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The Masters Final Round Sees 5-Year Ratings High

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The Masters Final Round Sees 5-Year Ratings High

The final round of The Masters almost always scores a high television rating, but the 2023 event saw numbers unseen in the past five years.

Sunday’s viewership on CBS Sports averaged 12.058 million viewers. That number represents a 19% increase compared to 2022, making it the most-watched golf telecast on any network since 2018. The final round of The Masters in 2018 averaged 13.045 million viewers. That final round saw the lowest average score in Masters history.

The Sunday audience peaked with more than 15 million viewers in the closing stages of Jon Rahm’s victory.

The inclusion of players from the controversial Saudi-backed LIV Golf league conceivably helped the television rating. LIV Golfers Phil Mickelson and Brooks Koepka finished tied for second place, while the golfers tied for fourth finished five strokes behind Rahm.

CBS Sports also shared that Paramount+ saw the most-streamed round of golf in its history Sunday. The streaming service saw double-digit growth compared to 2022 numbers.

CNN Considering Replacing John King on ‘Inside Politics’ With Dana Bash

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The daily lineup at CNN has been in a somewhat constant state of flux recently, and a report from The Daily Beast’s Confider says that instability could continue.

Inside Politics host John King is reportedly on the way out, with the network planning to replace him with Dana Bash. Bash and King were married from 2008 to 2012.

Bash is the current co-host of CNN’s State of the Union with Jake Tapper on Sunday mornings.

Inside Politics — which airs in the Noon ET timeslot — is consistently CNN’s highest-rated midday program. The network recently completed a revamp of its midday programming with the launch of CNN News Central.

The three-hour blocks of news programming are aired from 9:00 AM-Noon and 1:00-4:00 PM with King’s program separating the two versions of the show.

John Berman, Kate Bolduan, and Sara Sidner anchor the program’s New York edition every weekday morning, while the afternoon block with Brianna Keilar, Boris Sanchez, and Jim Sciutto debuts from Washington D.C. on Monday, April 17th.

According to the report from Confider, CNN declined to comment on any potential changes to the show.

Brian Stelter Joining Vanity Fair to Cover Fox News/Dominion Lawsuit

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Former CNN host Brian Stelter is joining Vanity Fair to cover the upcoming defamation lawsuit between Fox News and Dominion Voting Systems.

A report from CNN’s Oliver Darcy claims Stelter will write a weekly column about the defamation case for the publication. Additionally, he will host a special version of the popular Inside the Hive podcast centered on the case. Episodes of the Fox on Trial series will publish each Thursday throughout the case.

Stelter was removed from CNN after the hiring of new CEO Chris Licht. The Reliable Sources host was one of the first firings by Licht as he worked to “change the course” of CNN to its more traditional roots as a strictly newsgathering organization.

After his firing, Stelter worked joined Harvard Kennedy School’s Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy as a fellow. 

The former CNN host has followed the case with a close eye, and during a recent appearance on The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz, said Dominion is looking “to make this painful” for the cable network.

“Many people believe that Fox has tried to settle, but Dominion doesn’t want to settle,” he said. “They want to go to court because they believe they have a strong case. If I had to guess right now, there would be some settlement because Fox does not want its biggest stars to testify in an open courtroom about all of this.” 

Stelter’s work with Vanity Fair will begin this week.

YouTube TV Unveils NFL Sunday Ticket Pricing

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YouTube TV Unveils NFL Sunday Ticket Pricing

As it prepares for its debut season as the home of the NFL Sunday Ticket package, YouTube TV has announced pricing for the service.

Those who are already subscribed to the streaming video platform will be able to purchase NFL Sunday Ticket for as low as $249 if purchased before June 6th. If Sunday Ticket is bundled with NFL RedZone, the price rises to $289 before June 6th.

Any purchase of the service after June 6th will cost $349 for the season and $389 if bundled with RedZone.

For non-YouTube TV subscribers, there is a slight price increase. The early offer for the service is $349, which rises to $449 per season after June 6th.

For the NFL RedZone bundle, the service will cost $489 for the season, but the introductory price is $389 before the June 6th deadline.

The pricing of NFL Sunday Ticket for non-YouTube TV subscribers is more expensive than the package was with DirecTV. For the 2022 season, the service cost $293.94 for new subscribers.

However, YouTube TV is expected to provide additional features that DirecTV was unable to provide with its linear television distribution.

As expected, the package still does not include the option to purchase a single game or a subscription to watch the games of only one franchise.

Former Chairman: DAZN Better Served Focusing on Asia and Europe Instead Of US

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Former Chairman: DAZN Better Served Focusing on Asia and Europe Instead Of US

DAZN isn’t really designed for global success. At least, that is what the company’s former chairman says. 

Kevin Mayer says he thinks DAZN could be a successful company by just focusing on two territories.

“The center of gravity of DAZN is better served by being in Europe and in some parts of Asia – Japan’s a pretty big market for them,” he said at last month’s SportsPro OTT Summit in New York.

