Home Blog Page 228

CNN Airing Comedy Special from Matt Friend

BNM Staff
-
0
CNN Airing Comedy Special from Matt Friend

CNN is set to air a political satire and late-night comedy special hosted by comedian Matt Friend.

America Laughs with Matt Friend will air at 11 PM ET on Friday evening. The CNN-produced special was filmed in Washington, D.C. The hour-long special will feature a monologue from Friend, in addition to appearances from special guests.

“Comedy and politics have always had a unique connection, and I’m excited to bring that bipartisan energy to Washington with CNN for this special,” said Friend. “We are in an increasingly divided country and world. For my show with CNN, I aim to poke fun at everyone and allow room for all to laugh in a Johnny Carson spirit.

“For decades, from Sid Caesar and Carson to Norm Macdonald and Bill Maher, comedians have helped us reflect on public life in America,” Friend added. “As Aristophanes said, ‘Comedy is allied to justice.’ This is going to be a truly fun, unpredictable night of impressions, satire, and surprises, and I can’t wait for people to see it.”

Friend is no stranger to cable news viewers. He’s made appearances on a variety of Fox News programs. He is widely known for his impressions of political figures and entertainers. He’s also appeared on The Story Is with Elex Michaelson in recent months.

The comedy special comes in advance of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.

Beasley Media Group Signs Broadcast Agreement With Tampa Bay Rowdies

BSM Staff
-
0
Beasley Media Group Signs Broadcast Agreement With Tampa Bay Rowdies

The Tampa Bay Rowdies are taking their radio game up a notch. The club announced a new partnership with Beasley Media Group, making Florida Alumni Radio 1100AM the official radio home for all Rowdies matches in 2026.

Beasley launched Florida Alumni Radio in August 2024. The sports-focused station targets Florida fans with an emphasis on alumni pride and local connection.

It already carries football and basketball for both USF and Florida State University. The Rowdies are the newest addition to that roster.

Broadcasts will also stream across 92.1 FM and 103.1 FM in South Florida, expanding the club’s reach beyond Tampa Bay.

This deal marks a genuine milestone. For the first time in club history, every home and away match lands on both local television and radio. Tampa Bay 44 has served as the Rowdies’ exclusive local TV partner since 2024.

The radio crew mirrors the television broadcast team. Play-by-play voice Drew Fellios leads the call. Legendary Rowdies goalkeeper Jeff Attinella handles color commentary. Diandra Loux works the sideline.

Attinella also hosts the Tampa Bay Rowdies Podcast, recorded weekly at Beasley’s St. Petersburg studio. The show delivers exclusive interviews with players and coaches. Fans can find it on Beasley’s Podcast Network, Spotify, iHeart, and the official Rowdies YouTube channel.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.

Gregg Bonham Elevated to PD at 95.9 The Hog in Tennessee

BMM Staff
-
0
Gregg Bonham Elevated to PD at 95.9 The Hog in Tennessee

Holston Valley Broadcasting Corporation has promoted Gregg Bonham to Program Director at Rock WRZK, 95.9 The Hog, in Tennessee’s Tri-Cities market.

Bonham joined WRZK in April 2025 as APD and afternoon drive host. He steps into the PD chair after one year in that role. During his tenure as APD, Bonham made notable contributions across several key areas.

He will continue hosting afternoon drive alongside his new programming duties.

President and General Manager Kim Mitchell expressed confidence in the move. “Gregg has been an integral part of our team over the past year, and we’re excited for him to be stepping into this role,” Mitchell said.

Bonham’s elevation reflects HVB’s commitment to developing talent from within. His predecessor, Scott Highland, shifts focus to lead programming for HVB’s ESPN Tri-Cities.

“His passion for the brand, strong understanding of our audience, and commitment to community engagement make him the right leader to continue building WRZK’s momentum,” noted Mitchell.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.

Wheatstone’s VMX Platform Earns 2026 NAB Show Product of the Year Award

BSM Staff
-
0
Wheatstone’s VMX Platform Earns 2026 NAB Show Product of the Year Award

Wheatstone took home a big win at the 2026 NAB Show this week. The company’s VMX Mix Engine Platform earned a Product of the Year award at a ceremony held April 22 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

The NAB Product of the Year awards are judged by a panel of industry peers.

