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Newsmax Debuts ‘Carl Higbie Frontline’ to Replace Sean Spicer

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Newsmax has debuted Carl Higbie Frontline in the 5:00 PM ET timeslot previously occupied by Sean Spicer.

The show — produced from Newsmax’s Manhattan studios — will cover breaking news and also focus on “exploring key issues such as personal liberty, security, and government transparency.”

A military veteran, Higbie hosted a weekend show — Saturday Report — from 2020 to 2022, before working as a co-host on the network’s Wake Up America Weekend program.

“I am honored now as the first Navy SEAL to host a daily national television program on Newsmax, a network that continues to grow because it resonates with the American people so well,” Higbie said.

“Carl served his country for many years as a decorated Navy SEAL, and with his Carl Higbie Frontline will continue to push for the issues and values that he and Americans care about,” said Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy.

Higbie — a 12-year media veteran — will join Newsmax’s daily lineup that also features hosts Greta Van Susteren, Rob Schmitt, and Eric Bolling, among others.

The 5:00 PM ET window was previously occupied by former Trump White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer and his program Spicer & Co. In a statement on the launch of Higbie’s program, Newsmax claims it “decided not to continue” with Spicer’s show.

Like Spicer, Higbie worked in the Trump administration. He was appointed by Trump to serve in the Corporation for National and Community Service — the federal agency that oversees the AmeriCorps and other volunteer programs — but resigned in 2018 after racist and anti-Muslim comments he made in 2013 came to light. He apologized then, saying “Those words do not reflect who I am or what I stand for, I regret saying them”.

Dan Dakich Signs Extension With OutKick

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Dan Dakich has signed a multi-year contract extension to keep his Don’t @ Me show on OutKick.

The show is streamed on OutKick.com and the outlet’s social media platforms every weekday from 9:00-11:00 AM. OutKick is now the exclusive home for Dakich after he departed Indianapolis sports radio station 107.5 The Fan late last year.

In addition to his work with OutKick and The Fan, Dakich previously worked as a color commentator on college basketball broadcasts for ESPN and Big Ten Network.

“I’ve had so much fun hosting my show with OutKick and am excited to keep it rolling,” said Dakich. “The team is tremendous and allows me to not only speak my mind but shed light on the most compelling sports news of the day. I can’t thank OutKick enough for giving me this platform.”

The former college basketball coach began the program with OutKick in October 2021 and has welcomed several high-profile guests to the show, including Urban Meyer, Tom Izzo, Jim Boeheim, and Doug Gottlieb, among others.

“Dan has been instrumental in the success of OutKick and I’m thrilled to have him on board,” said OutKick founder Clay Travis. “Every day his high energy, humor, and bold opinions drive fans to the platform and create awareness of the great content produced by OutKick.”

CNN Legal Analyst: Fox News ‘Headed For Full-Blown Journalistic and Legal Disaster’

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Jury selection in the Fox News defamation trial with Dominion Voting Systems begins tomorrow, as more and more media attention begins to focus on the upcoming court proceedings.

On Tuesday, CNN legal analyst Elie Honig said if he were one of the lawyers representing Fox News, he would “feel queasy” about the situation.

“I would not want to be in the position of defending Fox here,” Honig told Jake Tapper during CNN’s The Lead. “I think they’re headed for a full-blown journalistic and legal disaster. It is very difficult to successfully sue a media outlet for defamation in this country. What you have to prove is what we call ‘actual malice’, meaning the statements were false and the defendant made those statements knowingly or with reckless disregard of the truth.”

Honig noted that proving the case is more difficult than the average person may understand, but believed there is substantial evidence to support Dominion’s claims.

“That’s a very high bar, but here we have Fox’s own texts in black and white, where they call the election fraud claims, and I quote, ‘nuts’, ‘insane’, and ‘b.s.’,” noted Honig, alluding to private messages from hosts like Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, and Tucker Carlson that showed the behind-the-scenes feelings of those at Fox News.

Dominion Voting Systems is suing Fox News after the network’s hosts and interview subjects claimed the company was complicit in a plot to alter the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. The election machine company is seeking $1.6 billion in damages.

Fox News has continually denied any wrongdoing and has pointed to protections in the First Amendment as its defense.

The trial is scheduled to begin on Monday, April 17th.

Rumble to Exclusively Stream First 2024 Republican Presidential Debate

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Rumble has announced it will be the exclusive streaming home of the first 2024 Republican Presidential Debate later this year.