He said that when he was hired, the company’s goal was to find success across the globe. He said that wouldn’t be easy for any company to pull off because not every sports property is created equal.

“There aren’t that many global sports,” he said according to SportsPro Media. “I think the NBA is a global sport, I think [Premier League] football is a truly global sport. DAZN just did an NFL deal to take the NFL Sunday Ticket package outside the US. It’s not really a global sport.”

In the United States, the digital platform is focused on combat sports. Mayer said that he knew making the company successful would be an uphill climb without any of the country’s major leagues involved.

“Trying to come to the US and compete against ESPN and TNT, and Apple and Amazon, and all those guys, that seemed like a very difficult thing to do.”

Kevin Mayer stepped down from his role at DAZN last month. Prior to that, he spent 25 years with Disney, where he oversaw the launch of ESPN+. He also briefly served as CEO of TikTok.

He is not the first former chairman of DAZN boss to be so candid about the company’s struggles to find a foothold in the American sports market.

In 2021, John Skipper told the Sports Innovators Conference that DAZN relied too much on “passion sports” to be top of mind for American audiences.

“Until you can get the NFL, or the SEC, or the NBA on a streaming service, it’s going to be marginal in this country,” Skipper said.

Mark Levin: Automakers Removing AM Band to ‘Attack Conservative Radio’

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Much has been made about car manufacturers removing AM radios from upcoming electric vehicle models. Some automakers are even removing AM radios from gasoline-powered cars, and conservative radio host Mark Levin believes the decisions are a way to attack conservative voices.

During The Mark Levin Show, the radio host claimed that “The automobile is essential to liberty”. He also added that cars are “crucial to freedom” and that “control of the automobile is about the control of your freedom”.

“They finally figured out how to attack conservative talk radio,” Levin said as he argued that automakers are the latest in a long line of industries looking to eliminate conservative voices. He specifically pointed to decisions made by Ford and BMW to remove the AM band from vehicles.

“Let me be the first one to say it right at the manufacturer level, rather than going after us through the FCC, rather than going after us through legislation, rather than going after us through boycotting advertisers and all the rest – just don’t make AM stations available in automobiles anymore, because not all, but most conservative talk shows are on the AM band.”

Levin continued by saying there will be skeptics of his viewpoint, but he claimed he is ahead of the game.

“‘Oh, no, no, Mark. You can’t prove that.’ I don’t have to prove anything,” Levin said. “I’ve been around long enough. I figured things out. We’re way ahead of the curb here. That’s exactly what they’ve done. That’s exactly what they’re doing.”

99.1 The Sports Animal Shuffles Daily Lineup After Retirement of Jimmy Hyams

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99.1 The Sports Animal Shuffles Daily Lineup After Retirement of Jimmy Hyams

After the retirement of longtime afternoon host Jimmy Hyams, 99.1 The Sports Animal has made changes to its daily lineup.

John Wilkerson — who was paired with Hyams in afternoon drive for 25 years — has moved to mornings. He is now joined by Vince Ferrara. Their new program — SportsTalk with John and Vince — will air from 6:00-9:00 AM.

With the departure of Hyams and Wilkerson from the afternoon timeslot, the Knoxville sports radio station has paired Tyler Ivens and Will West to take over. Tyler & Will will be heard from 3:00-7:00 PM.

West had departed the station in a full-time capacity in September but now returns to partner with Ivens, who was previously a member of the station’s morning show The Starting Lineup.

Midday offerings from 99.1 The Sports Animal — The Erik Ainge Show with Brian Rice and Josh & Swain — remain unchanged.

ABC News President Kim Godwin Accused Of ‘Score-Settling’ With Layoffs

BNM Staff
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Kim Godwin, the president of ABC News, has allegedly terminated several long-standing employees to prevent leaks about her alleged mismanagement at the Disney-owned network, as The New York Post reported. This has resulted in an environment where staff members are afraid to speak out.

Sources claim that Godwin and a select group of executives, including Stacia Philips Deshishku, Derek Medina, and Jose Andino, were responsible for laying off the workers as part of a phased rollout of 50 job cuts last month.

Some insiders have labeled the layoffs a “score-settling” and said they were severely handled. The firing of people who had been with the company for over two decades without explanation has been called the “Red Wedding.”

“The process was fair, and there wasn’t retaliation,” the source said. “Kim is not that type of person,” one source said.

Insiders also criticize Godwin’s leadership style. One source says that her leadership group has created a “culture of fear” at ABC News, which goes against the organization’s culture of questioning and inquisitiveness.

Another source claims that Godwin has made many mistakes during her two-year tenure, particularly in her head-in-the-sand approach to the salacious affair between “GMA3” hosts TJ Holmes and Amy Robach. Godwin reportedly permitted the pair to remain on the air despite widespread criticism, causing a spectacle that led to even more news stories.

“I think the feeling is she’s safe until the next mistake. They’ve allowed her to gut the place and establish her team. As long as the ratings remain number 1 at the network’s two big shows, ‘Good Morning America’ and ‘World News Tonight with David Muir,’ she’s fine,” said a source. 

