MediaPost | Around the Net In Media

FCC Approves Cumulus Media Reorganization

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 21:46:30 -0400

The Federal Communications Commission has approved Cumulus Media’s reorganization, the last major obstacle to its emergence from its packaged bankruptcy, Radio World reports. The company filed for Chapter 11 protection earlier this year. Cumuus CEO Mary Berner pledged to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr that the firm will maintain existing newsroom headcounts for two years or more. Chapter 11. Cumulus owns 384 stations in 84 U.S. markets.

Almost All Social Media Pros Are Now Using AI Tools: Survey

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 20:36:08 -0400

AI use has grown among social media professionals, with 95% now using AI tools in their work, and 75% daily, according to a newreport from Metricool, Net Influencer reports. But 14% say AI-generated content performs worse than human-made, up from 5% in 2025. The biggest AI tasks are writing copy (86%) and generating content ideas 84%. But AI use for strategy design is now at 62%, up from 39% last year, and trend and topic research has jumped from 36% to 61% in the same period.

Scripps News Builds Direct Reader-Reporter Connection

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 20:31:36 -0400

Scripps News, the digitally distributed information service., has launched an initiative to give viewers more direct access to reporters, according to Radio & Television Business Report. Dubbed “Connect with Me,” the new effort is moving beyond traditional feedback channels by providing lines of communication via text messaging and email. “At a time when audiences are looking for more trust and authenticity, Scripps News is reinforcing journalism’s role as a public service by creating more direct lines of communication between reporters and the communities they cover,” the company says.

Gen Z Still Listens To Broadcast Radio, Study Finds

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 20:25:17 -0400

New research from iHeartMedia shows that Gen Z is still attracted to broadcast radio despite perception that it prefers personalized, on-demand audio, Inside Radio reports. “While Gen Z is conventionally thought to want everything on-demand and tailored to their needs, the data shows that teenagers are gravitating to the safety and anonymity of radio to create community,” said Lainie Fertick, President of Insights for iHeartMedia.

Most Consumers Have Seen AI-Created Ads, Half Object To Them

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 22:10:01 -0400

Most Americans have seen ads that clearly have been created with artificial intelligence, Gallup reports. Of those surveyed, 79% have seen such ads in the last 30 days, and 49% have negative feelings about use of AI. Younger people are especially opposed to it, including 66% of those aged 18-29. In contrast, 51% in the 30-44 age bracket, 38% in the 45-59 cohort and 46% of those who are 60 and older are against AI use in advertising. However, 75% accept use of AI for brainstorming ideas and to create early drafts of ads when it is disclosed.

Columbia House, Legacy Music Service, Is Closing

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 22:06:55 -0400

The media world has received the sad news that Columbia House, the mail order music subscription business and major advertiser, is shutting down, CNN reports. Founded in the 1950s, the brand peaked in the 1980s and 1990s as it provided monthly selections of records, tapes and CDs. Its annual revenues hit $1.4 billion in 1996, but delivery systems changed and the company did not succeed when it tried to pivot to streaming.

HD Media To Acquire 25 Local Properties From AIM Media

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 22:02:45 -0400

West Virginia’s HD Media is acquiring 25 publications from AIM Media Management, effective Sept. 1, according to the Daily Reporter, of Indiana. Six publications are part of AIM Media Indiana and 19 from AIM Media Ohio. “We found a partner in AIM Media when we purchased the Portsmouth Daily Times three years ago, and as that relationship grew stronger, we felt comfortable negotiating a large acquisition like this with them, said Phil Perry, president of HD Media. The terms were not disclosed.

Michigan Stadium To Start Displaying Brand Advertising

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 21:58:36 -0400

Michigan Stadium, a 107,601-seat facility that turns 100 next year, is taking advertising for the first time, pulling in Coca-Cola, Meijer and Google Gemini as the first three brand sponsors, The Athletic reports. Their logos will be displayed in the Big House. “As we introduce this partner program, we will do so with care and purpose, ensuring that any brand partner presence is strategic, tasteful, and aligned with the values of the University of Michigan,” Warde Manuel, athletic director, in a statement.

Taboola To Handle Programmatic Selling For NBC News

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 22:26:23 -0400

A new deal will have Taboola power all of NBC’s programmatic display advertising sales, Axios reports. NBC News will leverage the Taboola Realize performance ad platform to sell all of its global programmatic display advertising on its digital properties, including NBCNews.com and Today.com.. The NBC News ad sales team will continue to sell premium video and other display offers. Taboola will be the only outside vendor to handle programmatic ad sales.

Disney Tailors Ad Appeal For Pharma Marketers

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 22:22:44 -0400

Disney will provide a comprehensive omnichannel strategy for pharma marketers as fall arrives, Campaign Live writes. That includes sports programming: In upfronts this spring, Disney Advertising pitched attractions like the Super Bowl and ESPN events to medical companies. Disney has “a wide array of content that spans multiple demographics, so there's a large user base that makes their platform applicable to multiple disease states, which means tons and tons of different drugs,” says Justin Fried, chief media and innovation officer at CMI Media Group and Compas. “It's not a niche community where only one is going to be successful."

