FOX Weather Adds Melanie Black As On-Air Host

FOX Weather, FOX News Media’s free, ad-supported streaming television (“FAST”) weather service has signed meteorologist Melanie Black to serve as an on-air host, announced Sharri Berg, its president. Stationed at the platform’s New York City headquarters, she will begin her new role today.

In making the announcement Berg said, “We are very excited to welcome Melanie to our FOX Weather family. Her years of reporting experience in different climates across the country will prove to be a tremendous asset as we continue to grow our best-in-class weather news service.”

Black added, “I’m honored that FOX Weather entrusts me to report the important weather stories to viewers across the country each and every day.”

Melanie Black

For the past three years, Black has served as a weekend morning meteorologist at WHDH-TV in Boston. While there, she covered Hurricane Lee’s impact on the region, numerous winter storms and other severe weather events. From 2020-2022, she worked as a morning meteorologist and traffic anchor at NBC affiliate KCRA-TV in Sacramento, California following a six-year stint as a traffic reporter at NBC affiliate KVOA-TV in Tucson, Arizona. She began her career in Joplin, Missouri at KSNF-TV as a multimedia journalist.

A graduate of University of Arizona with a degree in journalism, Black received her Meteorology Certification from Mississippi State University. She is a passionate supporter of the Special Olympics and was honored by the organization’s Northern California chapter as the 2022 Philanthropic Volunteer of the Year Award.

Radio History: Jan 16

➦In 1939....the shrill siren call of radio’s “I Love a Mystery” was heard for the first time as the show debuted on NBC’s West Coast outlets. Creator Carleton E. Morse already had an established hit in a completely different genre, ‘One Man’s Family.’

FLASHBACK:

Click Here to Flashback to Radio January 16, 1926. How's this for an astounding headline?

➦In 1944...the family sitcom ‘The Life of Riley‘ began a 7 year run on radio, the first 18 months on the Blue Network, thereafter on NBC. A blue-collar William Bendix starred as Chester A. Riley.

➦In 1947...SiriusXM Radio host Dr. Laura Schlessinger was born in Brooklyn, New York.

Schlessinger's first appearance on radio was in 1975 when she called in to a KABC Los Angeles show hosted by Bill Ballance. Impressed by her quick wit and sense of humor, Ballance began featuring her in a weekly segment. Schlessinger's stint on Ballance's show led to her own shows on a series of small radio stations. By 1979 she was on the air Sunday evenings from 9:00 to midnight on KWIZ in Santa Ana, California. That year, the Los Angeles Times described her show as dealing with all types of emotional problems, "though sex therapy is the show's major focus".

In the late 1980s, Schlessinger was filling in for Barbara De Angelis' noon-time relationship-oriented talk show in Los Angeles on KFI, while working weekends at KGIL in San Fernando. Her big break came when Sally Jessy Raphael began working at ABC Radio, and Maurice Tunick, former Vice-President of Talk Programming for the ABC Radio Networks, needed a regular sub for Raphael's evening personal advice show. Tunick chose Schlessinger to fill in for Raphael.

Ultimately, Schlessinger began broadcasting a daily show on KFI which was nationally syndicated in 1994 by Synergy, a company owned by Schlessinger and her husband. In 1997, Synergy sold its rights to the show to Jacor Communications, Inc., for $71.5 million. Later, Jacor merged with Clear Channel Communications and a company co-owned by Schlessinger, Take On The Day, LLC, acquired the production rights. The show became a joint effort between Take On The Day, which produced it, Talk Radio Network, which syndicated and marketed it to radio stations, and Premiere Radio Networks, (a subsidiary of Clear Channel), which provided satellite facilities and handled advertising sales. As of September 2009, Schlessinger broadcast from her home in Santa Barbara, California with KFWB as her flagship station. Podcasts and live streams of the show have been available on her website for a monthly fee, and the show was also on XM Satellite Radio.

At its peak, The Dr. Laura Program was the second-highest-rated radio show after The Rush Limbaugh Show, and was heard on more than 450 radio stations.

