On April 17th, 1989, the Consumer News and Business Channel signed on the air. Today, CNBC is marking its 35th anniversary.
The business news channel is celebrating its long cable news history today. A montage of highlights from the “biggest moments” was published in a video to X.
The outlet’s roots trace back to the Satellite Program Network which debuted in 1989, before later changing its name to Tempo Television. NBC decided to launch the business venture in 1989 in a 50/50 partnership alongside Cablevision with a headquarters located in Fort Lee, New Jersey.
After struggling to get carriage throughout the country, the network purchased the Financial News Network, which had more than double the reach of CNBC in 1991 after FNN filed for Bankruptcy.
At the time of the purchase, CNBC hired roughly 60 of the 300 FNN employees, including Joe Kernen, who still helms the channel’s popular Squawk Box morning show.
What started as a U.S. operation has grown to several different divisions as CNBC holds branches in both Europe and Asia, and also has other international affiliates.
NPR CEO Katherine Maher has come under fire for past social media posts that show insight into her liberal political beliefs. Fox News host Jesse Watters believes that makes her the perfect candidate to run the public broadcaster.
While discussing the recent scuttlebutt from NPR employees and their responses to an op-ed from colleague Uri Berliner that claimed the network has a decidedly liberal bias, Watters pointed out that Maher fits right in as the chief executive of the organization.
“What do we know about this new NPR CEO Catherine Maher? She’s got the perfect resume. In 2016, she criticized Hillary (Clinton) for not being woke enough. In 2018, she declared that (Donald) Trump’s a racist. And she did it again in 2020,” said Watters.
“During the summer of love, she called all white people racist, and then kept the year off showing how excited she was to vote for Biden. That’s who NPR hired. You see, not only is she an avid lib, she’s a liar. She gave a whole TED Talk about working for Wikipedia and talked about how important different perspectives are.”
After playing a clip of Maher’s conversation about the importance of differing opinions and noting that debates make better ideas, Watters argued Maher doesn’t practice what she preaches.
“Berliner claims NPR newsroom had a ratio of 87 Democrats to zero Republicans. Doesn’t sound like much debate’s going on there,” the Jesse Watters Primetime host said.
Katherine Maher joined NPR as its new CEO in January after the retirement of John Lansing, after previously serving as the CEO of Web Summit and as the CEO of Wikimedia Foundation.
NPR Business Editor Uri Berliner has announced his resignation from the outlet he called home for 25 years Wednesday.
Last week, Berliner penned an essay criticizing the network for what he called a liberal bias, stating NPR had “lost America’s trust” in the process. After his comments went viral, the organization “strongly disagreed” with his encapsulation.
On Friday, Berliner was suspended by NPR for breaking previously established internal protocols. While he stated he would not fight the discipline, he called into question whether or not newly minted CEO Katherine Maher was fit to lead the network due to her left-wing bias after former social media posts were uncovered.
In a statement published to X, Uri Berliner stated “I am resigning from NPR, a great American institution where I have worked for 25 years. I don’t support calls to defund NPR,” Berliner wrote. “I respect the integrity of my colleagues and wish for NPR to thrive and do important journalism. But I cannot work in a newsroom where I am disparaged by a new CEO whose divisive views confirm the very problems at NPR I cite in my Free Press essay.”
Reaction to the news from the news media was generally drawn down party lines, with conservatives championing the move, while liberals chastised the longtime editor. Meanwhile, colleagues took aim at Berliner for placing the outlet in the crosshairs.
???? Berliner resigns from NPR, citing public disparagement from leftist activist CEO https://t.co/zVv8824MQ0
NPR senior business editor Uri Berliner resigned this morning.
Among the many things that could be said, I will say this: thank you to my colleagues here in the newsroom today for your grace, collegiality and hard work during a challenging period.
BREAKING: Uri Berliner has resigned from NPR after penning an essay criticizing the outlet for his far-left bias and subsequently suspended without pay.
“I cannot work in a newsroom where I am disparaged by a new CEO whose divisive views confirm the very problems at NPR I cite… https://t.co/TjnkJ1C2kp
NPR’s Uri Berliner has resigned for the reasons below. He may not support calls to defund it, but a lot of folks reasonably ask why they should be forced to fund propaganda which they find abhorrent. https://t.co/HmHnBbO5Xc
I don't blame him. The positions of @kmaher range from the absurd to the small-minded. Who could work for her while trying to do actual journalism? https://t.co/4FD5HSNwae
Uri Berliner's story is extremely significant because he hasn't taken the "red pill." He's still liberal, he just also believes in objective journalism. His story echoes that of @bariweiss and so many others who realize that the Left's echo chamber is stultifying. https://t.co/moR1SG9J8g
Ah. So you were planning to quit and decided to try to take the place down with you – and then look like a martyr. I tried that one once when I was a kid. Doesn't work.
and not uh the reaction from colleagues whom he publicly disrespected by impugning their integrity. or from young staff who now view him as an antagonistic presence who cannot be trusted to edit them without accusing them of bias. or union colleagues…or…or…or… https://t.co/Kllx3Up2zH
What an absolute atrocity and shades of James Bennet being forced out of the New York Times after publishing a perfectly reasonable op-ed by Tom Cotton in 2020.
