Sinclair Broadcast Group is eyeing another major expansion in local television, revealing that it is actively pursuing a deal to acquire E.W. Scripps. The company disclosed the effort in an SEC filing, confirming it has accumulated more than 8 percent of Scripps’ stock in recent weeks as part of a broader strategy to accelerate consolidation across the sector.
According to the filing, Sinclair’s board, management team, and outside advisors have held discussions with Scripps for months. The broadcaster estimated its offer would be valued at roughly three times the recent trading price of Scripps stock. Even so, the documents leave unclear whether Scripps is engaging meaningfully with the proposal.
Scripps executives are slated to outline company priorities Tuesday during the Wells Fargo TMT Summit. A presentation that could shed light on how receptive the leadership team is to Sinclair’s approach. For now, both sides remain tight-lipped publicly. Though Sinclair’s filing underscores its belief that the current economics of local broadcasting demand bigger players with broader reach.
“Recent industry consolidation and intensifying competition reinforce the Reporting Person’s view that further scale in the broadcast television industry is essential,” the filing wrote.
It added that a merger could help local broadcasters counter growing pressure from tech giants, major media conglomerates, and station groups that already benefit from national footprints and vertical integration. Sinclair also argued that increased scale would help safeguard the industry’s long-standing commitment to producing local news and public-service programming.
The potential merger would follow a year marked by aggressive acquisition activity. Earlier in 2025, Nexstar struck a $6.2 billion agreement to acquire TEGNA. A move that, if approved, would make Nexstar the country’s largest owner of local TV stations. Sinclair launched its own strategic review around the same time, signaling that more significant changes could be coming.
For Sinclair, which already operates roughly 185 local TV stations, acquiring Scripps’ portfolio of about 61 stations would dramatically expand its national footprint and strengthen its leverage in future negotiations.
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The Library of American Broadcasting Foundation honored its 2025 Giants of Broadcasting & Electric Arts honorees on Friday with its annual luncheon and awards ceremony.
2018 honoree and 60 Minutes correspondent Bill Whitaker served as the emcee for the event.
“The Giants of Broadcasting & Electronic Arts Awards are a true celebration of the visionaries and innovators whose work continues to shape the future of our industry,” said Beasley Media Group Chief Communications Officer Heidi Raphael and longtime D.C.-based communications attorney Jack Goodman, Co-Chairs of the Library of American Broadcasting Foundation.
“This year’s honorees embody excellence, creativity, and perseverance,” the statement continued. “Their achievements stand as an enduring reminder of the power of broadcasting to inform, entertain, and inspire generations.”
The awards presentation celebrates the remarkable creators, innovators, leaders, performers, and journalists who have blazed trails in the radio and television broadcasting industry.
L to R: Giants Gary Sandy, Peter Alexander, David Muir, Lesley Visser, Rick Dees, Lynn Beall, John Fiore, Jr. and Dick Ferguson
The 2025 Giants of Broadcasting & Electronic Arts honorees include:
DAVID MUIR Anchor and Managing Editor ABC World News Tonight with David Muir, Co-Anchor of ABC’s 2020
LYNN BEALL Visionary Strategist and Innovator, Retired Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Media Operations TEGNA Inc.
RICK DEES Legendary Radio Icon, Entertainer and Entrepreneur
JOHN FEORE JR. Esteemed Communications Attorney and Trusted Advisor
DICK FERGUSON Distinguished Radio Executive and Retired EVP, Cox Radio Group
NBC Celebrating 100 years in Broadcasting – award accepted by Chief White House Correspondent and co-anchor of “Weekend Today”, Peter Alexander
GARY SANDY Acclaimed Stage, Screen and Television Icon Beloved for his role as “Andy Travis” on WKRP in Cincinnati
LESLEY VISSER Trailblazing Hall of Fame Sportscaster First Woman Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Additionally, the 2025 LABF Excellence in Preservation Award was presented to ABC News’ Steven Portnoy.
The organization also announced its 2026 Board of Directors. Serving as co-chairs of the organization are Deborah Parenti and Dave “Chachi” Denes. They will succeed Raphael and Goodman, who will complete their five-year commitments.
“Serving as Co-Chairs of the Library of American Broadcasting Foundation has been an incredible honor, and we are proud to pass the torch to Deborah and Chachi,” said outgoing Co-Chairs Heidi Raphael and Jack Goodman. “Their passion, leadership, and creativity will ensure the LABF continues to preserve and celebrate our industry’s rich history while inspiring future generations. We know their dedication will strengthen the Foundation’s mission to honor broadcasting’s legacy and advance its future.”