In May 2002, the show still had an audience of more than 10 million, but had lost several million listeners in the previous two years as it was dropped by WABC and other affiliates, and was moved from day to night in cities such as Seattle and Boston. These losses were attributed in part to Schlessinger's shift from giving relationship advice to lecturing on morality and conservative politics. Pressure from gay rights groups caused dozens of sponsors to drop the radio show as well.  In 2006, Schlessinger's show was being aired on approximately 200 stations. As of 2009, it was tied for third place along with The Glenn Beck Program and The Savage Nation.

On August 17, 2010, during an appearance on Larry King Live, Schlessinger announced the end of her radio show saying that her motivation was to "regain her First Amendment rights", and that she wanted to be able to say what is on her mind without "some special interest group deciding this is a time to silence a voice of dissent."  Several of her affiliates and major sponsors had dropped her show after her on air use of a racial epithet on August 10.

On January 3, 2011, Schlessinger's show moved exclusively to SiriusXM Radio.

TV Ratings: NBC News Edges Out ABC In 25-54 Demo

FOX News Channel (FNC) finished the week of January 5 averaging 2.7 million weekday primetime viewers leading CBS’ 2 million viewers, according to Nielsen Big Data + Panel. 

Throughout total day (6 AM-6 AM/ET), FNC posted nearly 1.6 million viewers and nearly 160,000 in the 25-54 demo and in primetime saw 2.2 million viewers and 220,000 in the 25-54 demo. For the week, FNC drew 95 of the top 100 cable news telecasts.

The debut week of CBS Evening News with Tony Dokoupil was down in every scenario, posting declines across the board versus the first quarter of 2025, the same week last year and versus all anchor debuts. The debut week saw CBS Evening News average just 4,166,000 viewers and 533,000 in A25-54 down 20% with viewers and 27 in the 25-54 demo vs. the same week last year. Comparatively, ABC’s World News Tonight (8,078,000 P2+; 989,000 A25-54) and NBC’s Nightly News (6,725,000 P2+; 992,000 A25-54) outpaced CBS by 94% and 61% in viewers, respectively.

The Five averaged 3.9 million viewers and 372,000 in the 25-54 demo, leading cable news with viewers and in the demo. At 6 PM/ET, Special Report with Bret Baier drew 3 million viewers and 313,000 in the 25-54 demo, its best week since September. The Ingraham Angle saw 2.6 million viewers and 256,000 in the 25-54 demo at 7 PM/ET. Jesse Watters Primetime commanded 3 million viewers and 279,000 in the 25-54 demo at 8 PM/ET, making it the most-watched show in primetime. At 9 PM/ET, Hannity posted 2.5 million viewers and 243,000 in the 25-54 demo, while at 11 PM/ET, FOX News @ Night with Trace Gallagher secured 1.5 million viewers.

FNC’s late-night hit Gutfeld! (weekdays, 10 PM/ET) averaged 2.7 million viewers and 319,000 in the 25-54 demo making it the top primetime cable news program in the demo. It also continued to outpace the broadcast competition including CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (1.9 million viewers; 264,000 A25-54), ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! (1.8 million viewers; 226,000 A25-54) and NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon (1 million viewers; 181,000 A25-54).

FNC continued to see its daytime programs outpace the broadcast competition. The Will Cain Show (weekdays, 4 PM/ET; 2.4 million viewers), Outnumbered (weekdays, 12 PM/ET; 2.2 million viewers), America Reports (weekdays, 1-3 PM/ET; 2.1 million viewers), The Story (weekdays, 3 PM/ET; 2.1 million viewers) and The Faulkner Focus (weekdays, 11 AM/ET; 2 million viewers) all led NBC’s TODAY Third Hour (1,954,000 viewers) ABC’s GMA3 (1.5 million viewers), and NBC’s Today with Jenna and Friends (1.4 million viewers). Additionally, The Will Cain Show had its most-watched week since September.

