CBS News is preparing a shake-up of 60 Minutes, with layoffs expected for some of the talent and producers on the program, a report suggests.
According to the New York Post, a June layoff is expected, with the round of cuts expected to focus on the weekly news magazine.
The report suggests that CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss wants the program to focus on “scoops and hard-hitting investigative reporting” and avoid what she views as “soft programming.”
The Post specifically named Scott Pelley as a potential cut, noting that his salary is estimated between nearly $7-$8.5 million per year. It also labeled Sharyn Alfonsi as someone potentially ripe for cutting, as well as veteran members of the crew like Lesley Stahl and Bill Whitaker.
Any potential cuts at 60 Minutes would be the latest in a long line of layoffs enacted by CBS News and Paramount Skydance. Last month, the network cut between 60 and 70 jobs, including the entire CBS News Radio division. That came after buyouts were offered to staffers on the CBS Evening News.
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Red Seat Ventures is expanding its footprint in the creator economy with a new platform designed to simplify distribution and unlock revenue opportunities.
The Fox Corporation-owned company, which operates under Tubi Media Group, announced the launch of Speakeasy, an in-house platform built to provide creators with monetization, hosting and distribution in a single destination.
The move comes as audio and video content continue to converge. At the same time, new distribution formats and revenue models are reshaping how creators reach audiences and grow their businesses. While more platforms now support creator-driven content, many creators still rely on multiple tools to manage production, distribution and monetization.
Speakeasy aims to eliminate that fragmentation.
“Speakeasy is the platform we wished all our creators had access to, so we set out to build it,” said Chris Balfe, CEO of Red Seat Ventures. “Creators are the new media, and they require an AI-enabled platform that meets the growing needs and opportunities of distributing and monetizing across audio, video and streaming platforms.”
The platform combines several core functions into one system. Creators can manage hosting, access ad-supported monetization and utilize AI-powered analytics within a single interface. In addition, Speakeasy supports a range of modern distribution formats, including RSS, HLS and streaming video.
That flexibility reflects the evolving nature of content consumption. Audiences now engage with shows across multiple formats and platforms, which has created new opportunities for growth but also added complexity for creators.
Speakeasy also integrates with Supercast, a subscription platform recently acquired by Red Seat Ventures. The integration allows creators to layer in premium subscription offerings alongside advertising revenue. Both platforms will continue to operate independently.
The new offering is built on Fox’s enterprise-level technology infrastructure, which provides scalability and security as creators expand their reach. Furthermore, the platform’s AI-driven tools are designed to help creators better understand audience behavior and optimize content performance.
Unlike many existing podcast-focused services, Speakeasy targets high-level creators and enterprise partners. These users often require more advanced distribution strategies and diversified revenue streams than traditional podcasters.
Speakeasy will not be widely available at launch. Instead, Red Seat Ventures is positioning the platform as an invite-only product, focusing first on established creators and organizations with complex needs.
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I learned so much early on in my career by running news through national networks. The “thrill” of backtiming to the top-of-the-hour is something few today get to experience.
Ok, there is a note of sarcasm there. But it did help develop my math skills.
The announcement of the shutdown of CBS News Radio after nearly a century on the air represents more than just the loss of an iconic brand. It signals a major shift in the economics, influence, and structure of broadcast journalism. For radio pros, affiliates, advertisers, and, of course, listeners, the ramifications are both immediate and long-term.
The most visible impact will be felt by the scores of affiliate stations that relied on the network for news coverage. For generations, CBS News Radio provided hourly newscasts, breaking news coverage, and special reports to hundreds of stations across the country.
For many smaller-market stations, most of which today have no local newsrooms, the network served as an affordable way to deliver credible national news. Without it, stations must now find alternative options.
Some will turn to competing networks. Others may be forced to abandon national news programming altogether.
The closure also reflects a deeper shift in how listeners consume audio news. AM/FM radio news networks were built at a time when families gathered around live broadcasts at predetermined times. Obviously, it’s been quite a while since then.
Today’s consumers get their news on demand.
Let’s face it—most people get their news before ever turning on any audio source. Digital news platforms hijack our listeners every day. Delivering information on smart devices as soon as their eyes open. As a result, this shift has fragmented the once-massive audiences that networks relied on to sustain advertising revenue.
The economic consequences of this shutdown are also significant. The closure eliminates dozens of newsroom jobs. This includes reporters, editors, producers, and anchors. Many who spent their careers working hard to deliver reliable news to stations.
Unfortunately, layoffs have become commonplace across the industry. The loss of specialized “broadcast journalists” weakens an already shrinking pipeline of experienced radio news talent. It also adds to the negative perception the radio industry continues to battle.