The video streaming platform has grown in relevance over the course of the past three years, especially in conservative media circles, for its reputation as a bastion of free speech.

“Rumble’s mission to protect free speech is not just a slogan, it runs through the DNA of our company,” said Rumble Chairman and CEO Chris Pavlovski. “We are thrilled to partner with the RNC to bring the debate stage online and help promote open dialogue…We’re ready to be the premier platform for all candidates in the 2024 elections.”

The first debate will be held in Milwaukee in August, with a more concrete date yet to be determined.

“This is a big step for our party and country, as Republican leaders we must continue to hold Big Tech accountable for their biases and silencing of conservatives,” Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said. “People deserve a fair, unbiased platform and that’s exactly what this partnership will provide – an opportunity for voters to watch the next President of the United States on the Republican debate stage on Rumble.”

The platform has served as an alternative to platforms like YouTube and Facebook for prominent conservative voices like Dan Bongino, Steven Crowder, Dr. Sebastian Gorka, Donald Trump Jr., and others.

NPR Announces Departure From Twitter

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After being labeled with a pair of tags the outlet disagrees with, NPR has announced it will no longer be active on Twitter.

In a statement released Wednesday, the organization claimed that its organizational accounts are abandoning the social media platform because it is “taking actions that undermine our credibility by falsely implying that we are not editorially independent.”

“We are not putting our journalism on platforms that have demonstrated an interest in undermining our credibility and the public’s understanding of our editorial independence,” the statement from NPR continued. “We are turning away from Twitter but not from our audiences and communities. There are plenty of ways to stay connected and keep up with NPR’s news, music, and cultural content.”

Last week, the Elon Musk-owned platform tagged NPR as a “state-affiliated media” organization. Traditionally, that label was only used for what could be considered “propaganda” media in totalitarian states, like China and Russia, and was applied to organizations that didn’t have editorial control over their content.

Twitter reversed its previous guidelines that showcased NPR and BBC as media outlets that didn’t fit the moniker.

After publicly sharing its displeasure with the tag, which Musk argued “seemed accurate”, NPR was subsequently labeled as “government-funded media”. It would appear that that label would also be incorrect, as NPR has continually claimed that less than 1% of its annual budget comes from government funding.

When presented with that information, Musk said  “Well, then we should fix it. The operating principle at new Twitter is simply fair and equal treatment, so if we label non-US accounts as govt, then we should do the same for the U.S., but it sounds like that might not be accurate here.” 

However, NPR has simply decided to leave the platform, marking the first major news organization to take the step under Musk’s leadership.

Jen Psaki: ‘Journalism Has Changed Dramatically’

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Jen Psaki has taken the somewhat uncharted path from former White House Press Secretary to cable news host and says that in a short time, the journalism profession has seen many changes.

While speaking at the Semafor Media Summit, Psaki claimed that the way Americans consume media is drastically different than it was before, and admits she is a case study on the topic.

“Journalism has changed dramatically,” Psaki said. “I’m, of course, an example of that, right? And even when I was in the White House, working in government, it really was already all on a spectrum. It wasn’t just The New York Times, Washington Post, ABC News, and then everything else wasn’t considered part of journalism.”

Psaki continued by noting that journalism is a more diverse playing field than people realize.

“It’s all a big, broad scope of things. And so to me, journalism is providing information to the public, helping make things clearer, explaining things.”

The Inside with Jen Psaki host has long been critical of how some outlets cover certain topics. Before her debut show, she claimed that MSNBC — the network home of her show — “has a very high standard of what is factual,” adding that the process for reporting and fact-checking news with the channel is more strenuous than others. It was an apparent shot at Fox News, which is currently embroiled in a $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit brought by Dominion Voting Systems after the company alleges the conservative cable network knowingly aired falsehoods centered on the 2020 presidential election.

The Daily Show Regains Footing After Trevor Noah’s Exit

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Comedy Central’s long-running satirical news program The Daily Show has entered its fourth month of weekly hosts, following the departure of Trevor Noah whose seven-year hosting stint concluded on Dec. 8, 2022.

For Noah’s final week (Dec. 5-8, 2022), the 30-minute portion of The Daily Show averaged 441,000 viewers including 147,000 within the key 25-54 demographic, according to Nielsen Media Research.