Ratings Graphics Courtesy of RoadMN

On Saturday: the debut of FOX News Live with Aishah Hasnie (Saturday, 12 - 2 PM/ET) was the most-watched show of the day with 1.6 million viewers. Saturday in America (Saturday, 10 AM - 12 PM/ET), which was guest-anchored by Molly Line, led the way in the 25-54 demo with 192,000 viewers. In primetime, Life, Liberty & Levin (weekends, 8 PM/ET) was the top cable news show with over 1.1 million viewers.

On Sunday: Maria Bartiromo’s Sunday Morning Futures (Sunday, 10 AM/ET) was the number one cable news show of the weekend with 1.7 million viewers. In primetime, Sunday Night in America with Trey Gowdy (Sunday, 9 PM/ET) led the way with 1.1 million viewers. The Sunday Briefing (Sunday, 11 AM/ET) hosted by Peter Doocy drew over 1.6 million viewers.

Source: Nielsen. Big Data + Panel. Week of 1-5-26 ratings data. Average audience for cable news networks Monday-Sunday based on Total Day and Prime (6a-6a, 8P-11P), P2+, P25-54. Cable News/Broadcast Program averages exclude repeats and include the corresponding program name.

📺BROADCAST EVENING NEWS

“NBC Nightly News” notched a rare ratings win over longtime rival “ABC World News Tonight” in the prized 25-54 demographic last week — as “CBS Evening News” fell further behind with new anchor Tony Dokoupil at the helm.

“NBC Nightly News” had its first fully rated weekly win in the key demo in six years, generating an average 992,000 viewers aged 25 to 54 for the week of Jan. 5-11. The figure narrowly topped ABC’s 989,000 viewers in the same demographic, according to Nielsen figures.

“ABC World News Tonight,” anchored by David Muir, maintained its first-place status in total viewership — though 30 Rock execs trumpeted that the Tom Llamas-helmed “NBC Nightly News” has closed the total viewership gap with its rival by 15% year-over year.

Chicago Radio: Audacy Adding FM Signal To The Score

Audacy has announced the launch of 104.3 The Score, an FM simulcast of 670 The Score (WSCR-AM) in Chicago. The station's market-leading sports talent, commentary, analysis and play-by-play coverage will now be heard on FM for the first time, while continuing to air on 670 AM, beginning February 2.

The station’s flagship radio coverage of the Chicago Cubs and Chicago Bulls will also air on FM. The station launches with Circa Sports Illinois as its presenting partner.

“Chicago fans are the best in the world, and they deserve coverage that matches their passion. Our roster features the best talent in the city with unmatched dedication to delivering the latest sports news and insight,” said Kevin Cassidy, Senior Vice President and Market Manager, Audacy Chicago. “We’re excited to expand The Score’s reach through this FM simulcast, bringing our premier sports content to an even wider audience so they can join the conversation and stay connected to their favorite Chicago teams.”

104.3 The Score will launch with the following on-air lineup.

5:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. CT: “Mully & Haugh”
10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. CT: “Rahimi, Harris & Grote”
2:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. CT: “Spiegel & Holmes”

The FM simulcast will open up new listenership opportunities for The Score, but will also end the run for the music programming on WBMX 104.3 Jams, a classic hip-hop station. The Score on WSCR-AM is tied for 12th among listeners in Chicago with a 2.9 share in December, while WBMX-FM is tied for 18th, according to the latest Nielsen ratings.

📻Listeners can tune in to 104.3 The Score in Chicago on-air and nationwide on the Audacy app and website. Fans can also connect with the station via X, Facebook and Instagram.

Audacy is the official audio and podcast partner of Major League Baseball. Audacy sports video content can also be found on YouTube, CBS Sports Network, SNY, Stadium, Monumental Sports, CHSN, Twitch, and other platforms.

MLB Nationals End MASN Partnership

The Washington Nationals announced on Wednesday that they are ending their 20-year television partnership with the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN), co-owned primarily by the Baltimore Orioles, and will now partner directly with Major League Baseball to produce and distribute their local game broadcasts starting in the 2026 season.