Then there are the broader implications for public trust and information access.
Radio is still one of the most accessible forms of media on the planet. It reaches commuters, rural communities, and audiences without reliable broadband access. For many Americans—especially during emergencies or natural disasters—broadcast radio remains a critical source of real-time information.
The CBS Radio News Network closure is also highly symbolic. It has been one of the foundational institutions of American broadcast journalism. Their newscasts were carried by generations of stations and heard by millions daily.
Losing this nearly 100-year-old institution marks the end of an era. It also reinforces the narrative that traditional broadcast media is in decline.
All that said, the story is not entirely negative. Moments like this often force industries to innovate. Radio stations that once relied heavily on network feeds may now invest more deeply in local journalism, personality-driven programming, or digital extensions such as podcasts and social media audio content.
In many ways, hopefully this shift will push radio to rediscover its most valuable asset—local connection. One thing I have been impressed with over the past few years is the Black Information Network, led by iHeart’s Tony Coles.
The ‘BIN’ has built a platform through targeted audience focus and strong branding. Making the network an important part of the Black community’s contemporary culture.
Ultimately, the shutdown of CBS News Radio is both a warning and an opportunity. It underscores the financial pressures facing legacy media, but it also challenges us to rethink how audio journalism can evolve in a digital-first world.
We already know the future of radio will not look like its past. However, its relevance depends on how boldly the industry adapts to rapid change.
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It sure feels like everyone is leaving radio. There are seemingly endless waves of reductions in force and other consolidation of positions. Additionally, many people look at how the industry is struggling. Or just simply at how small their paychecks are, and depart on their own for greener pastures.
But there are always exceptions to the rule. When the right person is offered the right opportunity, sometimes people do come back. One of those is Rick Savage.
After a long and successful period working in other industries, Savage has returned. Currently, he hosts morning drive and serves as music director at Local Media LLC’s alternative station, XTRA-FM (a.k.a. 91X).
The early radio portion of Savage’s resume includes work at KSFD/San Diego and KROQ/Los Angeles, as well as a short stint at 91X. He then moved out of the industry to grow the non-radio portion of his career. Which is equally, if not more impressive.
Savage has worked at Warner Bros. Records and Vevo. He also served as head of social media for Apple Services (part of Apple), and was director of content for the NFL. Most recently, Savage was vice president of content for Fanatics Betting and Gaming.
All of which begs the question: why come back to radio?
“The most fun I’ve ever had in my career is in a studio at a radio station. Nothing compares to it,” says Savage. “I’ve had a great career working at the NFL, Apple Music, and these big corporations. I learned so much and worked with brilliant, amazing people. But for day-to-day satisfaction and enjoyment, nothing compares to radio.”
Another factor in his return to the airwaves is that San Diego is home. His parents still live in Poway, about twenty minutes from the station. Savage grew up listening to 91X on his bus rides to school with a trusty Walkman to provide the content.
“We even have a liner that says, ‘from morning announcements at Poway High School to mornings on 91X.’ I did that in high school and now I’m here,” says Savage.
He also sees a special opportunity at 91X. The station is independently owned, which allows for more experimentation from any number of digital elements to video concepts.
“It’s an exciting time to try new things,” said Savage. “I have a lot of the experience working in social media, digital content, video production, and podcasting. We can take those skills and use them to broaden 91X outside of just the terrestrial space.”
Looking around the industry, Savage sees many radio stations, especially in the alternative format, that are behind the curve when it comes to their social media efforts. Part of the problem he feels is that many executives, across industries—not just radio—still don’t see the value.
“It’s [social media] looked at like something the kid in the building should run. People still ask, ‘who’s the intern running the Wendy’s Twitter account?’ That’s a team or an agency; it’s not just an intern tweeting anymore,” explained Savage.
However, he understands that getting started by experimenting can be difficult. There are many opportunities in the social and digital world, and it can be hard to know what direction to take. Based on his experience outside of radio, Savage shared several suggestions, starting with the need for commitment.
“Air talent need to live on social. They need to be engaging. That means being part of the community and not just posting about what’s coming up on the station. It’s interacting with listeners, and responding to comments,” explains Savage.
He explained another opportunity for stations and hosts trying to thrive on social media is making use of new tools on each platform. For instance, Instagram’s recent launch of a captioning feature that can replace third-party apps.
“If you’re leaning into their new features, or you get that pop-up for this new challenge on TikTok. They’re going to reward you if you do that stuff,” said Savage.