The first batch of its guest hosts, which began in January, drew noticeably less than Noah (although still potent for today’s cable news demo levels) in comparison:

Leslie Jones (Jan. 17-19, 2023): 335,000 viewers; 129,000 adults 25-54

Wanda Sykes (Jan. 23-26, 2023): 343,000 viewers; 111,000 adults 25-54

DL Hughley (Jan. 30-Feb. 2, 2023): 292,000 viewers; 107,000 adults 25-54

Chelsea Handler (Feb. 6-9, 2023): 306,000 viewers; 82,000 adults 25-54

Sarah Silverman (Feb. 13-16, 2023): 366,000 viewers; 121,000 adults 25-54

Following a one-week hiatus on President’s Week in February, it returned with a familiar face to loyal fans: Hasan Minhaj, former Daily Show correspondent from 2014-18 and host of his 2018-20 Netflix current events commentary show Patriot Act. Minhaj-hosted Daily Show episodes from Feb. 27 thru Mar. 2 averaged 341,000 viewers and 131,000 adults 25-54. As of Apr. 16, Minhaj’s week earned the best demo average of 2023 thus far.

Total viewership for Daily Show had seen slight gains from weeks prior with the hosts that followed, actor-comedian Marlon Wayans (Mar. 6-9: 359,000 viewers; 128,000 adults 25-54) and actor/former Obama staffer Kal Penn (Mar. 13-16: 369,000 viewers; 124,000 adults 25-54).

Coinciding with its return to Noah’s ratings levels from last autumn was the pending indictment of Donald Trump by a New York City grand jury. The news story of the charges against the former President who allegedly paid hush money to former porn star Stormy Daniels in the lead-up to the 2016 election provided much fodder and content to The Daily Show.

Former SNL writer/cast member and former Senator Al Franken (D-MN) hosted the editions on Mar. 20-23 (averaging 438,000 viewers; 112,000 adults 25-54). The Mar. 22 edition was most notable, as its 472,000 viewer figure was the first to top any of Noah’s final two weeks; the 450,000 on Dec. 5th was the best Noah had mustered.

Actor-comedian John Leguizamo (384,000 viewers; 110,000 adults 25-54) took over the reins on Mar. 27-30. Then, one of the show’s current correspondents Roy Wood Jr. became host from Apr. 3-6. Two of his editions also bested the Noah episodes from late November and early December, in total viewers: Apr. 4th (468,000) and Apr. 6th (480,000); the latter of which was the program’s most-watched original telecast since the night President Barack Obama was a guest on Nov. 17, 2022 (501;000).

Wood Jr. delivered 425,000 total viewers including 109,000 adults 25-54 from Apr. 3-6, which also was the week of Trump’s arraignment in New York.

Cable news averages for March 20-25, 2023:

Total Day (Mar. 20-26 @ 6 a.m.-5:59 a.m.)

  • Fox News Channel: 1.310 million viewers; 154,000 adults 25-54
  • MSNBC: 0.769 million viewers; 90,000 adults 25-54
  • CNN: 0.467 million viewers; 90,000 adults 25-54
  • HLN: 0.126 million viewers; 37,000 adults 25-54
  • Fox Business Network: 0.125 million viewers; 14,000 adults 25-54
  • CNBC: 0.115 million viewers; 26,000 adults 25-54
  • Newsmax: 0.109 million viewers; 10,000 adults 25-54
  • The Weather Channel: 0.091 million viewers; 14,000 adults 25-54

Prime Time (Mar. 20-25 @ 8-11 p.m.; Mar. 26 @ 7-11 p.m.)

  • Fox News Channel: 2.065 million viewers; 234,000 adults 25-54
  • MSNBC: 1.218 million viewers; 114,000 adults 25-54
  • CNN: 0.539 million viewers; 116,000 adults 25-54
  • Newsmax: 0.160 million viewers; 19,000 adults 25-54
  • CNBC: 0.155 million viewers; 42,000 adults 25-54
  • HLN: 0.141 million viewers; 35,000 adults 25-54
  • The Weather Channel: 0.108 million viewers; 18,000 adults 25-54
  • NewsNation: 0.092 million viewers; 17,000 adults 25-54
  • Fox Business Network: 0.065 million viewers; 11,000 adults 25-54

Top 10 most-watched cable news programs (and the top programs of other outlets with their respective associated ranks) in total viewers:

1. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Mon. 3/20/2023 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.408 million viewers

2. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Tue. 3/21/2023 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.285 million viewers

3. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Wed. 3/22/2023 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.196 million viewers