This shift ends a long and contentious relationship that began in 2005 when the former Montreal Expos relocated to Washington, D.C., entering what had been Baltimore's exclusive TV territory. MASN was created to broadcast both teams' games, with the Orioles holding a supermajority stake (initially 90%, gradually decreasing) and receiving a larger share of profits as compensation for the market overlap.

The arrangement led to over a decade of lawsuits and disputes, primarily over rights fees and revenue distribution, before a settlement in March 2025 allowed the Nationals the option to exit after the 2025 season.

Under the new deal, Nationals games will air on Nationals.TV (as branded by the team), available to in-market fans via cable and satellite providers (specific channels to be announced) as well as through MLB's direct-to-consumer streaming platform with no blackouts for local viewers. This model provides greater flexibility, potential technological enhancements, and improved control over production and revenue compared to the shared MASN setup.

The Nationals become the seventh MLB team to adopt MLB's in-house production and distribution approach for local telecasts, joining the Arizona Diamondbacks, Cleveland Guardians, Colorado Rockies, Minnesota Twins, San Diego Padres, and Seattle Mariners. This trend reflects broader changes in the media landscape, including the decline of traditional regional sports networks amid cord-cutting and streaming growth.

For Orioles fans and MASN, the change means the network will now focus solely on Baltimore games (with MASN2, used for simultaneous broadcasts, being discontinued), potentially impacting its viability in a challenging RSN environment.

Nationals Managing Principal Owner Mark D. Lerner described the move as "a new chapter," expressing excitement about collaborating with MLB to elevate the viewing experience through world-class broadcasts across TV and streaming. Additional details, including broadcasters (following Bob Carpenter's retirement after 20 seasons) and spring training plans, are expected soon.

FBI Searches Home of WaPo Reporter

The FBI executed a rare search warrant Wednesday morning at the Virginia home of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson, seizing her phone, two laptops (one personal, one work-issued), and a Garmin watch as part of an investigation into a government contractor accused of illegally retaining classified materials.

Investigators told Natanson she is not the focus of the probe and she has not been accused of any wrongdoing. 

The warrant targeted an investigation into Aurelio Perez-Lugones, a Maryland-based system administrator with top-secret clearance, who was arrested last Thursday and charged with unlawfully retaining national defense information.

According to an FBI affidavit, Perez-Lugones allegedly accessed unauthorized classified intelligence (including about a nation referred to as "country 1"), took materials home, and hid them in his lunch box, basement, and car. A Justice Department official said he was messaging Natanson at the time of his arrest and that classified information appeared in their chat. The criminal complaint against him does not accuse him of leaking to any journalist or media outlet.

The Washington Post also received a subpoena Wednesday seeking communications between the contractor and other employees.

The action drew sharp criticism from The Post's Executive Editor Matt Murray, who called it an "extraordinary, aggressive action" in an email to the newsroom that "raises profound questions" about constitutional protections for journalism. Such home searches of reporters are exceptionally rare under federal regulations designed to shield a free press from aggressive tactics aimed at identifying sources or obtaining information.

Attorney General Pam Bondi posted on X that the search—at the request of the Department of War (Pentagon)—targeted a journalist "obtaining and reporting classified and illegally leaked information from a Pentagon contractor." She added that the Trump administration "will not tolerate illegal leaks of classified information that, when reported, pose a grave risk to our Nation’s national security."

Perez-Lugones, a Navy veteran, appeared in court Friday and remains in federal custody in Maryland. He is scheduled for another court appearance Thursday.

FOX News Media Unveils Six Promotions

FOX News Media has promoted six executives on its New York and Washington editorial leadership teams, announced FOX News Media President and Executive Editor Jay Wallace.

Douglas Rohrbeck was elevated to Executive Vice President, Washington News & Politics and Jessica Loker was named Senior Vice President, Politics. Tommy Firth will take on the new role of Executive Vice President of FOX News Digital’s editorial team while Beth Saunders was promoted to Senior Vice President, Digital News and Stefanie Wheeler was elevated to Senior Vice President, Digital Editorial and Video. Additionally, Brett Zoeller was promoted to Vice President, Primetime Programming.