Take a bow, Katherine Maher. You got your man. And good luck with your re-election efforts for Joe Biden on NPR. https://t.co/dNUeH6FFog
The 2024 WNBA Draft on ESPN attained record levels of viewership, amassing an average audience of 2.45 million viewers for this edition of the event. Iowa guard Caitlin Clark was selected No. 1 overall by the Indiana Fever, a selection that will see her team with last year’s first-overall pick Aliyah Boston to try and lead the organization to a league championship. Following an opening press conference from Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind. on Wednesday morning, Clark made an in-studio appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on ESPN where they discussed her time on the Iowa Hawkeyes and her transition from the NCAA to the WNBA.
Clark, the all-time scoring leader for NCAA Division I Basketball, led Iowa to a second-consecutive National Championship Game. Viewership for the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament broke several records, including averaging 18.1 million viewers during the championship game between Iowa and South Carolina. Clark responded to a question about whether the outcome playing out was how she envisioned her college career and transition to the WNBA concluding.
“I feel like I always had super big goals and dreams and aspirations, but at the same time, this is a place that women’s basketball has really never been before, so no, I never really imagined it on this magnitude,” Clark said. “But also I’ve always been a supporter of women’s basketball; it’s always been something I’ve loved ever since a young age.”
Clark explained that she was hoping the Indiana Fever would win the WNBA Draft Lottery to gain the first overall selection in the WNBA Draft. She is excited to remain in the midwest and learn from her teammates, coaches and alumni, including Hall of Fame forward and former league MVP Tamika Catchings. Through it all, she will try to remain grounded and focus on making meaningful contributions to the Fever and league as a whole.
“I think where the magnitude of everything’s gone, I feel like I’ve tried to stay right in the middle,” Clark said. “One of the best pieces of advice that somebody gave me is like, ‘At the level you feel all the praise, that’s the same level you’ll feel all the hate,’ so I try to stay right in the middle. It doesn’t really bother me – I think it’s just what comes with it, and growing up, my mom always said, ‘People want to see you fail.’ That’s just kind of how our world is, which is really sad, but at the same time, I don’t think about that type of stuff.”
Show host Pat McAfee expressed that women’s college basketball has been phenomenal to watch over the last several years with the talent and storylines therein. In discussing the growth of the game, he wanted to know whether Clark perceived there to be an onus on her to bring women’s basketball to another level. Viewership of the WNBA last season reached over 36 million viewers across all national networks and was up 21% year-over-year. Moreover, the WNBA Finals on ESPN between the Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty averaged 728,000 viewers, marking the most-watched edition of the league championship in 20 years.
“I don’t feel like any pressure to take it to a place it’s never been before,” Clark responded. “I think that’s just going to happen with the way we’re on TV more; with the way people are following from the college game to the WNBA.”
At the conclusion of the interview, McAfee hit a long-distance shot from the stage of his set to give away four season tickets to the Indiana Fever. The team plays its first game on Tuesday, May 14 against the Connecticut Sun, which will be televised on ESPN2 at 7:30 p.m. EST. Thirty-six of the 40 Indiana Fever games will be broadcast by a national television platform, including eight on linear channels owned by The Walt Disney Company (ESPN, ABC, ESPN2).
“Caitlin, I just want to let you know we’ve all been incredibly lucky to kind of watch this all take place,” McAfee said. “Can’t wait to see what you do at the W, can’t wait to see where women’s basketball goes, and thank you for getting somebody like me into the sport because it is an awesome, awesome sport, and the future is only bright, especially in this city.”
A recent study claimed 75% of America’s leading newspapers are behind paywalls. KFI-AM 640 morning host Bill Handel believes it’s a mixed bag.
The Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism revealed that paywalls stop millions of Americans from accessing news both nationally and locally.
While discussing the findings on his morning show, Handel noted that, on one hand, that’s a bad thing.
“What paywalls do is get in the way of informing the public. And that’s what journalism is about,” said Handel. “It is a tough one.”
However, he added that paywalls are an important differentiator between credible and not credible outlets.