Local Media Buys Are Being Done By Agentic Purchasing Agents

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 22:18:37 -0400

Live client media buying using an agent-to-agent framework is now being offered, shortening the local media supply chain by letting agents transact more directly with publishers, TV News Check writes. In June,at least eight major ad-tech platforms shipped agentic buying agents. Most of the work in planning and buying local media is moving from human-operated platforms to software that can act on its own.

Bill Rasmussen, Founder Of ESPN, Dies At 93

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 22:09:43 -0400

ESPN founder Bill Rasmussen, has died at age 93 from effects of Parkinson’s Disease, ESPN reports. Rasmussen founded the network in 1979 and proved himself to be a “sports fan-turned broadcaster and entrepreneur whose out-of-the-box idea of a 24-hour cable sports network, ESPN, changed forever the landscape of sports media,” ESPN says.

ABC Sues FCC Over Free Speech, License Issues

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 09:36:03 -0400

ABC filed a lawsuit against the Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday morning on First Amendment grounds, Variety reports. Disney’s ABC has had several run-ins with the Trump administration over monologues by Jimmy Kimmel and commentary on “The View,” a daytime roundtable program. The complaint alleges that ABC is being punished for its editorial decisions, and that “no alternative means to eliminate these ongoing and immediate threats other than total capitulation to the Administration’s demands.” The FCC has also threatened its license renewal. ABC, in a separate filing, seeks a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction against the FCC’s efforts on this front.

Executives Predict State Of TV In 2029 In CNBC Survey

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 22:55:17 -0400

The television industry is in turmoil, with the rapid pace of change keeping media investors and onlookers keeping a close watch, CNBC reports. Cable TV subscriptions have been falling for over a decade, and while streaming services are profitable, their subscriber growth has peaked. With this as a backdrop, CNBC interviewed 10 media executives for its 2026 Future of TV survey, the goal being to get a read on TV in 2029.

Law Firm Sues Bar Over Florida Ban On Celebrities In Ads

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 22:52:06 -0400

Morgan & Morgan, an injury law firm that spent $218 million on advertising in 2024, has sued the Florida Bar, claiming the state ban on use of celebrity images or voices in lawyers’ ads violates the free speech rights of attorneys, Reuters reports. The federal lawsuit argues that the definition of celebrities is too vague to be enforceable. The Florida Bar pursues ethics violations in Florida.

Midlands Media Group To Use Townsquare Media's Digital Ad Platform

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 22:47:39 -0400

Townsquare Media and Midlands Media Group have formed a digital partnership that will provide Midlands with access to Townsquare Ignite, Townsquare’s digital advertising division, Inside Radio reports. Midlands Media Group has built “a highly local portfolio of radio and digital news brands with engaged audiences and a strong market presence, making them an ideal partner for our digital platform and services,” says Shaun Collignon, chief revenue officer of Townsquare Ignite, says in a statement. “By combining their multichannel reach with our proprietary technology, data-driven strategy, and execution expertise, we are well positioned to unlock new revenue opportunities and drive meaningful, measurable growth.”

New York City Council Probes Ads By Prediction Market Platforms

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 22:41:11 -0400

The New York City Council is investigating the marketing and advertising practices of prediction market platforms, Speaker Julie Menin announced on Wednesday, BKReader reports. The Council sent letters to Kalshi, Polymarket, Coinbase and Gemini Titan, asking for information. The focus is on potentially false or abusive tactics that target young New Yorkers. “Prediction markets aggressively entice consumers to bet and wager on sports, politics, culture, weather and pretty much anything,” Menin says. “We refuse to let New Yorkers, especially our young people, become collateral damage."

Nexstar's $6.2 Billion Merger With Tegna Will Change Houston Media

Sun, 16 Aug 2026 20:56:28 -0400

Viewers of Houston’s CW39 will next month see Len Cannon and Mia Gradney, broadcasters from KHOU, Houston’s CBS affiliate, on the 9 p.m. news, the Houston Chronicle reports. This is a result of the proposed $6.2 billion merger between Nexstar and Tegna, which was approved by the Federal Communications Commission in April. Nexstar will own 256 stations nationwide and 42 in Texas, covering 98.1% of the state’s population.

Axios Content Will Be Used To Train ChatGPT As Part Of OpenAI Deal

Sun, 16 Aug 2026 20:50:16 -0400

Axios, a for-profit media corporation majority-owned by Cox Enterprises, is about to change local journalism for the worst, Futurism writes. Calling himself an “AI lab rate, Axios Co Founder Jim VandeHei will underwrite 13 local newsletters as part of a three-year agreement with OpenAI. That firm will get access to all Axios content to train ChatGPT.

