 IN THE NEWS |
 ESPN has struck a deal with the NFL for top NFL Media holdings including NFL RedZone and the NFL’s fantasy football business, with the league receiving equity in the network, reports The Athletic. Word of the agreement comes as ESPN prepares to roll out a$30/month direct-to-consumer service called ESPN.
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting will shut down in January, having been defunded by Congress last month. “Public media has been one of the most trusted institutions in American life, providing educational opportunity, emergency alerts, civil discourse, and cultural connection to every corner of the country,” said President and CEO Patricia Harrison. “We are deeply grateful to our partners across the system for their resilience, leadership, and unwavering dedication to serving the American people.” While NPR and PBS will survive, Katherine Maher, the chief executive of NPR, said the corporation’s closure “represents the loss of a major institution and decades of knowledge and expertise.” |
 HBO Max’s “And Just Like That…” is coming to a close. “While I was writing the last episode of ‘And Just Like That…” season 3, it became clear to me that this might be a wonderful place to stop,” said showrunner Michael Patrick King in a statement posted on Instagram. “Along with Sarah Jessica Parker, [Chairmen and CEO, HBO and Max Content] Casey Bloys and [HBO Head of IP] Sarah Aubrey, we decided to end the popular series this year with a two-part finale and extended the original series order from 10 episodes to 12. SJP and I held off announcing the news until now because we didn’t want the word ‘final’ to overshadow the fun of watching the season.”
TV news profitability fell below 50% for the first time since 2010, according to the latest RTDNA/Newhouse School Survey. Smaller markets saw the biggest drop, while larger markets held steady or improved slightly; 38.3% of news stations reported cuts, with19.9% reporting increases.
Gray Media has reached an agreement with Block Communications to acquire its television stations for $80 million. “We expect the transaction to strengthen our presence in the Midwest by creating a new Big 4 duopoly in one market and by adding top-ranked local news stations in two more midwestern markets that can support and benefit from our strong local stations in adjacent markets,” said Gray. The transactions are expected to close in 4Q25 following receipt of regulatory approval and customary closing conditions.
Apple TV+ has a limited series adaptation of Nancy Meyers 2006 film “The Holiday” in the works. Krissie Ducker (“Sweetpea”) will write and produce through Left Bank Pictures, and Rob Delaney (“Catastrophe”) is consulting. What does Nancy Meyers say? “News to me,” she posted on Instagram.
Cineverse has launched a campaign with Moviefone that has Peter Dinklage (“Game of Thrones”) voicing his character from the upcoming film “The Toxic Avenger,” reading showtimes, re-enacting the film’s trailer, and offering ticket info. To promote the re-launched phone number and upcoming release, digital video will be seen on Moviefone’s website and social channels, as well as “The Toxic Avenger” socials, supported with a media buy that will include Cineverse’s ad network. |
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| Cynopsis ScreenShift
Connect with the Best.
Join us at the ScreenShift Awards Reception—an exclusive evening honoring the winners of the Faxies and Media Impact Awards.
Two hours. Countless opportunities.
Reception-only pass: $199 – early rate ends 8/29!
I’M INTERESTED IN ATTENDING |
| NEW & RETURNING SERIES |
 All eight episodes of song battle series “KPOPPED,” starring PSY and executive producer Megan Thee Stallion, drop Friday, August 29 on Apple TV+.
“Hot in Cleveland” joins the Catchy Comedy lineup on Monday, September 1 at 9p. The sitcom had its first run on TV Land from 2010-2015.
Season two of “The Newsreader” will exclusively stream on AMC+ starting Thursday, August 7. The critically acclaimed Australian drama is set in a 1980s newsroom. |
Today’s Premieres
Hulu: King of the Hill
Nick: Tim Rex in Space at 9:30a |
| Cynopsis ScreenShift
Disney takes the pitch…
The race for live TV dominance is heating up. At ScreenShift, Disney Advertising’s Liz Boylan shares how brands are unlocking new levels of revenue, rights, and reach.
Don’t miss her session, “Winning with Live TV,” on October 14—and stay ahead in the live content game.
VIEW THE AGENDA |
| PRODUCTION |
| Boat Rocker Studios has closed its management buyout, and returning to operating as a privately held, independent studio. Led by co-founders David Fortier and Ivan Schneeberg alongside John Young, Boat Rocker Studios will continue to operate under its existing leadership team and brand. “This exciting next chapter gives us the independence and flexibility to continue bringing compelling and entertaining stories to audiences around the world across all genres and platforms,” said Fortier, Schneeberg, and Young in a joint statement. “We’re energized by the opportunity ahead and grateful to our partners, creators, and teams for their continued belief in Boat Rocker.” |
| SPORTS REPORT |
| Major League Fishing and RFD-TV are teaming to bring live tournament coverage from the MLF Team Series Presented by Bass Pro Shops to a national television audience for the first time. Starting Sunday, August 24, RFD-TV will air the final period of all 24 Team Series matches live. Final-period broadcasts will air from 2:30-5p. |
| RATINGS |
| ABC’s “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire” rose 5% in Total Viewers to 4.46 million, becoming the top program of the night for the second week in a row. The program also held 100% retention in A18-49 (0.38 rating) from its week-ago season premiere.