The layoffs, which included award-winning investigative journalist Chris Vlasto, newsgathering senior vice president Wendy Fisher, talent vice president Mary Noonan, talent and strategy senior vice president Galen Gordon, executive editorial producer Heather Riley, and communications vice president Alison Rudnick, were part of a broader shakeup ordered by parent company Disney CEO Bob Iger to slash 7,000 jobs across the company. Sources with knowledge claim that severance was only offered to a select few, and no buyouts were offered.

ABC News declined to comment on the situation, and some employees have reportedly investigated suing ABC News. As more cuts are expected, insiders fear they may be on Godwin’s “enemies list.”

Robby Soave: Massive Verdict For Dominion Will Make It Hard For Journalists to Make Mistakes

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In Monday’s “Rising” episode, political commentator and journalist Robby Soave raised concerns over Dominion Voting Systems’ $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit against Fox News. Soave emphasized the potential chilling effect the lawsuit may have on Fox News, advocating for the freedom of journalists to occasionally make mistakes and pursue ideas that may not yield results.

Amidst claims of election rigging against former President Trump, Dominion Voting Systems, a private manufacturer of voting machines, was accused of conspiring with Democrats to manipulate the election. Dominion responded by filing multiple defamation lawsuits in 2021, alleging that these baseless claims caused significant harm to the company.

“Dominion has every right to set the record straight. And I understand, given all the lies spread by Trump and Powell and Giuliani, why the company would want to hold those people accountable,” said Soave. “But Dominion isn’t just suing those people. It’s also suing Fox News, the media company that interviewed Powell, Giuliani, and others, inviting them on their programs to make their arguments.”

According to Soave, Fox News provided a platform for former President Donald Trump, Rudy Giuliani, and Sidney Powell to express their views. Therefore, it is not these individuals who are being sued by Dominion but the media company that gave them the opportunity to be interviewed.

“Now, were some Fox hosts too credulous of the stolen election claims, especially Lou Dobbs, whose show was canceled, and he was effectively fired? Sure,” Soave said. “Would it have served them and their audience well to push back more aggressively? Yes, although I would note that Tucker Carlson, after giving Sidney Powell every opportunity to present her case, totally eviscerated her evidence-free claims.”

Soave pointed out a segment on “Tucker Carlson Tonight” in which Tucker Carlson criticized Sidney Powell, a pro-Trump lawyer, for continuously making false allegations about election fraud and declining to appear on his show.

“We would have given her the whole hour. We would have given her the entire week, actually, and listened quietly the whole time at rapt attention,” Carlson said at the time. “That’s a big story. But she never sent us any evidence, despite a lot of requests, polite requests, not a page. When we kept pressing, she got angry and told us to stop contacting her,” said Carlson. “When we checked with others around the Trump campaign, people in positions of authority, they told us Powell was never given them any evidence either, nor did she provide any today at the press conference.” 

“And this case threatens to upset the balance that allows people to say provocative questioning, important, challenging things, not necessarily even because of the details here, but because this pushes the envelope so that the next time it’s a little harder to speak and to dissent and to discuss. That’s what I’m worried will happen if there’s a massive verdict in Dominion’s favor, even though I totally agree that they were maligned by the individuals I’ve mentioned,” added Soave. 

Shannon Bream Sells 1 Millionth Book for Fox News

BNM Staff
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Shannon Bream, the anchor and chief legal correspondent of Fox News Sunday, has achieved a significant accomplishment for FOX News Books, the publishing division of Fox News Media. Her “Speak” series, which delves into biblical teachings, has sold over 1 million copies, setting a new milestone. Last week, Bream’s latest book, “The Love Stories of the Bible Speak,” was released and immediately became a New York Times bestseller, marking her third consecutive bestseller.

According to the network, since its debut in 2021 with “The Women of the Bible Speak,” the “Speak” series has become a significant hit, with the first book selling around 700,000 copies in the last two years. In March 2022, “The Mothers and Daughters of the Bible Speak” was released and became another instant sensation, selling almost 350,000 copies thus far.

“I am humbled to see that the stories that inspired me in these books have resonated with readers. These past few years have been a test for all of us, and I am grateful the relationships from the Bible that have helped me through difficult times have served as a connecting foundation for others as well,” Bream said in a statement.

Released on March 28th, Bream’s most recent book, “The Love Stories of the Bible Speak,” has once again struck a chord with readers, reaching number two on the bestseller list in its first week of sales. Notably, all three books in the “Speak” series are among the best-selling religious books in the nation, with “The Women of the Bible Speak” and “The Mothers and Daughters of the Bible Speak” also appearing on this week’s list.

Since its launch in November 2020, FOX News Books has released seven titles, all of which have become national bestsellers. The combined sales of these books, including “Modern Warriors” by Pete Hegseth (Nov. 2020), “All American Christmas” by Rachel Campos-Duffy & Sean Duffy (November 2021), “Faith Still Moves Mountains” by Harris Faulkner (November 2022), and Bream’s “Speak” trilogy, have reached nearly 2 million copies sold to date.

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