“The internet…is free. We’ve always been able to Google for free. You look at Wikipedia for free. News isn’t free. Not from the major news outlets,” said Handel. “If you go to CNN.com, NewYorkTimes.com, LATimes.com, you’re going to see the pop-ups where you have to subscribe and of course, the subscription is always the same.
“I’ll tell you what you can get for free: crazy conspiracy theory crap. That, you can get for free. Can you get hard news, objective news? Not as much. So paywalls create a two-tiered system. Paywalls for news, you get fact-based information credible for people willing to pay for it. And then way less reliable, at times crazy, stuff for everyone else.”
Bill Handel concluded by admitting he subscribes to the Los Angeles Times and The Wall Street Journal.
SiriusXM Media, GroupM and Edison Research recently conducted the first-ever Sports Audio Report to understand the role that audio content, across sports podcasts, satellite, and radio shows, plays in fans’ engagement with sports and leagues. Through an online study of over 3,500 Americans ages 13 and older who self-identify as sports fans, some solid insights were identified.
One major note from the study is that a massive 89% of sports fans say they frequently or occasionally watch sports content, while 64% say they frequently or occasionally listen to sports content.
“The passion and community of sports fans is undeniable, and we’re excited to share brand-new research that not only confirms this but shows the power of audio content for sports fans as well,” said Melissa Paris, VP Sales Research at SiriusXM Media. “Our new report with GroupM and Edison Research shows that audio offers sports fans unique perspectives on sports that aren’t covered in other media. And advertisers should take note: Sports audio listeners (especially podcast listeners) are spending significantly more than sports video viewers.”
“There is a deep connection between listeners and the audio content they consume, whether it’s music, sports, talk shows, books or podcasts,” said Jen Soch, Executive Director, Channel Solutions, GroupM US. “Many times, audio audiences find content related to their interests and passions, and we know sports fans’ zeal is unmatched. Audio is a critical component of holistic media investments, and it needs to be a top consideration for brands looking to extend their reach and overall presence in sports.”
While baseball has been labeled “America’s favorite pastime,” the study found that the NFL dominates as the most popular sport or league—90% of sports fans ages 13+ are NFL fans, with 59% saying they follow it closely. College football is not far behind, with 74% of those surveyed identifying as fans and 37% following closely.
The report notes sports fans spend six hours and 26 minutes with audio content each day—that’s over two hours more than the average American spends listening to audio. And over 90 minutes of sports fans’ daily audio time is spent listening to sports content specifically. While sports radio leads for Gen X and boomer fans, sports podcasts lead the way for Gen Z and millennials.
Other audio highlights from the first Sports Audio Report include:
66% of sports listeners say they listen to hear unique perspectives on sports that aren’t covered in other media, and 60% listen to get exclusive content.
86% of sports listeners say they listen to stay connected to their team or sport, 58% to be part of a community of fans, and 56% to feel more connected to friends/family/colleagues.
52% of sports listeners say they listen to be a more informed sports bettor, and 44% to be a more informed fantasy sports player.
From a financial standpoint, the study showed that compared to sports video viewers, sports audio listeners are bigger spenders. They spend an average of $262 on sports merch/memorabilia in a year (even higher for sports podcast listeners at $321), compared to just $185 for sports video viewers.
The 2024 WNBA Draft on ESPN was the most-viewed edition of the event in league history, averaging 2.45 million viewers and peaking at 3.09 million viewers. These numbers followed record-breaking viewership of the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament, including a National Championship Game that averaged 18.1 million viewers. Iowa guard and NCAA Division I Basketball all-time scoring leader Caitlin Clark was selected No. 1 overall by the Indiana Fever on Monday, which led to her jersey being sold out in all sizes within the first hour on Fanatics. Courtney Cox discussed these metrics on Wednesday’s edition of The Greg Hill Show on WEEI and explained their significance in the landscape of women’s basketball and sports as a whole.
Clark has made a palpable impact on women’s sports, evidenced through viewership numbers during the NCAA Tournament, her growing NIL portfolio and impact on young athletes. The WNBA is coming off a record-breaking 2023 regular season that attained over 36 million total unique viewers across all national networks. The WNBA Finals between the Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty averaged 728,000 viewers on ESPN, making it the most-watched championship round for the league in 20 years. No WNBA game has surpassed 1 million viewers in 16 years, but there is evidence suggesting that the league is about to embark on a paradigm shift.
“I just think that this could be a turning of tides,” Cox said. “I’m not saying overnight that they’re going to have the same numbers as the NBA at all.”