He also suggests interacting with a wide range of other pages. The attempt to engage with so many different creators also will see rewards coming your way.
“Comment on a hundred different Instagram pages so people see your station popping up everywhere. When Rolling Stone posts something about the new Sublime record, 91X is in there saying how we love the record,” notes Savage.
Savage also doubles his work with 91X serving as the station’s music director. While it’s only been a few weeks in his return to the station, he explained how the station is taking a different approach than many other alternative stations.
“I think (former Program Director Garrett Michaels) and (current Program Director Hilary Doneux) wanted to lean into the history and heritage of 91X. It’s such a differentiator,” said Savage. “They brought back some of the classic alternative that not a lot of alternative stations are playing.”
As that part of the station’s strategy has taken root, Savage says Doneux has started bringing more new music into the mix. However, that is paired with a different approach to rotations. The concept includes many new songs receiving only seven or eight spins per week.
Savage explained that it’s enough for a song to fit the vibe of the station without thirty or forty spins a week.
“If it sounds good on the station between two records everyone knows, that’s enough,” says Savage, adding that the next steps after airplay begins should involve the artist. “In a way, they need to do their job. They have to be on social, play here in San Diego, call in and do a phoner with me or whatever to promote their project.”
That approach also gives Savage and Doneux the opportunity to stick with records they are passionate about.
“Because we’re not playing songs eight times a day, we can leave them in rotation for a long time to really support a band or song we like,” explains Savage. “That gives us a little more credibility with the audience when we do add something.”
For his morning show specifically, Savage has a couple of priorities at the outset. Starting with giving local music a presence in prime time by creating a feature tied to the station’s long-running local music show, Loudspeaker.
“I’m friends with so many local bands. It’s just such a huge, important part of my life,” said Savage.
He and Doneux also recently launched The Morning Mixtape, which runs from 10 a.m. to noon. The program features live versions, cover songs, and a few tracks that haven’t been on the air in a long time mixed with hits.
However, Savage wants to go one step further. He knows he’s throwing a lot of ideas at Doneux and is fine if she pushes back or tells him he’s off base. However, there’s one he’s especially eager to bring to life.
“I want to do a feature called Feel Good Friday where I play a song that’s not from the format but just feels good. We’re an independent station, let’s play a James Brown record. Who cares,” explained Savage.
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It’s hard to fit a square peg into a round hole. No matter how much effort you put into forcing a fit, far too often the goal is never accomplished. Executives and programming minds across every industry face this challenge: maximizing their investment in talent by testing what that talent can provide in different content lanes. When ESPNannounced that Jason Kelce would be part of its Masters coverage next week, that’s exactly what came to mind.
Square peg into a round hole.
I wasn’t alone in feeling this way, but I’m not outraged (like many) by the attempt. For far too long, The Masters has felt a little too highbrow for the casual or passive golf viewer to care about anything beyond Sunday at Augusta. However, the blowback and criticism ESPN is receiving about Kelce’s involvement is odd, to say the least. In an age where audiences crave new, different, and exciting content, why are audiences lashing out about Kelce’s involvement in Augusta to this level?
There are only a few times during the year when I make a point to watch golf. My interest peaks during the major tournaments: the Masters, U.S. Open, PGA Championship, and whatever they’re calling the one in Europe these days. These events deliver the best storytelling and produce the biggest moments.
They also provide the biggest opportunity for broadcast partners to experiment and enhance their coverage. In past Par 3 contests, ESPN has tried “walk-and-talk” interviews with mic’d-up players during rounds. The network has also featured tour golfers as analysts throughout the broadcast.
Those efforts didn’t infringe on the tournament’s prestige or perception. Instead, audiences appreciated the added access and insight from those who play the game.
Enter Jason Kelce—everyone’s favorite uncle. Football, fun, and family. He’s been a media darling since his playing days, transitioning from podcasting to radio and now national television. When ESPN signed Kelce to a multi-year agreement in 2024, it immediately placed him on the Monday Night Countdown team.
ESPN is shipping Jason Kelce off to The Masters next week, per @_DavidRumsey.
Kelce will serve as an on-course reporter during the Par 3 contest at August after making his debut at TGL earlier this month. pic.twitter.com/YJDniyYUQz
This was ESPN positioning its newest hire in a role that played to his strengths. Does Jason Kelce know the NFL? Of course. The reviews were largely positive.
Then Kelce’s podcast, New Heights, signed a three-year deal reportedly worth $100 million. His Q Score rose. Travis Kelce played in a third straight Super Bowl—again, the Q Score rose. Then Taylor Swift entered the picture—technically through his brother—but the effect was the same. The Q Score kept rising.