Season 27 of “Big Brother” has reached nearly 26 million unique viewers across CBS and Paramount+, reports the network. Through its first two weeks (episodes airing July 10, 13, 16, 17, 20), season-to-date multiplatform viewership is averaging 4.8 million, up 9% from last summer’s first two weeks. |
| EXECUTIVE MOVES |
| Warner Bros. Discovery signed new employment contracts for President and CEO of Global Streaming and Games JB Perrette and Chief Revenue and Strategy Officer Bruce Campbell that extend through 2029 and 2030, respectively. The deals hinge on the anticipated separation of WBD into Warner Bros., comprising streaming and studios, and Discovery Global, made up of the linear TV networks.
There We Go Films (“Raw Craft with Anthony Bourdain”) has named Kristian King as Head of Production. King’s directing and producing credits include work for “Sesame Street” and AppleTV+’s “Number One on the Call Sheet.” |
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This Day in History
1944 – Anne Frank and seven others were discovered by the Gestapo.
Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
Which sitcom star’s TV husband was recast during the short run of her 2000-01 series? Bette Midler’s husband in “Bette” was played first by Kevin Dunn, then Robert Hays. Kudos to: Justin Pierce-JP Consulting Group/LA; Marni C. Gold/Hawthorne, NJ; Andrew Goldman-Phanes Funding Group/NYC; Gerry Bixenspan-TV Marketing Inc./NYC; Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/LA; Susan Nessanbaum-Goldberg-M and S Entertainment/LA; Aaron Paquette-AccelerateSG/Fort Worth, TX
Today’s Trivia Question
Who hosted Fox’s revival of “Love Connection”? (Email your answer to [email protected] and be sure to include your name, company, city and time zone. Unofficial rules: a limit of four answers per time zone.) |
SENIOR DESIGNER >>
REELZ CHANNEL/ALBUQUERQUE, NM: Responsible for the concept, design and execution of various motion graphics projects for on-air promo and sales presentations. Will be required to design and create graphics for social media, digital and print. Must be able to follow brand guidelines and expand and change the brand look when necessary. Full info HERE
EVP, COMMERCIAL & TECHNOLOGY TRANSACTIONS, LEGAL & BUSINESS AFFAIRS >>
A+E GLOBAL MEDIA/NY(HYBRID): Oversee the three major areas of commercial transactions (comprised of supporting the Distribution, Total Media Solutions and Global Content Sales divisions) and the adjacent areas supported by the attorney teams that principally support those divisions (including vendor management and privacy). Full info HERE
SR. DIRECTOR OF SALES, KSTU & KUPX >>
THE E.W. SCRIPPS COMPANY/SALT LAKE CITY: Leverage our suite of advertising solutions to unlock growth opportunities for local and national businesses. Play a role in driving the station’s revenue goals as well as serving as the home station for Utah’s new NHL team. Collaborate with our production team to create campaigns that connect our clients with their customers in meaningful ways. Full info HERE
DIGITAL MEDIA BUYER >>
FURMAN ROTH ADVERTISING/NY(HYBRID): Plan, launch, and optimize digital marketing campaigns across various paid media channels (including Display, Google products, Paid Social, CTV, and Programmatic, etc.) while managing budgets effectively. Support the execution of media plans across platforms, overseeing targeting, budget allocation, and performance tracking to drive campaign success. Full info HERE
ACCOUNT DIRECTOR; CTV BRAND PARTNERSHIPS – MID WEST/WEST COAST
FUTURE TODAY
REMOTE
Build, maintain and expand a pipeline of sales targets, contacts, and sales opportunities leveraging your relationships with a heavy focus on new business revenue. Build/nurture relationships with the investment, strategy, precision and digital agencies as well as clients. Also maintain an ongoing knowledge of the streaming media landscape. Full info HERE
DIRECTOR, AD MARKETING & SALES >>
THE SHADE ROOM/REMOTE: Develop and execute a revenue growth strategy to drive direct advertising, branded content, and sponsorship sales as well as lead the development of compelling advertising and branded content offerings tailored for TSR’s audience and cultivate and maintain strong relationships with key advertisers, media agencies, and brand partners. Full info HERE
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE DIRECT RESPONSE >>
OPPORTUNITY MEDIA/NY(REMOTE/HYBRID): Seeking an energetic achiever with excellent written & organizational skills for role to assist in growing revenue for dynamic Direct Response Team: required: BA Degree, Min 5 yrs DR Experience. Wide Orbit Exp a +. Full info HERE
PROFESSIONAL LECTURER OF COMMUNICATION/SPORTS BROADCASTING >>
MARIST UNIVERSITY/ POUGHKEEPSIE, NY: Teach studio and field broadcasting and new media courses in sports media and journalism as well as be able to teach a studio course on producing a newscast and help students live stream a podcast or produce short-form feature content suitable for social media streaming. Also demonstrate through their teaching, professional activity, and service. Full info HERE
SALES LEAD – AGENCY PARTNERSHIPS
UPWAVE
NEW YORK, NY
Build and manage relationships with our agency partners – mostly targeting media buyers and planners – and help them see the value of adding Upwave measurement to The Trade Desk campaigns. You will both leverage your existing network and open new doors to achieve aggressive but achievable sales targets. Full info HERE |
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