Co-host Jermaine Wiggins expressed that the league needs to cease playing in the summertime because of the nice weather and the fact that people are outside. Show producer Chris Curtis then utilized an example of NBC morning host Hoda Kotb discussing the pay gap between Clark and NBA players on her show to demonstrate how the league is receiving more attention. Curtis did not think Kotb had ever discussed the WNBA on her program and implored people to discuss and support the league if they want other people to watch and reciprocate through conversation.
Basketball fans were stunned to find out that Clark will be making $76,535 in her rookie year and a total of $338,056 in her four-year contract, prompting several people to call for equal pay between women and men. Cox stated that journalist Jemele Hill did a good job in saying to stop comparing the NBA and WNBA and how much she is making compared to other first-overall draft picks.
She believes that the topic goes beyond whether or not she should be making as much as an NBA player, articulating that it is a “shockingly low number” for somebody who is being regarded as the face of women’s basketball. Nonetheless, Cox believes that there is a chance she will revolutionize the sport and help grow its overall fanbase.
“Listen, no one cares about the WNBA – that’s it,” Wiggins countered later in the discussion. “We talk about Caitlin Clark. Her biggest fame is going to be from when she played in college basketball. She’s going to go to the WNBA, and she’s going to be like all those great WNBA players. She’s just going to kind of fade off into never, never land.”
Co-host Greg Hill is not sure that will happen, asking why women and men tuned in to watch the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament at record levels. Curtis replied by stating that it was an event people are into, similar to when Michael Phelps competed for his 12th gold medal or when there is a chance for a Triple Crown to be attained in horse racing. Wiggins feels that the reason behind the numbers was the drama being built up with LSU and star player Angel Reese, who defeated Clark in the 2022 National Championship Game.
“I think it was because she was setting a record when it came to men and women in points scoring in NCAA Basketball,” Hill conveyed. “I think that people go, ‘Who is this woman? She’s incredible. I’m going to tune in and watch.’ Maybe that will happen with the WNBA. I think it’s probably unlikely, but it might happen.”
Cox postulated that it is salient to invest in Clark if there is an interest in growing the sport, something that was evident over her time with the Iowa Hawkeyes. Furthermore, she cannot understand why those interacting with the show through Twitch or the text line are “butthurt” when they bring up the argument about Clark’s salary. Wiggins concluded that companies will struggle to find a return on investment when people do not know about and/or watch WNBA games.
The point is the female basketball players that were successful in college – like a Breanna Stewart; Aliyah Boston – once they got out of college, all eyes are off of them,” Wiggins argued.
“And I’m just saying there could be a change here with Caitlin Clark,” Cox replied.
After a tumultuous week since releasing an op-ed criticizing his place of employment, NPR Business Editor Uri Berliner has announced he’s leaving the network.
In a post to X, Berliner announced that, after 25 years, he is departing the organization.
“I am resigning from NPR, a great American institution where I have worked for 25 years,” he wrote. “I don’t support calls to defund NPR,” Berliner wrote. “I respect the integrity of my colleagues and wish for NPR to thrive and do important journalism.”
However, Berliner pointed to the conduct of NPR CEO Katherine Maher was the biggest reason for his abrupt departure.
“I cannot work in a newsroom where I am disparaged by a new CEO whose divisive views confirm the very problems at NPR I cite in my Free Press essay,” Berliner wrote.
Berliner was suspended late last week for breaking internal policies from the public broadcaster.
At the time of his suspension, he questioned whether or not new NPR CEO Katherine Maher was fit to lead the organization after former tweets of hers were unveiled, purporting to show a left-wing bias.
The NFL Media portfolio of properties – including NFL Network, NFL Films, NFL.com, NFL+, the NFL App, NFL RedZone and the NFL Channel – will be covering the 2024 NFL Draft with over 60 hours of live coverage during draft week beginning on Sunday, April 21. NFL Network will be on-site from the NFL Draft for the 18th year, beginning its coverage on Sunday with NFL Mock Draft Live at 8 p.m. EST. A full first-round mock draft will commence on the show with on-air personalities Colleen Wolfe, Daniel Jeremiah, Bucky Brooks and Rhett Lewis. Additional NFL Network talent will join the program to complete the mock draft exercise. Jeremiah will reveal his final mock draft on Wednesday, April 24 at 8 p.m. EST alongside Charles Davis and Colleen Wolfe.