ESPN seized the moment as everything around Jason Kelce gained momentum. The network launched a late-night comedy sketch show hosted by Kelce. Five episodes later, it chose not to move forward with a second season.
Square peg, round hole.
Remember Kelce’s lone appearance on ESPN’s NHL Stadium Series coverage?
Once again—square peg, round hole.
Kelce also appeared in ESPN’s coverage of TGL, wearing a sleeveless Hawaiian shirt and bringing energy to a made-for-TV golf product. It was a short stint, but he added needed entertainment value to a simulator-driven format built for a live audience and star power. Viewership for TGL rose 8% year over year, and Kelce earned positive reviews for his presence.
Jason Kelce doing in depth reporting from below the green 😂
But that wasn’t traditional golf. It was a controlled, entertainment-focused environment under a dome.
The Masters is different, and why sports fans are rebelling his inclusion.
Jason Kelce can break down offensive line play and excel in that role every time. He’s a football player with a rare ability to educate and entertain. However, his role in Masters Par 3 coverage feels forced. ESPN appears to be chasing the same energy Kelce brought indoors with TGL and trying to apply it to Augusta National.
Another square peg into a round hole attempt.
The Par 3 contest carries its own tradition, much like the four days that follow. While it’s a family-friendly event—and Kelce certainly fits that mold—you have to wonder how it will translate. Will he really be walking Augusta in a torn-up Hawaiian shirt, interviewing players and their families? Will that TGL spunk and entertainment feel right on the 9th hole?
I value the attempt to inject some personality into a somewhat dull and fruitless event. However, on paper this looks like another square peg attempt into a round hole.
Between a comedy show where the jokes didn’t land, hockey coverage with a sport he never played, and now Masters weekend, it’s beginning to feel like ESPN is placing Kelce in roles just to see what sticks. That’s especially puzzling when he could contribute even more to the network’s NFL coverage as it builds toward its first Super Bowl broadcast.
Plus, apparently an opening in the network’s second booth for football play by play.
That’s what smart programmers are supposed to do: put their top talent in positions where they know they can succeed. Would ESPN put Ryan Clark on NBA coverage? Would Kendrick Perkins suddenly appear on MLB broadcasts?
Playing to a talent’s strengths is always the best strategy. Kelce’s value begins and ends with his ability to educate and entertain football fans.
Experimentation isn’t the problem. In fact, it’s necessary. Audiences evolve, consumption habits shift, and standing still is the fastest way to become irrelevant. But experimentation without intention? That’s when the square peg keeps getting jammed into the same round hole—again and again.
Jason Kelce doesn’t need to be everywhere to be valuable. In fact, the more he’s placed in situations that don’t fit, the more you risk diluting what made him compelling in the first place. Scarcity, authenticity, and expertise—that’s the formula that turned him into a breakout media star.
The Masters doesn’t need saving. And Kelce doesn’t need redefining.
What both need is alignment.
Because the smartest programming move isn’t seeing how far you can stretch your biggest personality—it’s knowing exactly where they belong and having the discipline to keep them there.
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.
Fox News keeps winning. Not just in the ratings, but on digital and in the revenue space. And there’s no sign of them slowing down.
Is a portion of this driven by President Trump? Absolutely. But if you’re the competition and you think Fox News will begin to wilt come January 2029, there’s very little tangible evidence to suggest that’s the case.
As was reported by Barrett Media on Thursday, during the first quarter of 2026, Fox News averaged 1.7 million viewers in the total day category. In primetime, that figure rose to 2.7 million. It marked the 97th consecutive quarter that the network earned the top spot in primetime cable news ratings. The network earned 14 of the top 15 programs in cable news, with a 23% quarter-over-quarter increase in total-day viewership.
Around the other networks, MSNBC saw a resurgence. CNN had its best quarter since 2022. And NewsNation saw triple-digit increases on some of its primetime shows.
But it’s still Fox News dominating the landscape, with total audience figures far greater than those of its three main competitors — combined.
And not only that, but ad revenue has been tremendous as well. In February, Fox Corp reported $5.18 billion in total revenue. That’s a 2% year-over-year increase, as companywide ad revenue rose 1% and cable advertising jumped 7%, driven by news and sports pricing.
And if you think that’s mostly sports. Well, that’s not the case. “The advertising market for Fox News has been incredibly robust,” CEO Lachlan Murdoch told investors. “This half, we’ve added about 200 new advertisers, and you have to remember that is on top of 350 new advertisers that we added last year. So the demand for the product and audience remains incredibly strong.”