AI Backlash Is A Crisis Of Trust, Anthropic CEO Says

Sun, 16 Aug 2026 20:46:21 -0400

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has pushed back on criticism that his negativity about artificial intelligence is helping to fuel a backlash in the U.S., especially against data centers, TechCrunch reports. “I think it is fundamentally a crisis of trust,” Amodei said. “I think that ordinary people don’t trust companies, governments, or the tech industry and always suspect that we are cooking up some new way to screw them over.”

French Court Strikes Down Social Media Bans For Kids Under 15

Sun, 16 Aug 2026 20:38:26 -0400

The worldwide trend of banning social media for children has been blocked in France, BBC reports. The country’s Constitutional Council struck down a ban for the under-15 age group on the grounds that it infringed freedom of expression. French President Emmanual Macron has asked Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu to prepare a new draft that would address the council's points.

French Newspapers Challenge Google's AI Summaries

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 21:13:33 -0400

A group of almost 300 French newspapers has filed a complaint with the country's competition authority, saying that Google's new AI Overviews -- AI-generated summaries of search results -- will erode traffic to their own websites. Google launched the feature in France in late July. "The editors are not seeking to halt innovation,” the APIG association said in a statement.“They are asking for this value to be shared, and for compensation of the use of their content.”

Lawsuit Seeks To End Paid Early Access To Trump's Posts

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 21:08:11 -0400

A lawsuit has been filed against President Donald Trump, saying that his new paid service for early access to his Truth Social posts violates U.S. policy and the Constitution, Associated Press reports. The suit, filed by the Freedom of the Press Foundation, and The Intercept, argues that official announcements should be provided to everyone at the same time. The new subscription charges Wall Street firms up to $100,000 per month. “A president selling priority access to news he himself generates for the benefit of a private company he controls is so blatantly corrupt and unconstitutional that it would have been hard to even fathom just a few years ago,” said Seth Stern, chief of advocacy at the Freedom of the Press Foundation.

Copyright Office Eases Rule For Content Registration

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 21:03:25 -0400

The U.S. Copyright Office has published the final refined rule for its Group Registration of Updates to a News Website (GRNW) option the News/Media Alliance reports. Publications no longer have to cover a broad range of news on all subjects, opening the door for sports, finance and culture sites to register their works. Also, publishers can register large amounts of online content through a simple monthly application. The update is now effective.

Lee Harris Dismissed As SVP By WABC Radio Parent Red Apple

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 20:59:26 -0400

Red Apple Media, the parent of WABC Radio and the Worldwide News Network, has dismissed Lee Harris, senior vice president of news & programming, after only months on the job, Radio & Television Business Report writes. A Red Apple spokesperson said the departure was tied to differences over leadership style. Previously, Harris served all-news WINS Radio in New York for more than three decades, and also held the title of director of integration operations for NewsNation.

Paramount Mulls CNN Edit Board To Address Post-Merger Concerns

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 21:53:09 -0400

Paramount, which has a deal to buy Warner Bros. Discovery for $81 billion, has discussed creating an editorial board for CNN to ease fears about its journalistic independence after the merger, The Wall Street Journal reports. California and 11 other states have filed an antitrust lawsuit, claiming that the deal would give one company too much power over theatrical movie distribution and cable television. The discussions began prior to filing of the lawsuit. “We always remain open to internal improvements to journalistic integrity,” Paramount said in a statement.

AdRoll Offers Pilot For ChatGPT Advertising

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 21:48:00 -0400

AdRoll has launched a ChatGPT advertising pilot to help small businesses, mid-market firms and B2B advertisers determine how conversational AI fits into the customer journey, Marketing Report writes. Companies that participate will receive expertise and support while testing the channel. The pilot is available to selected AdRoll and AdRoll ABM customers.

Tubi Renews Deal With Nielsen's Gracenote

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 21:42:38 -0400

Tubi has formed a new agreement with Gracenote, Nielsen’s meta data business, through which Tubi and Fox One will gain access to improved content discovery and advertising capabilities, Media Play News reports. Tubi will also test Gracenote IDs in programmatic bid streams, with the goal to improve contextually relevant advertising.

BBC Saw 1 Billion Website Visits In July

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 21:34:43 -0400

The BBC has hit its highest traffic level in 18 months in July: 1 billion website visits worldwide, an 11% increase YoY, Press Gazette reports. Contributing to this volume were the emergence of the new prime minister, Andy Burnham, record European heat and the World Cup. The site, bbc.com, is followed as the top English-language news website by nytimes.com, which had 628.4 million, a 5% decline YoY.

NCAA Will Allow Alcohol Ads During March Madness, Other Events

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 20:30:30 -0400

The NCAA will allow alcohol advertising during championship events, including March Madness, reversing a longstanding policy, The Deseret News reports. The shift, which is opposed by the U.S. Alcohol Policy Alliance and nine state health agencies, is driven by money. “The NCAA Division I Board of Directors changed these policies to maximize the revenue the association returns to member schools they are investing more and more in student-athletes on their campuses,” said Dan Gavitt, NCAA senior vice president of basketball. Gavitt added that the change also brings NCAA Championships in line with most schools and conferences.