beyond media, Turner was an accomplished yachtsman, a leading philanthropist who founded the United Nations Foundation, and an activist dedicated to eliminating nuclear weapons. A passionate conservationist and one of the largest private landowners in the United States, he played a major role in reintroducing bison to the American West and created the Captain Planet cartoon series to teach children about the environment.

Turner and Fonda

“Ted was an intensely involved and committed leader, intrepid, fearless and always willing to back a hunch and trust his own judgement,” said Mark Thompson, Chairman and CEO of CNN Worldwide. “He was and always will be the presiding spirit of CNN. Ted is the giant on whose shoulders we stand.”

He had been diagnosed with Lewy body dementia, a progressive brain disorder similar to Alzheimer’s disease. The once irrepressible talker often remained quiet at his few public appearances late in life. But at his 80th birthday party in Atlanta in 2018, he took the stage in front of hundreds of family members and friends, including actress Jane Fonda, the ex-wife that referred to him as her favorite ex-husband.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Turner ranks as perhaps the most significant and influential business leader in Georgia since Coca-Cola magnate Robert Woodruff. By launching the 24-hour news channel CNN in Atlanta, rather than in a bigger, more prominent metropolis, he bestowed an unlikely level of international attention on a city aching for such a spotlight. 

He reflected Atlanta’s underdog punch-above-its-weight-class attitude. And like many Atlantans, he was a transplant.

Entravision Reports Surge In Net Revenue

Entravision Communications reported a 114% surge in consolidated net revenue for the first quarter ended March 31, 2026, driven by explosive growth in its Advertising Technology & Services (ATS) segment.

Net revenue in the ATS segment skyrocketed 204% year-over-year, fueled by higher monthly active advertisers and increased revenue per advertiser, thanks to AI platform enhancements and expanded sales efforts. 

The Media segment grew a more modest 4%, supported by gains in digital advertising and retransmission fees that offset declines in broadcast advertising and spectrum rights revenue.

“Our ATS results reflect strong execution on our AI investments and sales expansion,” said Michael Christenson, Chief Executive Officer. “We also continued to strengthen our balance sheet by repaying $5 million on our bank term loan.”

Streaming, Parks Drive Disney Earnings

Walt Disney Co.’s experiences division, which includes its theme parks and cruise line, reported solid growth in its fiscal second quarter despite broader concerns about discretionary spending and rising gas prices.

The division generated $9.5 billion in revenue, up 7% from a year earlier, with operating income rising 5% to $2.6 billion for the quarter ended March 28. 

Domestic parks and experiences drove much of the gain, posting $6.9 billion in revenue, a 6% increase, thanks to higher guest spending. The cruise business benefited from added capacity with the launch of two new ships.

Overall company results showed continued momentum. 

Scrooge McDuck

Disney reported total revenue of $25.2 billion, a 7% increase from the prior-year quarter. Operating income rose 4% to $4.6 billion, income before taxes climbed 9% to $3.4 billion, and adjusted earnings per share reached $1.57, up from $1.45 a year ago.

The entertainment segment led growth, with revenue climbing 10% to $11.7 billion. 

Streaming services (Disney+ and Hulu) delivered $5.5 billion in revenue, up 13%, fueled by subscriber growth, higher subscription prices, and increased advertising. Streaming operating income surged 88% to $582 million. 

Strong theatrical performances from “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” “Zootopia 2,” and “Hoppers” also boosted results.

Disney’s sports segment, including ESPN, posted more modest gains with revenue of $4.6 billion, up 2%. However, operating income fell 5% to $652 million due to higher sports rights costs and the absence of UFC pay-per-view revenue from the prior year.

NYTimes Reaches 13.1M Subscribers

The New York Times Company reached 13.1 million subscribers, adding roughly 310,000 digital-only subscribers in the first quarter, the company reported Wednesday.

The Times is on track to hit its goal of 15 million total subscribers by the end of 2027. It has averaged 330,000 new subscribers per quarter, including print, since the beginning of 2025.

Total revenue for the quarter rose 12% year-over-year to $712.2 million. Adjusted operating profit jumped 27.2% to $117.9 million, while adjusted operating costs increased 9.4% to $594.3 million.

Digital-only subscription revenue grew 16.1% to $389 million. Digital advertising revenue rose 31.6%. Average revenue per digital-only user increased 2.4% to $9.77.

Print subscription revenue continued to decline, falling 1.1% to $127.8 million. Print subscribers dropped to 560,000 from 600,000 a year earlier.

Revenue from AI licensing deals, Wirecutter affiliate referrals, and other sources increased 7.8% to $68.5 million.

Meredith Kopit Levien, the company’s chief executive, said the results showed “strong demand for the uncompromised journalism and premium lifestyle content.”

For the second quarter of 2026, the Times expects digital-only subscription revenue to rise 14% to 17%, digital advertising revenue to grow in the high teens, and adjusted operating costs to increase 8% to 9%.

The company ended March with $1.1 billion in cash and marketable securities.