Remember just a few years ago when everyone was convinced that brands would forever run away from Fox News? Well, this is just further evidence that ROI is winning while brand safety fears are fading. Businesses are looking for every angle to invest their advertising dollars wisely and efficiently. And Fox News is winning the day for its advertisers — which is why they continue to see revenue growth.
Two other lessons from Fox News’ success stand out to me. First, cable news is strongest when it becomes live-event television. And that’s true for radio as well. Whether it’s live war coverage, the State of the Union address, or a dictator in South America being captured by his country, it can mirror what live sports does best. There was plenty of that to cover in the first quarter of the year.
News/talk radio can also use this as a reminder that, as much as we take pride in our personality-driven programming, breaking news in your city, your state, the country, or the world can be the live-event programming that, when it comes, is a home run for audience growth.
Second, personality-driven content is a major reason for Fox’s continued success. MSNBC tinkered with its lineup. CNN added microphones to its set to look more podcast-ish. Fox News just keeps delivering with strong, opinionated, credible personalities who react to the top stories of the day. That loyalty cannot be bought. It’s earned through years of brand and personality credibility.
So as we look ahead to the coming months in the news/talk space, remember how successful this format is in delivering results for its advertisers. The “fear factor” has continued to dissipate, breaking news is your live-event programming, and reaction and analysis from credible personalities will win in your market.
As we embark on the unofficial start of a midterm year, the format can have a huge 2026 — we just need to play our cards right, just as Fox News continues to do in the cable news space.
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.
I hate the expression “what’s old is new.” But here we are, and I have to say it. What’s old is new. Or maybe it can be. Last week in this space, I ranted about how “new music discovery” wasn’t an image rock radio can truly own. But let’s flip that on its head and pull out a good win this week.
One of the bigger new hits at RockTernative is 12 years old — Weezer’s “Go Away.” And it leads me to wonder if radio is overlooking a massive opportunity.
Undiscovered gold. Not nostalgia Gold, undiscovered Gold.
In other words, great songs from important artists that may not have been released as singles or hammered so hard they’re permanently tattooed on the Top 200 Gold chart.
Think about it. Programmers are no different than listeners. PDs have musical tastes of their own — guilty pleasures from the Foos, Blink, and Metallica on their phones. But they don’t play them on air because they could be somewhat unfamiliar to the masses, or they fear the higher-ups may not approve. Everyone understands that.
We don’t play that. We didn’t test it. It’s not in the Top 200. Skip.
Listeners and all of radio’s digital competitors disagree. And they’re winning the argument.
To be clear, this is not a call for being the “deep cut” and “B-side” station or format. This is far more strategic: Songs from core artists that never had their moment — but should have.
Because the reality is listeners don’t think in terms of Current, Recurrent, and Gold. They don’t care what “tests,” what charted, what was once in power for 17 weeks, and their jaws would drop if they heard a PD say the library can’t be more than 300 songs.
Listeners like what they like and think selfishly, emotionally, and in moments:
“How did I miss this?”
“Why haven’t they played this before?”
“This is great.”
“I want to hear more like this.”
That reaction is the opportunity. It’s like finding that next big new hit, but it may be more powerful — and it’s largely being left on the table.
Streaming algorithms are incredible at giving listeners familiarity and funneling what’s popular to the top. But if something doesn’t hit big the first time, there’s a good chance it never gets a real second chance.
RockTernative can offer that. Strategically. Brands have the ability to reframe a song and create a shared moment around it.
My favorite Jimmy Eat World song is “Bleed American.” As one of my daughters would say, it’s fire, slaps, eats, and cooks. The song was rocketing up the charts in 2001, then 9/11 happened. Pulled. Poof. Gone. Culturally toxic.
If that song were released or rereleased today, I’d double down on it being a “new hit.”
And if a 12-year-old song from Weezer — that was nowhere near the Top 200 Gold — can feel like a great new song to a listener today, then maybe “new” isn’t about release date anymore. Maybe it’s about exposure and timing.
This opens a new lane for RockTernative to own something just as important as “new music” — helping listeners discover what they missed.
Think about all the iconic artists at the format(s), yet there are only a few songs from each in rotation. That’s a giant repositioning opportunity. It’s also a narrative change that could bring creative NTR.
And it’s the right time. Currently, many brands are stuck in purgatory — not really leading new music discovery, but also trapped by historical radio “rules” and “boundaries” with Gold libraries — when there is literally a massive catalog of relevant music sitting in front of them.
Music from the biggest artists in the format.
Music that fits the brand.
Non-singles that cause concertgoers to raise the roof.