VMX earned recognition in the audio production, processing and networking category.

Wheatstone built the product as a centralized mix engine platform. It supports multiple studios from a single system, consolidating mix engine functions and dynamically allocating shared resources across a network. That’s a meaningful efficiency gain for broadcasters managing distributed operations.

The platform also debuts a line of virtual broadcast consoles. Users access them through a web browser via HTML5. That means engineers can mix audio from laptops, tablets or desktop computers — no dedicated hardware surfaces required.

For broadcasters watching budgets and building flexible workflows, that’s a compelling pitch.

VMX made its debut at NAB 2026 alongside the award announcement.

It’s a notable recognition for a company that has long been a fixture in broadcast audio. The award signals that the industry is paying attention to where infrastructure is heading — scalable, software-driven and increasingly untethered from the equipment rack.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.

This Week with George Stephanopoulos Earns Top Spot in Sunday Ratings for 12 Straight Weeks

BNM Staff
-
0
This Week with George Stephanopoulos Earns Top Spot in Sunday Ratings for 12 Straight Weeks

ABC News has been on a roll as This Week with George Stephanopoulos has taken the top spot in the Sunday political affairs show ratings. That show has held the spot now for three straight months.

The Sunday, April 19th edition of This Week earned the top spot in the total viewer category for the 12th consecutive week. The George Stephanopoulos-led show averaged 2.7 million total viewers. It topped CBS News’ Face the Nation, which earned 2.5 million viewers for the week.

NBC News’ Meet the Press, helmed by Kristen Welker, averaged 2.3 million viewers on the day. Fox News Sunday earned 944,000 total viewers.

In the Adults 25-54 demographic, however, Meet the Press held the top spot. It featured an average audience of 434,000 viewers from that sector. This Week with George Stephanopoulos saw 349,000 viewers from the category.

Face the Nation — anchored by Margaret Brennan — wasn’t far behind. It saw 329,000 viewers in the Adults 25-54 demographic. Fox News Sunday saw 152,000 total viewers from that sector.

The win in the total viewer category for This Week marked the ABC News program’s longest run in the top spot since a June-to-early-September run in 2023.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.

MSG Networks Forms Broadcast Partnership With Team Boxing League

BSM Staff
-
0
MSG Networks Forms Broadcast Partnership With Team Boxing League

The Team Boxing League (TBL) announced a new broadcast agreement with MSG Networks, bringing all remaining Season 4 fights to fans live across MSG’s platforms.

The deal kicks off immediately as the NYC Attitude takes on the Boston Butchers live from Boston at 7PM EST. It’s a strong opening card for a new media partnership.

TBL fights will air across MSG, MSGSN, MSG+ in the Gotham Sports App, and MSG Sportzone (FAST). The league gains immediate reach into millions of passionate sports households.

MSG Networks will also provide promotional support throughout the season. That added visibility could be a real differentiator for a league still building its audience.

TBL CEO Kevin Cassidy called the deal a meaningful step forward.

“TBL is built to bring a fresh, high-energy approach to boxing. This partnership with MSG Networks is a major step forward in delivering that experience to a broader audience,” says Cassidy. “We’re excited to showcase our athletes and teams on such an established and respected sports media platform.”

MSG Networks VP of Content Distribution Armando Polanco welcomed the league. “We welcome TBL Team Boxing League to the MSG Networks family,” Polanco said. “With our expansive distribution, we’re excited to bring the energy of boxing to our audiences.”

TBL’s team-based format aims to reshape how boxing is consumed. The MSG deal gives the league a serious platform to prove that concept works.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.

PGA Tour Cuts Four Percent of Overall Workforce

BSM Staff
-
0
PGA Tour Cuts Four Percent of Overall Workforce

The PGA Tour laid off 56 employees Thursday representing four percent of the organization’s total workforce.

CEO Brian Rolapp announced the decision in an internal email obtained by The Athletic.