Parenti and Denes both joined the LABF board in 2021.
Hope Media Group President Tim Dukes and Entravision President/CEO Jeff Liberman were selected to the board.
Meanwhile, Hubbard Radio Chair and CEO Ginny Hubbard is set to transition from the Executive Committee, while Emmis CEO Jeff Smulyan and BMI VP of Industry Relations and Licensing Dan Spears are concluding their terms.
LABF Executive Committee members elected to additional two-year terms include Heather Birks, Harry Jessell, Jim Morley, Heidi Raphael, Joyce Tudryn and Dennis Wharton. In addition, retired Katz Television President Leo MacCourtney has been elected to serve as Treasurer of the organization.
The following LABF Board members were elected to new three-year terms include Sally Brown, April Carty-Sipp, John Dille, Jack Goodman, Patricia Smullin and John Taylor.
Other current board members include Sam Bush, Pierre Bouvard, Sally Brown, Mike Carter, Gary Chapman, Chandra Clark, Heather Cohen, Tony Coles, Dr. Mike Conway, John Dille, Erica Farber, Dr. Caroline Frick, Kathleen Kirby, David Kennedy, Dr. Judy Kuriansky, Leo MacCourtney, Jim Morley, Ernesto Mourelo, Brian Phillips, Mike McVay, Walter Podrazik and Julie Talbott.
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It came like Paul Revere and his midnight ride in 1775, alerting nearby minutemen of the approach of British troops prior to the battles of Lexington and Concord. On Friday night, social media, sports fans, and media trade sites alike were all in celebration. The Walt Disney Company, who owns ESPN, ongoing carriage dispute with Google was over. No presidential address, no breaking news sounder on CNN. Just a series of tweets and statements bringing the two-week standoff to an end.
Football fans rejoice! You were able to watch college football this weekend and Monday Night Football later this evening.
This wasn’t a typical carriage dispute. There was no extension of talks, no quick resolution with an approaching deadline. The situation became a 15-day battle of public statements, misguided criticism, and sports fans caught in the middle of it. Was there anything to learn from this dispute that ESPN and other sports networks can change their approach next time? Because there will be a next time.
There are three lessons that ESPN should learn from, and other networks should take notice of for their next upcoming carriage battle.
The first lesson to learn from is protecting your talent. The cringeworthy and forced propaganda that ESPN placed upon some of their top talent led to immediate backlash and criticism of the network and the talent involved. Of course, talent wants to be team players for the networks that enrich them so handsomely. However, posting the messaging puts a face on the dispute that has no true involvement in the first place.
Did KeepMyNetworks.com really do anything to speed up the talks between Disney and Google? Maybe it did, but I also have a horse to sell you if you believe that.
Sports fans were upset that they couldn’t watch sports. ESPN fans were upset that they couldn’t enjoy their favorite personalities. Placing your talent on the front line of the dispute was a massive miss. No face should be put on messaging unless it serves the greater good of the consumer you serve. This carriage dispute doesn’t benefit anyone except ESPN and YouTube. The fans lose either way.
Control The Message
The second lesson to learn is controlling the message, at least better than this last attempt. ESPN has placed itself in the position it’s in by arranging content deals with talent on licensing deals. Pat McAfee, Rich Eisen, Omaha Productions alike. These are not “ESPN talent,” and the network has little to no control over the direction of their content because of the licensing deals themselves.
McAfee is a loose cannon. It’s what built his empire and has enriched his attachment to his audience over the years. His comments on the carriage dispute should have never made it to air. Criticizing the network for forcing talent to push the propaganda they did on social media—does that help the network, the messaging, or the public perception of the dispute itself?
Last week, Bob Iger decided to make an appearance on The ManningCast. The Walt Disney Company CEO, who is stepping away in spring of 2026, spent nine minutes and a commercial break saying nothing of the ongoing dispute that his company is part of. Many criticized the Mannings for not asking a single question, which I felt was misguided.
It was more about optics. The Disney CEO appeared on a broadcast that those affected by the carriage dispute couldn’t even watch themselves. Why apologize or update an audience that couldn’t see or hear you in the first place?
The segment was fully scripted, uncomfortable, and simply lacked any kind of substance. At least now I know Iger is a big Green Bay Packers fan. He was wearing a Packers windbreaker!
Between saying nothing and saying too much, there are lessons to be learned in that for ESPN and other networks moving forward.
The third is empathy. ESPN introduced a new direct-to-consumer platform earlier this year. It wasn’t rolled out specifically for instances like this past carriage dispute, but it is a way to introduce the YouTube TV audience to your product.