4. The Five (FOXNC, Mon. 3/20/2023 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.128 million viewers

5. The Five (FOXNC, Tue. 3/21/2023 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.093 million viewers

6. The Five (FOXNC, Wed. 3/22/2023 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.061 million viewers

7. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Thu. 3/23/2023 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 2.972 million viewers

8. The Five (FOXNC, Thu. 3/23/2023 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 2.971 million viewers

9. Hannity (FOXNC, Wed. 3/22/2023 9:00 PM, 60 min.) 2.828 million viewers

10. Jesse Watters Primetime (FOXNC, Mon. 3/20/2023 7:00 PM, 60 min.) 2.769 million viewers

17. Rachel Maddow Show (MSNBC, Mon. 3/20/2023 9:00 PM, 60 min.) 2.537 million viewers

166. Real Time With Bill Maher (HBO, Fri. 3/24/2023 10:01 PM, 57 min.) 0.863 million viewers

171. Mark Twain Prize “Adam Sandler” (CNN, Sun. 3/26/2023 8:00 PM, 120 min.) 0.854 million viewers

338. The Daily Show “Mar 22, 23 – Al Franken” (CMDY, Wed. 3/22/2023 11:00 PM, 30 min.) 0.472 million viewers

383. Kudlow (FBN, Tue. 3/21/2023 4:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.361 million viewers

405. Forensic Files (HLN, late Tue. 3/21/2023 12:00 AM, 30 min.) 0.322 million viewers

451. Closing Bell (CNBC, Wed. 3/22/2023 3:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.275 million viewers

468. Weekend Recharge (TWC, Sat. 3/25/2023 12:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.257 million viewers

576. Tooning Out The News “Episode 118” (CMDY, Wed. 3/22/2023 11:30 PM, 30 min.) 0.199 million viewers

635. Newsnation: Rush Hour (NWSN, Mon. 3/20/2023 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.174 million viewers

711. Real Sports (HBO, Tue. 3/21/2023 10:00 PM, 59 min.) 0.145 million viewers

Top 10 cable news programs (and the top  programs of other outlets with their respective associated ranks) among adults 25-54:

1. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Wed. 3/22/2023 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.460 million adults 25-54

2. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Mon. 3/20/2023 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.439 million adults 25-54

3. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Tue. 3/21/2023 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.371 million adults 25-54

4. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Thu. 3/23/2023 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.348 million adults 25-54

5. Gutfeld! (FOXNC, Wed. 3/22/2023 11:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.338 million adults 25-54

6. Hannity (FOXNC, Wed. 3/22/2023 9:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.323 million adults 25-54

7. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Fri. 3/24/2023 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.321 million adults 25-54

8. The Five (FOXNC, Wed. 3/22/2023 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.316 million adults 25-54

9. Jesse Watters Primetime (FOXNC, Wed. 3/22/2023 7:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.304 million adults 25-54

10. The Five (FOXNC, Tue. 3/21/2023 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.298 million adults 25-54

19. Rachel Maddow Show (MSNBC, Mon. 3/20/2023 9:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.249 million adults 25-54

29. Anderson Cooper 360 (CNN, Tue. 3/21/2023 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.220 million adults 25-54

141. Real Time With Bill Maher (HBO, Fri. 3/24/2023 10:01 PM, 57 min.) 0.133 million adults 25-54

165. The Daily Show “Mar 21, 23 – Al Franken” (CMDY, Tue. 3/21/2023 11:00 PM, 35 min.) 0.121 million adults 25-54

167. Forensic Files (HLN, late Tue. 3/21/2023 12:00 AM, 30 min.) 0.120 million adults 25-54

287. Shark Tank “Shark Tank 1315” (CNBC, Sun. 3/26/2023 10:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.092 million adults 25-54

388. Tooning Out The News “Episode 118” (CMDY, Wed. 3/22/2023 11:30 PM, 30 min.) 0.070 million adults 25-54

473. Weekend Recharge (TWC, Sat. 3/25/2023 11:00 AM, 60 min.) 0.056 million adults 25-54

489. Real Sports (HBO, Tue. 3/21/2023 10:00 PM, 59 min.) 0.054 million adults 25-54

570. The Big Money Show (FBN, Mon. 3/20/2023 1:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.042 million adults 25-54

586. Newsnation: Rush Hour (NWSN, Thu. 3/23/2023 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.040 million adults 25-54

Source: Live+Same Day data, Nielsen Media Research

Gary Collins Leaves WBAL For Investigative Reporter Job At Sinclair

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Former WBAL NewsRadio host, Gary Collins, took to Twitter on Tuesday to share that he has now become a part of Sinclair Broadcast Group as an investigative reporter.