He called it “a difficult — but important — step.”

The reductions followed a review by FTI Consulting. Beyond the layoffs, 73 open positions will go unfilled.

The Tour is aggressively restructuring as it shifts to a for-profit model. In January 2024, the PGA Tour launched PGA Tour Enterprises. Strategic Sports Group, a private equity firm, backed the venture with $1.5 billion.

That deal gave players equity stakes in the tour. SSG’s stated goal was to “maximize revenue generation.”

Cost-cutting extends beyond headcount. The Tour recently confirmed it will skip Hawaii to open the 2026 season. The Sentry in Maui and Sony Open in Oahu are both off the schedule to reduce logistics expenses.

Rolapp said the staffing changes will help the Tour “move faster, make better decisions and continue to evolve as the future competitive and commercial model takes shape.”

He is currently working with board members and players to redesign the Tour’s competitive structure. Hiring isn’t stopping entirely. Rolapp said the Tour will add talent in reprioritized areas going forward.

Rolapp addresses all Tour employees Monday in a company-wide meeting. The Tour also ran a voluntary retirement program in 2025.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.

SiriusXM Shade 45 Adds “Real Life With Peter Rosenberg” Program

BMM Staff
-
0
SiriusXM Shade 45 Adds “Real Life With Peter Rosenberg” Program

Peter Rosenberg is taking his long-running hip-hop program to a bigger stage. Real Late with Peter Rosenberg lands on SiriusXM Shade 45 every Thursday at 10pm ET.

New episodes are also available on the SiriusXM app.

The show carries nearly two decades of credibility. Rosenberg built it as a platform for both emerging artists and classic hip-hop. He curates DJ sets and conducts interviews with legends and rising talent alike.

Rosenberg described the program in his own words.

“It is my love affair with hip hop that’s been going on basically my whole life, on the airwaves,” he said. “New music, classic music, interviews, conversation, and really just great music. If you’re a real hip-hop head, this is going to be the place for you.”

The move makes strong programming sense for Shade 45. Rosenberg brings deep cultural knowledge and a loyal audience. His credibility in underground hip-hop circles spans his entire adult life.

Rosenberg’s media footprint extends well beyond this show. He co-hosts the Ebro Laura Rosenberg Show and pulls afternoon drive duties on ESPN Radio’s Don, Hahn & Rosenberg. He also serves as a WWE Network correspondent.

His resume speaks for itself. Previous credits include Ebro in the Morning on HOT 97, the Juan Epstein podcast, VH1’s This Is Hot 97, MTV’s Hip Hop Squares, and Complex’s Open Late.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.

Jeff Hurley Added as iHeartMedia SVP Programming Philadelphia

BNM Staff
-
0
Jeff Hurley Added as iHeartMedia SVP Programming Philadelphia

Jeff Hurley is adding more responsibility at iHeartMedia. The EVP/Programming for upstate New York, Mid-Atlantic and New England will now serve as SVP/Programming for the company’s Philadelphia cluster.

Hurley’s roots in Pennsylvania run deep. He built much of his career there as Program Director for FM 97 WLAN and 99.3 Kiss-FM WHKF. He later served as SVP/Programming for the Allentown/Harrisburg region before joining iHeart’s National Programming Group as EVP/Programming in 2020.

Former Philadelphia SVP/Programming Derrick Corbett moves into the VP/Programming role. He will continue overseeing Power 99 and 105.3 WDAS.

Hurley expressed genuine enthusiasm for the opportunity.

“I’m excited to step into the role of Senior Vice President of Programming and guide these legendary stations that have meant so much to the community for decades,” he said. “It’s an honor to be part of their future. Growing up in Pennsylvania, this feels like a dream come true in the best possible way. I’m looking forward to working closely with Derrick Corbett and the talented staff across all of these stations to continue growing in 2026 and beyond.”

iHeart EVP/Programming Thea Mitchem championed the decision.

“Jeff is a proven leader with a deep understanding of our brands, our audiences and the power of strong programming,” said Mitchem. “His ability to strategically elevate stations while developing great teams makes him the right choice to lead programming in Philadelphia, and I’m confident he’ll continue to drive success in this important market.”