Why not allow full free access to YouTube TV customers while the battle rages on?
Unfortunately because of agreements with other distribution partners, ESPN couldn’t put everything out on their own DTC for free. The network was able to find a way and did take a step toward in that direction with College GameDay the past three weekends, streaming the show on the ESPN DTC and Pat McAfee’s Twitter account.
However, could the network have crafted agreements for situations like the one with YouTube TV? Maybe. If it hasn’t been thought about till now, why not? This isn’t the first, and certainly won’t be the last time a carriage dispute will happen with networks and distributors even if the programming owned by ESPN.
Regarding the ESPN DTC, the network stated at the launch of the new DTC product that the goal is not to force people to cut the cord to gain access to ESPN. In this case, a dispute with YouTube TV had the cord cut for them, even if it was temporary. There were no guarantees that the ESPN Unlimited package would be available for YouTube TV customers as part of any agreement.
Simply put, there was no better opportunity to show empathy for the ESPN/YouTube TV consumer while the carriage battle raged on than the last two weeks. Even on a trial basis or a reduced fee in the temporary, it would have given customers what they wanted and calmed outrage while the two sides continued their talks. Plus, you never know how many free trials could have turned into subscribers of their own.
The Consumer Is Stuck
There’s no escape. Watching sports will continue to get more difficult and more expensive for the sports fan. It’s a harsh reality to admit, but there’s no denying it. The days of turning on a game without wondering where the broadcast is and how much more it will cost you to watch are dead and gone.
With every dispute—which YouTube TV this year has had with Paramount, Skydance, Fox, and now Disney—comes lessons to learn from. No one wants what happened the past two weeks to happen. The customer always loses, while the networks and distributors win.
These disputes aren’t going away—if anything, they’re becoming part of the modern sports-watching experience. But they don’t have to be this chaotic or this damaging. ESPN and every network in the ecosystem can learn from the past two weeks: don’t weaponize your talent, don’t lose control of your own megaphone, and don’t forget who all of this is supposed to be for.
Fans may have won the right to watch this weekend’s games, but they’re still losing the larger war. Until these companies finally prioritize the people footing the bill, we’ll all be stuck in this cycle, waiting for the next midnight ride.
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Ross Kaminsky thought he had the best talk radio job in the Rocky Mountains when he was hosting middays at 850 KOA.
The only thing that could have made it better, from where he sat, was moving the show to morning drive.
Well, that wasn’t ever likely to happen. The heritage news/talk brand in the Colorado capital has long featured an all-news block in the daypart, before giving way to local news/talk and sports shows, and that wasn’t likely to change anytime soon.
Until it did.
As part of widespread layoffs at iHeartMedia last month, former morning show co-host Marty Lenz exited. In his place, the station moved Ross Kaminsky from middays to morning drive to host a more opinion-driven program than previously occupied the window.
Kaminsky said he’s relishing the opportunity to help the station make that change.
“Listeners want to hear a little bit more analysis and commentary along with their news,” he shared. “I love the idea of being the guy to bring that kind of a show to people in the morning on KOA.”
When asked what his reaction was to being presented that opportunity, he had a simple answer: “LFG.”
For the uninitiated, the acronym stands for “Let’s”, a word that uses similar letters to the word “firetrucking”, and “go.”
“I said it in that meeting. I didn’t have to wait and think about it overnight or anything like that,” Kaminsky admitted. “They said ‘We’re thinking about this, would like you to do it?’ I asked a couple questions, and then said ‘LFG.'”
Moving from any daypart to morning drive can be a challenge personally as much as it is professionally. But Ross Kaminsky had a leg up in the potentially most challenging aspect of the change.
“For some reason that I do not fully understand, I was already waking up at 4:30 or 4:45 in the morning. I cannot explain it,” said Kaminsky. “Maybe it’s just getting old. That’s the question I get the most from people who hear about the changes: ‘Oh you must hate having to get up so much earlier.’ And the answer is no, I’m not getting up any earlier at all. I don’t even set an alarm. I got up at 3:50 today — which does not please me — without an alarm.”
He joked that he will need to investigate a new hobby, because the new schedule gives him more time to himself in the middle of the day, meaning “it would annoy my wife when I’m home so much.”
The changes at 850 KOA are obviously dramatic. While Lenz’s co-host Jeana Gondek has stayed in the daypart to deliver news updates every 15 minutes, in addition to an hour-long newsblock at 5 AM, the focus has gone from a strict news presentation to that of Ross Kaminsky giving his opinion and analysis of the news. It’s definitely a different show than what’s aired in the window for decades.