Songs that could land today if given a second — or first — chance.
Should your brand capitalize on this opportunity? Specialty weekend, daily spotlight, limited rotation lane, etc. — that’s up to you. If so, it must be curated by someone who truly knows the music and does their digging to find missed hits and not stiffs.
But from your phone playlists to mine, maybe the next “new hit” isn’t new at all. Maybe it’s just the one that wasn’t given a real chance the first time around.
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.
Check your timeline. Turn on sports radio. Flip to any TV debate show. One week into the 2026 Major League Baseball season, the dominant conversation in American sports is not the NBA playoff race. It’s not the NFL Draft, and not a superstar holdout. Instead, it’s a tap on a helmet, and a scoreboard graphic. It’s a called strike getting overturned in real time in front of 35,000 people and millions more at home.
The Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System—ABS—has been the top story in sports every single day of the young baseball season. Clips are everywhere, leading SportsCenter and flooding social media. Scoreboard graphics pair with a digital baseball clipping the edge of the zone.
Every outlet is asking the same question fans are asking in the stands: is this the new electricity of baseball, or just a novelty that fades by the All-Star break?
The early answer is clear. It’s electricity.
On Saturday, March 28, in Cincinnati, the Reds hosted the Red Sox with C.B. Bucknor, one of the most infamous umpires in the sport, behind the plate. By the end of the day, six of his eight challenged calls had been overturned. The clips had millions of views before midnight.
There are moments that offer a pretty good sense that something new is going to work. This feels like one for ABS. The Cincinnati crowd’s reaction was thunderous. And the situation itself — twice it salvaged a bases-loaded opportunity. This system plays. pic.twitter.com/vS0TYzBX6H
Eugenio Suárez stepped in with the bases loaded and two outs. Bucknor rang him up. Suárez tapped his helmet. Overturned. The crowd exploded. Game 7 energy in March. The next pitch? Bucknor rang him up again. Suárez tapped again. Overturned again. Two strikeouts erased in the same at-bat. The Reds’ broadcast said those two overturns drew louder reactions than either home run that day.
A scoreboard graphic beating a 400-foot screamer to dead center? Baseball has stumbled into some magic here.
These ABS clips don’t need a highlight show. They represent every frustrated fan who’s ever wanted to throw a beer at their TV over a missed call by the boys in blue over the last 30 years.
Next came Mariners outfielder Randy Arozarena in Seattle. On a full count, he took a pitch and knew it was ball four. The umpire pumped his fist—strike three. Arozarena tapped, removed his elbow guard and shin guard, and started walking to first anyway.
The scoreboard confirmed it: ball four by 0.2 inches. He never broke stride, and the home crowd erupted. It went viral instantly. The no-look pass of baseball. Swagger, personality, and a moment the sport has been starving for. ABS didn’t just get the call right. It made the moment.
Randy Arozarena was so confident in his ABS challenge that he started running to first base knowing it was ball 4 😭pic.twitter.com/OWJuxgCeOD
Orioles closer Ryan Helsley turned a ninth-inning walk into a strikeout with a full-count challenge, protecting an 8–6 lead. Twins manager Derek Shelton stormed the field, not to argue the pitch, but to question whether Helsley tapped his cap quickly enough.
He was ejected, becoming the first manager in MLB history tossed over an ABS dispute.
The Orioles broadcast captured it perfectly: “You can’t defeat the robots!” By Monday morning, that line was everywhere—radio, podcasts, highlight shows—the kind of moment you can’t script or manufacture.
By Wednesday, April 1, exactly one week into the season, history arrived again. With two outs in the top of the ninth and the Orioles leading the Rangers 8–3, pitcher Albert Suárez delivered, and plate umpire Manny Gonzalez called ball two. Catcher Samuel Basallo tapped. The scoreboard showed the pitch clipping the zone. Strike three. Game over.
A game ending challenge for the Orioles today! Another ABS milestone for Major League Baseball
— Baseball Unstitched (@BaseUnstitched) April 1, 2026
For the first time in Major League Baseball history, a game ended on an ABS challenge.
In one week, the sport produced its first manager ejected over a robot, its first no-look challenge walk, and its first game-ending ABS call. A viral moment every single day.
This isn’t a rollout—it’s a detonation, and baseball needed it.
What separates ABS from a gimmick is simple: it’s strategic, and strategy is watchable. Teams get two challenges. Use them late, and you can swing a game. Burn them early, and you’re exposed. Every fan becomes a strategist.