In making the announcement, Wallace said, “FOX News Media’s news content is consumed by the largest and most politically diverse audience in the country. I am confident Doug and Tommy will continue to innovate and successfully evolve our robust linear and digital platforms as we continue to inform our audience of millions however and wherever they are watching.”

Douglas Rohrbeck

Rohrbeck will report to Wallace leading all editorial and strategic oversight of Washington-based news and political coverage and managing FOX News Channel’s (FNC) news programming emanating from the nation’s capital, including Special Report with Bret Baier, Fox News Sunday with Shannon Bream, and FOX News @ Night with Trace Gallagher. His oversight of Special Report has rivaled broadcast networks, besting CBS, NBC, and ABC in key markets throughout the country. 

Most recently, Special Report has dominated the news landscape with more than two dozen interviews with foreign leaders and dignitaries including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Rohrbeck has also managed editorial throughout FNM’s presidential election cycles, with 2024’s election night coverage delivering more than 13 million viewers. Since joining the network in 1998 as a production assistant, Rohrbeck has played a pivotal role in the network’s political coverage, producing election nights and major special events, including presidential debates and rose throughout the ranks to Senior Vice President before being named to his current role. He also served as the executive producer of Special Report with Bret Baier for more than a decade, steadily expanding its viewership and cementing the show as the news program of record in Washington and beyond.

Tommy Firth

In his new role, Firth will oversee day-to-day editorial operations for FOX News Digital, also reporting to Wallace and Porter Berry, President of FOX News Digital and New Media. He will oversee the totality of the homepage and lead high-impact breaking news and enterprise reporting, driving the creation of compelling content. Additionally, he will spearhead initiatives to expand audience reach and engagement across the platform, reinforcing FOX News Digital’s stance as the definitive leader in the digital news landscape with more than 150 million multiplatform unique visitors. 

Firth most recently served as the senior vice president of primetime programming where he oversaw weekday and weekend opinion shows, and prior to that was a Vice President in the same capacity. In late 2025, Firth notably oversaw the first live exclusive interviews with Turning Point CEO Erika Kirk on multiple FNC programs. Throughout his tenure, he was also tasked with launching new programming including The Story with Martha MacCallum and The Ingraham Angle, both of which debuted in 2017. He joined the network in 2008 and held senior roles on many top-rated programs including The Five and Hannity, and notably led The Ingraham Angle.

NYTimes Top U.S. News Website In December

Men’s lifestyle magazine Men’s Journal achieved the highest year-on-year and month-on-month traffic growth among the top 50 news websites in the US during December, according to Similarweb data reported by Press Gazette.

Visits to the Arena Group-operated site surged 184% year-on-year and 130% month-on-month, reaching 19.5 million in December. This performance enabled Men’s Journal to re-enter Press Gazette’s top 50 ranking, following earlier strong showings in May and June 2025. The site had relaunched its quarterly print edition in July 2025 after a two-year hiatus.

The US Sun ranked second in growth on both metrics, with visits up 52% year-on-year and 59% month-on-month to 34.9 million.

Forbes posted the third-highest month-on-month gain at 15%, climbing to 59.3 million visits—despite suffering the steepest year-on-year drop in the ranking, down 49%.

Among the top 10 US news sites, only celebrity-focused People recorded year-on-year growth, rising 5% to 151.9 million visits. Seven of the top 10 saw month-on-month increases, led by People (up 14%), followed by MSN (up 8% to 148.7 million) and Yahoo Finance (up 4% to 133.2 million).

The largest year-on-year declines in the top 10 hit New York Post (down 34% to 93.5 million) and MSN (down 28%).

MNF Wild Card Attracted 29.1M Viewers

ESPN's Monday-night NFL wild-card broadcast between the Houston Texans and Pittsburgh Steelers averaged 29.1 million viewers, marking a strong performance despite a lopsided 30-6 Texans victory.