And while change is always difficult, it’s something he’s embraced.
“I think it’s incredibly exciting,” he shared. “Of all the people who are impacted by the change, it probably affects me the least, in the sense that I was already doing a talk show on the same station.”
He called having a co-host in Gondek an “interesting new dynamic for me” after having previously hosted middays solo.
“I love having her there. I’m very excited to be working with Jeana. I think talk radio can almost always benefit from having a younger female voice, and I think it’s a massive positive for the show,” he added.
Kaminsky has a week under his belt in the new role, and — aptly, as the station serves as the radio flagship home of the NFL’s Denver Broncos and MLB’s Colorado Rockies — used a sports analogy to define how he’s looking at the new endeavor and improving at his craft.
“If I were a professional baseball player, I feel like the work I’m doing now — working with my fantastic program director, Dave Tepper — would be like a hitting coach giving me advice on small changes to make in my stance or how I hold my wrists, rather than saying ‘You have to change everything you’ve been doing,'” Kaminsky said.
“And part of the thought process for putting me in this position is that whoever makes these decisions believes that my show, as it was, is a very good foundation upon which to build this show. We just make those changes that are needed to make sure we’re doing the right things for the morning drive audience.”
Ross Kaminsky on the News with Jeana Gondek airs on 850 KOA from 6-10 AM.
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Nineties nostalgia is not a bad thing according to Emerson Hart, lead singer of 90’s multi million selling, Grammy nominated rock band Tonic. Hart still tours with Tonic, but on November 20th he’ll be a part of another project, Ezra Ray Hart – “90’s Hits and Christmas Riffs”. The project includes Kevin Griffin from Better Than Ezra, and Mark McGrath from Sugar Ray.
The awesome Mr. Hart, whose Tonic catalog includes 90’s classics, “Open Up Your Eyes”, “Casual Affair”, “You Wanted More” and the most played song of 1997 “If You Could Only See” is teaming up with his pals for a unique holiday tour. It’s the debut headline run with inaugural holiday party: NEVER ENDING ‘90s PRESENTS: EZRA RAY HART 90s HITS & XMAS RIFFS tour.
Get ready for this supergroup to deliver classics from their respective catalogs and unwrap holiday staples with their own spin. I recently caught up with Emerson, a New Jersey brother for my Carr Stereo podcast. We discussed the tour, the 90’s and why Tonic’s 1996 release “Lemon Parade” is a special record that feels more respected now for its musicianship and songwriting than it was when it was released.
A Conversation with Emerson Hart
TC: There was a very special feel about Lemon Parade. It was one of the finest (at least for me) records of that decade. Did you feel how special that record was when you were making it?
EH: Not making it, no. I feel like I was telling the stories, and writing the stories that I had lived through, because I’m that kind of writer. I can’t really make stuff up that hasn’t happened to me. I’ve got to write what I have lived through. I didn’t realize it until much later that I was a part of something that was really, really cool. I enjoyed the experience, it was beautiful, but when you are making your first record, you’re so scared.
TC: You were a baby!
EH: I was a baby. All of a sudden you have a bunch of hits and you’re thrown into this river that you aren’t used to swimming in. I mean I grew up in Atlantic Highlands New Jersey. The biggest thing that would happen would be running into Bruce (Springsteen) at the store!
Now I understand how important that record was to people. We were definitely one of the faceless bands of the 90’s of which there were a few that people didn’t know. In a way that’s good, because we sold millions of records, but I was able to keep my life without it being destroyed with fame.
TC: The 90’s were a tough time. Look how many people didn’t make it out alive.
EH: I know. We were talking about Scott (Weiland) the other day. What a talent. We were making our first record when they were making their second record and we were rehearsing next to each other in L.A.. We were listening to them fire up “Vasoline”, recording in that studio and watching Scott work. He was such a force. We did a lot of shows with them. I’m still close with Robert and Dean, two great human beings who are also Jersey boys.
But the party habit outweighed the thing and I think it was Tony Bennett who said “Don’t Cheat On Your Gift.” You have to take care of yourself in order to still do what we do. I’m not saying I didn’t put my time in as a rockstar during that period, but I somehow survived. For that I’m grateful. Not to keep bringing up Jersey, but a lot of that was just the way I grew up.
TC: I’m so happy that you made it out and I think there’s a greater appreciation for these songs now.
EH: I think so. Watching people appreciate that time in life, I know people get weird about the word nostalgia, but it’s not weird. It’s so great. It was such a great time for music.