There’s another wrinkle: only the batter, pitcher, or catcher can challenge—not the manager and not the dugout. One player, moment, and decision that affects everything. Challenge on ego early, and your team may not have one when it matters.
Early numbers reflect that tension. Catchers are winning challenges 64 percent of the time. Hitters, just 42 percent. Some teams are already telling pitchers not to challenge at all. This is chess at 95 miles per hour, and unlike traditional replay, it happens instantly.
No delay, no dead air—just tension, quick resolution, and fan reaction.
For decades, fans had to learn each umpire’s strike zone like a scouting report. Who squeezed pitchers, gave the low strike, and owned the outside corner. There wasn’t one strike zone. There were thirty. Now, for the first time, there’s accountability.
It’s also important to understand what this system is not.
In Korea, the KBO uses full automation. Every pitch is called by a computer and relayed through an earpiece to an umpire. There’s no graphic, reveal, or shared moment. No drama. That’s not theater. That’s a printout.
ABS gets the balance right. The human element stays. The worst misses don’t, and the fans get the moment.
Will some of the novelty fade? Of course. The first challenge will always feel bigger than the thousandth. But we’ve heard that before. The pitch clock was supposed to wear off. It didn’t. It became the game.
ABS is built the same way. It’s not cosmetic; it’s structural. Plus, it changes every close pitch in every close game. That doesn’t get boring. That becomes baseball.
The ratings will tell the full story eventually. They always do. But the early signals are impossible to ignore. Clips drive attention. Attention drives viewership.
Right now, baseball has something it’s been missing for years: a nightly reason to watch—not just for outcomes, but for moments. Because suddenly, any pitch can flip a game. Any player can take control. Any tap of the helmet can bring 35,000 people to their feet.
That’s not a gimmick nor a trend. That’s the sound of baseball finding its pulse again.
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When Talk Media Network built its morning lineup, it needed someone who understood both the craft and the audience. Joe Thomas fits that description.
His show, First Thing Today, airs weekdays from 5 to 9 AM ET and Saturdays from 6 to 9 AM ET, and it’s making a distinct mark in a crowded space.
Thomas doesn’t think the show’s job is to tell listeners what to believe. He’s direct about it.
“I really believe that people get inundated by so many people saying ‘You must agree with me’ on their shows,” said Thomas. “I like to just lay it out there. I’ll tell them what I see in the tea leaves, but I’m not trying to sales pitch them an opinion. Their opinion is theirs, and if I do my job right, they’d agree with me — but I’m not going to try to make that an entry barrier.”
That philosophy drives every hour of First Thing Today. Listeners from San Antonio to Portland are responding — many in places where Joe Thomas was never a household name. He credits that connection to something simple — finding out how the news actually lands in real lives.
“I want to know how the news is impacting a listener where they are. We’ve got great response from folks in San Antonio and Portland and places nobody had ever heard of me before,” he joked. “They appreciate the fact that I’ll either read their words from a text message or take their phone call, and just try to find out how all this craziness is hitting them where they are. I can think something’s important, but if the listener doesn’t, then I’m losing.”
Years spent working across different markets built the instincts behind that approach. Thomas knows the difference between Lancaster, New York and Lancaster, Pennsylvania — and more importantly, he knows the people in both places share more than they might expect.
“There are common denominators of people’s lives, and you start from there and build out,” said Thomas. “Everyone’s got those things they’re proud of in their neighborhoods, but there are things that we all get hit with. Having experienced that, it makes it a lot easier for me to tap into what somebody is going through in Youngstown, Ohio, or Greenwich, Connecticut.”
Starting at 5 AM ET gives First Thing Today a competitive edge Thomas embraces fully. By the time other shows are warming up, his audience is already informed.
“It gives us a chance to get out there before everyone else starts spinning it,” Thomas said. “That’s refreshing, especially to the folks who live in central and further west, because they’re getting it at 4 o’clock or 3 o’clock in the morning, and so they’re really getting a jump start on what the stories are going to be.”
That advantage showed itself on New Year’s Day, when a terrorist attack struck New Orleans. First Thing Today was live and talking to people in the city while most of the media world was still catching up.
Saturdays represent another area where Joe Thomas pushed against convention. Most national shows treat the weekend as downtime. He rejects that entirely.
“The listener isn’t working Monday through Friday 9 to 5 anymore,” he shared. “The demographics have changed. Most people, if they don’t have a 5 day a week job, they have a 6 day a week job, or they’re doing a gig job. It’s not ‘hey, I’ve got the weekend off.’ They’re either working their second job, or their first job is a flex job that maybe goes Tuesday through Saturday. Saturdays are so much more of a regular work day for so many people — why would I skip that?”