The figure, which includes simulcasts across Disney properties like ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, and Deportes, ties for the second-best wild-card viewership in ESPN history and rises 15% from last year's Vikings-Rams Monday night playoff game (25.4 million). The game peaked at 33 million viewers just before halftime, hinting at even greater potential with a closer contest.

This caps a historic wild-card weekend overall, with the other four games setting milestones—including Amazon Prime Video's new NFL streaming record of 31.6 million for its exclusive Packers-Bears coverage.

The Texans-Steelers matchup also marked the final game for longtime Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, who stepped down Tuesday after 19 seasons without a single losing record.

Uncertainty lingers over whether this was ESPN's last Monday-night wild-card game in the slot, as the separate five-year agreement with the NFL for those contests has expired amid upcoming media rights negotiations. Disney has expressed interest in extending it, building on ESPN's strong regular-season Monday Night Football performance.

Comparisons to last year's non-competitive Monday playoff (also shifted due to wildfires) come with caveats, but the blowout did not deter audiences.

Sarah Trahern, CEO of the CMA To Retire

Sarah Trahern, CEO of the Country Music Association, will retire at the end of 2026.

Trahern, who has led the CMA since 2014, announced her decision after more than a decade of guiding the organization through major industry challenges and global expansion. She will remain in the role through the end of 2026 to ensure a smooth transition.“Leading the Country Music Association has been the privilege of my career,” Trahern said. 

“After much reflection, I’ve made the decision to retire and embrace this next chapter of life—one that allows me to remain connected to this industry in ways that continue to inspire me, while also creating space for the people and moments that matter most to me.”

Under her leadership, the CMA:

• Expanded membership and industry programs to adapt to changing needs
• Provided coordinated support during COVID-19, natural disasters, and mental health challenges
• Strengthened global outreach to elevate country music’s international presence
• Deepened investment in music education through the CMA Foundation, which has distributed more than $30 million in programs

Sarah Trahern

Trahern’s tenure has earned widespread recognition, including Billboard’s Country Power Players “Executive of the Year” in 2017, Nashville Business Journal’s Most Admired CEOs, and the 2024 Bob Kingsley Living Legend Award from the Grand Ole Opry.

The CMA Board of Directors has already formed a search committee and engaged executive search firm Buffkin Baker to identify her successor. Additional details about the search process will be announced in February.

“While we will deeply miss Sarah’s leadership, we are excited to carry forward the legacy she has established,” said Jay Williams, CMA Board Chairman. “Sarah leaves behind an indelible mark on both the Country Music Association and the broader industry.”

Trahern will continue to work closely with the Board and senior leadership through 2026 to position the CMA for its next era.

Cumulus Media Appoints Carol Flaton to Board of Directors

Cumulus Media Inc. today announced the appointment of Carol Flaton to its Board of Directors. 

Flaton’s appointment follows the resignation of Joan Hogan Gillman from the Board. Both changes are effective January 15, 2026.  

"We are pleased to welcome Carol to our board," said Chairman Andrew W. Hobson. “She brings more than three decades of experience in financial services and governance, along with a strong track record of advising companies and serving on boards across a wide range of industries. Her insight and financial acumen will further strengthen the Board as the Company continues to execute its strategy.”  Hobson added, 

Carol Flaton

"We thank Joan for her eight years of dedicated service and valuable contributions during her tenure on the Board. Her insight has strengthened the Company in ways that will endure long after her service concludes."  

Flaton has held senior leadership roles across financial advisory, investment banking, and risk management, including as a Managing Director at AlixPartners and Lazard, where she advised companies, investors, and boards on complex financial and strategic matters. She currently serves on multiple public and private company boards, including as an independent director of QVC Group, Inc., where she is a member of the Audit and Compensation Committees.  

Flaton holds an MBA from IMD in Lausanne, Switzerland, and a BS in Economics and Finance from the University of Delawar