The next day, NFL Network will begin airing Path to the Draft at 6 p.m., which will be hosted by Rhett Lewis and Patrick Claybon and air through Wednesday. The show will include the latest news and analysis pertaining to the draft with analysts Bucky Brooks, Lance Zierlein, Scott Pioli, Brian Baldinger and Marc Ross. NFL Network insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero and analytics expert Cynthia Frelund are also slated to be part of the show to contribute to the overall coverage. Nightly editions of NFL Total Access will follow at 7 p.m. EST and air through Wednesday as well at the same time. From Thursday to Sunday, the show will air following coverage of the NFL Draft and conclude with a special recapping the draft on Sunday, April 28 at 8:30 p.m. EST.
NFL Network will also air a one-hour edition of The Insiders on Tuesday, April 23 at 1 p.m. EST featuring Ian Rapoport, Mike Garafolo, Tom Pelissero and Judy Battista. Various NFL Network reporters will also join the program to take part in the discussion. Several NFL Network reporters will be situated surrounding several teams with top selections this year leading up to the NFL Draft as well, including Judy Battista (New York Giants), Sherree Burruss (Washington Commanders) and Stacey Dales (Chicago Bears). Additionally, NFL 360: Draft Special will premiere on NFL Network later that day at 8:30 p.m. EST, which will shed light on stories surrounding several potential draftees, some of whom include former UCLA defensive lineman Laiatu Latu and former Penn State defensive end Adisa Isaac.
NFL Network begins live coverage of the 2024 NFL Draft ahead of the first round on Thursday with Good Morning Football at 7 a.m. EST. The program, which recently aired its final episode from New York City ahead of its move to Los Angeles, will include several NFL Network personalities, including Jane Slater, Jason McCourty, Peter Schrager, Kyle Brandt and Tom Pelissero.
Starting at 1 p.m. EST, NFL Draft Kickoff will take the air and feature discussion and insights about the forthcoming draft selections. Viewers will also be able to hear from the draftees live from the red carpet as they are interviewed by reporter Kaylee Hartung and former NFL quarterback Cam Newton. The show will be hosted by Mike Garafolo, Chris Rose and Colleen Wolfe and feature analysts Kurt Warner, Steve Smith Sr. and David Carr.
Once the first round of the NFL Draft begins at 8 p.m. EST, live breakdowns and analysis will follow each pick from exterior and interior sets. Situated at the exterior set will be host Rich Eisen, who is the longest-tenured current draft host, along with analyst Daniel Jeremiah. Additionally, CBS Sports broadcaster Charles Davis and FOX Sports broadcaster Joel Klatt will be part of the coverage to provide their opinions on the selections. The interior set will include NFL Network analyst and former NFL quarterback Kurt Warner, along with NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport. Kaylee Hartung will interview the draftees on stage after they are selected on Thursday.
The NFL Channel will also air coverage of the Draft at 8 p.m. EST with NFL Draft Center featuring Rhett Lewis, Bucky Brooks and Lance Zierlein. Cynthia Frelund and MIke Yam will join Brooks and Zierlein for this coverage on Saturday at 12 p.m. EST. Consumers can watch the NFL Channel utilizing the NFL App and other OTT streaming platforms and FAST services such as Peacock, Pluto TV and Tubi. SiriusXM NFL Radio and ESPN Radio will have live NFL Draft coverage through all seven rounds, and Westwood One will be on the air for the first round on Thursday as well.
Eisen’s annual 40-yard dash, titled “Run Rich Run,” will occur on Saturday, April 27 during NFL Network coverage of Rounds 4-7 of the NFL Draft. The 20th edition of the run, which raises awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, will include patient ambassadors at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. Former Los Angeles Rams Andrew Whitworth and Todd Gurley are also scheduled to join Eisen for the annual tradition as well.
NPR Business Editor Uri Berliner was suspended after writing a scathing op-ed about the outlet for the Free Press. SiriusXM host Megyn Kelly believes the writing is already on the wall about his future with the network.
Past tweets from new NPR CEO Katherine Maher have surfaced which critics claim are an insight into her left-wing political beliefs. Berliner agreed, calling into question whether or not the social media posts should disqualify her from leading the organization.
On The Megyn Kelly Show Tuesday, the SiriusXM host read some of the tweets that included dreams of touring the countryside with Vice President Kamala Harris and the executive sharing her anger about the way Christine Blasey Ford was treated by Congressional Republicans during the confirmation hearings of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
After finishing, Kelly argued that Maher sounds “like an AI version of what you’d think would be running NPR.” She continued by stating her belief that it’s clear Berliner is on the way out of the network for sharing his opinion.
“I do think I’m not out on a limb when I say Uri Berliner’s days over there are numbered,” said Kelly.
Berliner was suspended without pay for five days on Friday after internal backlash about his essay went viral. NPR pointed to internal policies broken by Berliner as reason for his suspension. The business editor said he would not fight the suspension.