“Absolutely an honor to announce I officially joined the Television Broadcast News Team with @WeAreSinclair today!”Collins said. “I will be researching and investigating newsworthy matters associated with governments, politics, crime, and education for a variety of our active markets.”

As a frequent contributor, Gary Collins was a recognizable WBAL NewsRadio voice covering various time slots. Additionally, he regularly provided breaking news and updates on Maryland state politics through WBAL’s Twitter account.

Sinclair’s website states that their national investigative team, recognized with multiple awards, produces original reports and specials in investigative and enterprise journalism. These pieces are then broadcasted on over 70 stations nationwide, including The National Desk, affiliated with major networks such as ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, CW, and MyNet, actively airing nationwide.

In his last post from the radio station last week, Collins expressed his gratitude to WBAL’s management team, explicitly mentioning program director Jeff Wade.

Karine Jean-Pierre: White House Not Trying to Protect Biden From Reporters

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During a press conference on Monday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre refuted claims that President Joe Biden is being shielded from reporters’ questions.

“Is the administration trying to protect the president from our questions? Please answer that question,” the reporter asked.

When a reporter asked if the administration was protecting the President from their inquiries, Jean-Pierre gave a clear and emphatic denial. While previous reporters had asked about the lack of formal press conferences, Jean-Pierre emphasized that the President frequently responds to reporters’ questions and has not been kept from the press.

“I have dealt with this question about three times already. I understand. It is the job of you all to ask this question to me. I totally get that. And that’s not a problem at all,” Jean-Pierre said.

Although a formal press conference was not scheduled, Jean-Pierre declined to provide further details. As the reporter persisted with their questioning, Jean-Pierre acknowledged the President’s engagement with the press, highlighting that he has taken numerous shouted questions – a practice that is unprecedented in comparison to past administrations.

“But certainly, the president, many times, has stood in front of all of you, has taken questions on his own because he wanted to see what was on your minds,” she added. “He wanted to see what the questions you all were going to ask him, and he wanted to answer them directly. That has happened multiple times, many times, during this administration.

Despite some reporters grumbling and asking more questions, Jean-Pierre remained steadfast in her response and promised to share any relevant data on the matter in the future.

“When it comes to a formal press conference, I don’t have anything to share with you at this time,” added Jean-Pierre.

Chris Licht: The Don Lemon We Have in the Morning is Not The Don Lemon From Primetime

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During Semafor’s inaugural media summit in New York City, CNN CEO Christ Licht acknowledged Don Lemon’s polarizing reputation and indirectly criticized former CNN CEO Jeff Zucker for encouraging sensationalism. Licht, who assumed his position last year, has sought to tone down CNN’s far-left image and reduce spectacle.

Licht moved Lemon from primetime to host a new morning show, hoping to showcase a different side of the anchor. However, Lemon continues to generate negative headlines, such as his recent denial of a scandalous Variety report accusing him of threatening a colleague and exhibiting diva-like behavior.

“Don Lemon is a lightning rod because he came to prominence during an era where that was celebrated and encouraged in primetime. That was CNN’s primetime,” Licht said. “The world has moved on from that, and Don has moved on from that. Don was the first to go, ‘I’m tired of having to set my hair on fire every night and I want to try something new.”

Despite the move, Lemon has maintained his “lightning rod” status, creating trouble for CNN regularly. Licht referred to Lemon’s previous stint in CNN’s primetime lineup alongside Chris Cuomo, who was fired in 2021, where the two frequently expressed far-left political opinions.

Since its launch in November, “CNN This Morning” with Don Lemon has seen a decline in viewership each month, with an average of only 346,000 total viewers in the last month. In an attempt to boost ratings, Licht has changed CNN’s primetime lineup, but a permanent replacement for Chris Cuomo at the 9 p.m. ET spot has yet to be named. The network has tried filling the void with various specials, town halls, and guest hosts, but they have yet to achieve the desired ratings.

Licht commended the “incredible reporting” Lemon provided from Memphis and stated that this is the Don Lemon they want in the morning.

“The Don Lemon who is in Memphis, getting that incredible reporting, is the Don Lemon we have in the morning, not the one who was in primetime, and we both agree that that’s the Don Lemon we want,” added Licht.