Hurley now oversees programming across a significant footprint. Philadelphia is a top-ten market, making this expansion a notable move for both Hurley and iHeartMedia.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.

Three Years Later, There’s a Clear Winner in the Tucker Carlson-Fox News Break Up

Garrett Searight
-
0
Three Years Later, There’s a Clear Winner in the Tucker Carlson-Fox News Break Up

April 24, 2023, was one of the most consequential days in cable news history. Fox News fired Tucker Carlson. CNN fired Don Lemon. Two of the biggest names in the business were gone before noon.

At the time, many believed Fox News had made a catastrophic mistake. The prevailing theory was simple: Tucker Carlson was so dominant at 8 PM ET that losing him would irreparably damage the brand. Three years later, that theory hasn’t aged well.

Let’s be fair about what happened immediately after. There was a ratings slump. That’s almost always going to happen when a network parts ways with its biggest star. Audiences don’t transfer overnight, and the 8 PM ET window felt uncertain for a stretch.

Critics were ready to write Fox News’s obituary. But the network didn’t spiral. It stabilized, recalibrated, and moved forward.

Fox News Stayed Strong

Jesse Watters stepped into the 8 PM slot, and the results have been, frankly, remarkable. During the first quarter of this year, Jesse Watters Primetime averaged 3.4 million viewers. For context, Carlson averaged 3.2 million viewers in the first quarter of 2023 — the final months before his exit.

Yes, measurement methodologies have evolved. Yes, the media landscape has shifted. But the core point stands: Fox News didn’t miss a beat.

Carlson’s post-Fox trajectory, however, tells a different story. He launched Tucker on Twitter and initially saw a surge of digital interest. Audiences were curious. The rebellious outsider narrative was compelling. Then Elon Musk renamed the platform X — arguably one of the top five digital blunders in recent memory, but that’s a conversation for another day — and that branding had to change. So did Carlson’s strategy. He embraced digital video outlets like YouTube and TikTok upon the creation of the Tucker Carlson Network.

Beyond the platform drama, Tucker Carlson’s positioning has shifted in ways that appear to have cost him. He stumped aggressively for President Donald Trump during the 2024 election.

Since then, he’s reversed course, consistently and publicly criticizing the President — particularly regarding the war in Iran. That pivot hasn’t gone unnoticed, and the data suggests it’s done real damage to how audiences perceive him.

Tucker By the Numbers

A recent UMass-Lowell/YouGov study paints a striking picture. Carlson’s overall favorability sits at just 17%, while 31% view him unfavorably. Among men — traditionally one of his core audience groups — 43% hold an unfavorable opinion. That number climbs to 47% among those 65 and older.

Consider that for a moment. Fox News’s viewership is largely comprised of that 65+ demographic. Nearly half of those same viewers now view Tucker Carlson unfavorably, just three years after he was viewed as so important to the Fox News brand that the network might not survive without him.

It doesn’t stop there. The skepticism isn’t limited to Democrats, liberals, or independents. Among Republicans, 24% hold an unfavorable view of Carlson. Another 35% say they have no opinion of him at all. Only 31% of Republicans view him favorably.

For a figure who built his brand on being the voice of a political movement, those numbers are difficult to explain away.

Fox News, meanwhile, keeps humming along. Watters is thriving. The network’s overall footprint remains dominant in cable news. Advertisers haven’t fled. They’ve actually embraced the network in droves. The machine didn’t break. Reports of Fox News’ death were greatly exaggerated.

That’s the real story of the past three years. When Carlson was fired by Fox News — regardless of whether or not it had to do with the network’s settlement with Dominion Voting Systems — conventional wisdom said Fox News needed him more than he needed Fox News. The evidence now suggests the opposite was true.

Networks are built on systems, audiences, and institutional strength. Stars come and go. The ones who forget that tend to find out the hard way.

Tucker Carlson found out the hard way. Fox News didn’t.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.

1...227228229...2,771Page 228 of 2,771