MediaPost.com: MediaDailyNews

Meta Fights FTC Bid To Revive Monopoly Charges

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 13:56:56 -0400

"Content posted by friends has become a small fraction of the content that users see on Facebook and Instagram -- less than 15% of posts in Facebook's news feed and 5% on Instagram's feed," Meta tells a federal appellate court.

Microsoft Advertising's Agentic Playbook

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 09:00:00 -0400

Microsoft Advertising on Friday released an agentic commerce blueprint to guide businesses, retailers, and developers into the massive shift when AI agents make purchases on behalf of humans.

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.

Survey: Consumers Value Auto Show Experience

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 20:52:02 -0400

At the 2026 New York International Auto Show, 41% participated in an on-site test drive, with 34% saying the experience made them more likely to consider buying that brand.

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.

Hyundai Offers Discounted Charging Access

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 20:18:15 -0400

"Range anxiety was never really only about the battery. It's about trust in the system built around it," said Hyundai's Olabisi Boyle.

Colorado Battles Tech Group Over Media Warnings

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 17:27:23 -0400

"Colorado's Healthier Social Media Use by Youth Act requires social media companies to disclose factual, research-based information to young users about the health effects of their own products," the state argues to the 10th Circuit.

DASH-Enhanced Nielsen Drives Reset On TV Viewing Picture

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 16:32:04 -0400

Among the non-intuitive insights about U.S. TV viewing brought to light: Only 30% of U.S. households are "streaming TV only."

60-Plus Conan Is A Spry Guy In Travel Show's New Season

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 16:21:53 -0400

Conan O'Brien demonstrates he's an active senior as he travels to four more distant locations in the third season of his far-flung travel show, "Conan O'Brien Must Go."

As Fake AI Influencers Grow, NAD Takes Notice

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 15:41:34 -0400

NAD VP discusses the problem: "An avatar or a virtual persona by its very nature cannot have used a product and experienced its benefits."

Noble People Taps UM Alum Stewart To Lead Media Investment

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 15:01:22 -0400

Stewart brings more than 20 years of media investment leadership to the role. Most recently, she has been advising agencies independently on investment strategy, operating model design, and AI workflow integration.

Living In The Synthetic World

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 14:00:09 -0400

New research estimates 10% of all web content has been edited or written by AI. The real question is, how much of it is actually meaningful?

We'll Fight For Your Brand: WWE Records $160M In Sponsorships

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 13:49:35 -0400

A SponsorUnited report also shows 67.3% of WWE's brand partners (35) in 2025 as new brands added to the sport versus the year before.

OpenAI Pushes Judge To Throw Out Privacy Suit

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 13:35:27 -0400

"All of plaintiff's claims are barred because she consented to OpenAI's terms of use and privacy policy, which expressly inform users that information about their use of ChatGPT, including their prompts, may be disclosed to third parties," the company argues.

Google Updates Discovery, This Time It's Even More Personal

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 12:00:00 -0400

It just accelerated how users -- as well as publishers -- personalize their journeys across search, discovery and news in ways that could impact consumers and marketers alike.

Avid Fans Of Women's Sports Watching More Televised Games

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 11:52:15 -0400

The largest viewing gain came with the WNBA, up 54% to 3.8 billion minutes viewed. And the number of overall women's sports telecasts shot up 230% to 3,363 in 2025.

Sports Fans Resort To More Piracy For Live-Streaming Games

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 11:00:13 -0400

Statista says "live sports piracy" is the fastest-growing digital piracy segment.

Google Updates 'AI Max,' Demos 10-Click A/B Set-Up

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 10:20:05 -0400

Building on AI Max's "one-click" experiments late last year, Google unveiled new A/B testing tools for search ads using a demo that took ten clicks to execute.

Netflix Doc Tells Story Of The Brand That Became Known As Mr. T

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 09:00:00 -0400

Raised on welfare in one of Chicago's roughest neighborhoods, Mr. T came up with a brand name and image for himself that made him world famous.

Advertisers Love AI Until It Reaches For The Budget

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 08:59:51 -0400

While marketers are happy to let AI analyze performance, draft creative and perform the chores that make humans question their career choices, they're much less comfortable letting it control budgets, adjust bids or make consequential campaign changes without supervision.

IAB: AI Labeling Cuts Clickthroughs By A Third

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 06:19:08 -0400

"That cost is warranted where AI use could mislead consumers," an update to the IAB's AI transparency framework states. "However, labeling applied to AI involvement that poses no risk of deception penalizes advertisers without protecting consumers."

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.

Amazon Presses Perplexity Shopping Agent Ban

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 17:32:26 -0400

Amazon is urging a federal appellate court to reconsider a ruling that allowed Perplexity's Comet assistant to continue shopping on Amazon.com, on behalf of users.

Study: Cannabinoid Brands Misuse Social Media Marketing

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 17:18:02 -0400

"Social media companies need clearer standards addressing youth-oriented features... as well as potentially misleading health claims and inadequate safety information."

FTC Proposes 'Personalized Pricing' Disclosures

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 16:44:10 -0400

Marketers that use personal data to set prices should tell consumers about the practice in certain situations, the FTC proposed Wednesday.

Patron Uses OOH Games To Highlight 3-Ingredient Recipe

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 15:43:56 -0400

Billboard of a Patron bottle covered with honeybees invites consumers to identify the brand, then go to a website to finish the guessing game.

Curation Is More Than A Philosophical Take

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 14:45:30 -0400

Curation doesn't just make the supply chain more honest. It makes it shorter.

Trad Pay TV Declines Again -- But At Moderate 4.1% Drop

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 13:25:47 -0400

But overall consumer spending on all video -- pay TV, streaming, other home entertainment --- continues to climb, to just under $40 billion.

Your Brain On Short Videos: Cognitive Control Takes A Snack Break

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 12:30:42 -0400

Watching an appealing stream of bite-sized clips shifts the brain into an immersive, low-effort state in which self-monitoring takes a breather, a scientific study found.

This Just In... Nielsen Touts 'Enhancements' Beginning This Fall

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 12:01:08 -0400

I'm publishing them verbatim, because Nielsen had not responded to my questions asking to explain explicitly what they are, how they work and why they are improvements.

Stars Of "A Different World' Sitcom Are Back For Netflix Reboot

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 08:47:27 -0400

One figure not involved is Bill Cosby -- creator of the original NBC series -- and his name reportedly will not be on the credits of the new Netflix version.

What Google's Purchase Of Spirit Airlines Data Means For Advertisers

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 07:43:33 -0400

Consumer data has become more than a record of historical transactions. It has become a tool for shaping future behavior.

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.