Away from the microphone, Thomas is navigating the realities of station ownership at WTON in Staunton, Virginia. Challenges have come fast. WTON lost its transmitter tower lease — a blow Thomas calls typically fatal for AM operations. Through relationships built over 17 years in central Virginia, he found a path through it. He expects the station back at full strength soon. Still, the experience clarified something bigger about the state of the industry.
“These big national corporations are struggling with the debt they owe to Wall Street and they can’t focus on their number one customer, which is the listener,” the WTON owner said. “They’re too busy worrying about the customer on Wall Street. Each one’s 6%, 9% down — and it’s great opportunities for guys like me to be individual ownerships.”
Thomas also keeps a sharp eye on how competitors handle their stumbles. Rather than celebrating when a rival struggles, he sees it as a collective loss.
“There are lots of people who celebrate when one of our competitors does something wrong or gets in trouble. I hate that because it makes us all look bad,” Thomas concluded. “That’s either a listener or a client that says, ‘I don’t like radio anymore.’ I want us all to be successful so that we all have to just chase the best.”
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When Lester Holt announced he’d be stepping away from the anchor desk, the conventional wisdom was obvious: NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas would take a ratings hit. Lose the face of your franchise — someone widely regarded as one of the most trusted voices in broadcast news — and viewers are bound to follow him out the door. That’s just how it works, right? Except it hasn’t worked that way at all.
Tom Llamas has quietly steadied the ship. More than that, he’s actually helped close a gap that’s been widening for years.
Sure, most of the recent industry conversation has centered on the CBS Evening News. That’s understandable. The changes being implemented there under Bari Weiss carry a certain magnetism for media watchers. Every move generates headlines, and those headlines generate more conversation. It’s a cycle that feeds itself. But while everyone’s watching CBS stumble through its identity crisis, NBC’s been doing something worth noticing.
NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas still trails ABC’s World News Tonight in overall viewership. That’s not a secret. However, the gap in the Adults 25-54 demographic — the one advertisers actually care most about — has shrunk considerably. In the first quarter of 2025, NBC posted its closest margin to ABC in that demo in 25 quarters. You’d have to go all the way back to the final three months of 2019 to find a comparable showing. That’s not a fluke. It’s a trend.
The numbers back it up further. NBC averaged more than a million viewers in the 25-54 demo during Q1. That’s nearly double what CBS drew in the same category. And it puts Llamas right on ABC’s heels. For a newscast that was supposedly vulnerable after its anchor transition, that’s a remarkable position to be in.
Now, some will argue that total viewers are the only number that matters. There’s merit to that argument — overall ratings remain the broadest measure of a broadcast’s reach. It’s the way we judge every show, right, wrong, or indifferent.
But advertisers don’t just buy eyeballs. They buy the right eyeballs. Adults 25-54 represents prime spending years, and brands pay a premium to reach them. NBC News coming close to winning that demographic is enormously valuable. It’s the prize many advertisers are actually chasing.
There’s also a bigger strategic picture here that’s easy to miss. Each evening newscast isn’t just competing for nightly ratings — it’s functioning as a gateway drug for its parent network’s entire ecosystem. NBC wants you watching Tom Llamas at 6:30. Then maybe you stick around for primetime. Then The Tonight Show keeps you up a little later, which means your TV’s already tuned to NBC when you wake up. So you catch the Today show over your morning coffee. One touchpoint leads to the next. Before long, you’re a loyal NBC viewer across the board — and maybe even a Peacock subscriber or a regular on the NBC News NOW streaming channel.
That’s not an accident. It’s a now-tried-and-true strategy. I’ve been a long opponent of the term “ecosystem” being so prevalently used in our business. It sounds ridiculous, in my view. But, the more I think about it, the more it’s true. Especially in today’s TV realm. There are now legitimate ecosystems in television. And the nightly newscast is the foundation. If that foundation is cracking, everything built on top of it wobbles. But if it’s holding firm — if it’s actually gaining ground — then the whole structure benefits.
Llamas has done more than hold the fort following Holt’s departure. He’s rebuilt some credibility in a category the network hadn’t owned in years. The overall ratings race with ABC isn’t even close to over — and it may not be for a while. And I wouldn’t expect NBC Nightly News to overtake David Muir and ABC News’ World News Tonight in the overall ratings anytime soon.
But NBC’s closing argument in the demo battle is getting harder to dismiss. The quiet story of this ratings season isn’t what’s happening at CBS. It’s what’s happening at 30 Rockefeller Plaza every weeknight at 6:30.
Don’t sleep on it.
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