TC: I’m coming to the Jersey show on Wednesday December 3rd. Talk to me about what I’m going to hear holiday wise.
EH: You’re gonna hear classics, and a holiday tune from Band of MerryMakers (with McGrath, and Griffin). You’ll hear some surprises too. You might hear a 1970’s Christmas song that I might be doing that is pretty hearty, a bit of a steep mountain to climb. I won’t give it away, but you can’t have the 90’s without the 70’s and the 80’s.
You’re going to hear some great holiday songs, most are classics. You will feel it and say “Wow, that was an interesting choice”, and “why do I feel so great listening to it”?
That’s what it’s going to be like.
This is going to be a fun show to get you in the spirit as we plunge head first into the holidays. It’s the perfect songbook as we look back on the nostalgic 90’s. Grab your tickets via Ticketmaster for one of the 20 dates. The full tour schedule is listed below.
NOVEMBER 20 – Pittsburgh, PA – Rivers Casino 21 – Norfolk, VA – Harrison Opera House 22 – Warren, OH – Packard Music Hall 23 – TBA 25 – Nashville, TN – Brooklyn Bowl 29 – Sarasota, FL – Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall 30 – Orlando, FL – The Plaza Live
DECEMBER 3 – Englewood, NJ – Bergen Performing Arts Center 5 – Philadelphia, PA – Rivers Casino 6 – Mashantucket, CT – Foxwoods Resort Casino 7 – Westbury, NY – Flagstar at Westbury Music Fair 9 – TBA 10 – Chesterfield, MO – The Factory STL 12 – Grand Prairie, TX – Texas Trust CU Theatre 13 – Sugar Land, TX – Smart Financial Centre 14 – San Antonio, TX – Majestic Theatre 16 – Tempe, AZ – Marquee Theatre 18 – Rancho Mirage, CA – Agua Caliente Casino 19 – Rohnert Park, CA – Graton Resort & Casino 20 – Anaheim, CA – Grove of Anaheim
My full chat with Emerson Hart from Tonic and Ezra Ray Hart posts Tuesday 11/18. Just check out the Carr Stereo Podcast to hear it.
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There is a tendency for broadcasters involved with Classic Rock/Hits stations to experience a continual, low-level, fear about the future of the formats.
The concern, how long this music will continue to resonate with listeners, is valid but there are times I wonder if the issue doesn’t have more to do with the radio industry’s inferiority complex than with reality.
That’s because there continue to be instances all around us that illustrate how this body of music continues to drive fan engagement.
Take, for example, the record industry. They don’t seem concerned about the future of this music. In fact, according to a recent article in The Times, music nostalgia still accounts for a great deal of revenue for record labels, even in the era of streaming. According to writer Jessica Sharkey and Data Journalist George Willoughby, all the remasters and deluxe packages being released remain a steady source of income.
Some of the artists they reference in the article are outside the Classic Rock/Hits universe. Elvis Presley, for example, officially released twenty-four studio albums, but his full discography of releases is over 2,000 titles, including 16 reissues of live performances in Las Vegas. Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday, Johnny Cash, and The Beach Boys are the next five most repackaged artists but then it starts to get into Classic Rock territory.
The Beatles and the Rolling Stones each have over 350 different releases, and Bob Dylan has over three hundred. Elton John and David Bowie are over two hundred, and The Who and Queen are both over 150. Fleetwood Mac recorded 17 studio albums and has 26 Greatest Hits compilations on the market, with the one from 1988 titled “Greatest Hits” sitting at eight times platinum.
Pink Floyd, which currently has 94 different official releases, has a box set coming out on December 12th to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Wish You Were Here that includes six previously unreleased alternate versions and demos as well as a poem about the album written by England’s poet laureate, Simon Armitage, who happens to be a fan of the band.
I realize greatest hits packages and box sets aren’t exactly new concepts, but running across this article about how these efforts continue to generate big revenue got me thinking about several things:
Format Longevity: It surely appears that interest in these artists continues to be strong. People in top roles at record labels and marketing firms continue to use Classic Rock/Hits to drive revenue, so there must be an audience we can continue to draw listeners from.
Vinyl: This flurry of rereleases and box sets is being accelerated by the current nostalgia surrounding vinyl. The trend is still extremely hot and it’s not too late to build a feature on your station that capitalizes on radio’s longstanding relationship with actual, physical records.
Repackaging: Too often we fail to learn from these rereleases and fail to find ways to repackage core artists on our airwaves. It could be special features, weekend programs, online efforts, whatever it takes, we must follow the lead of the record industry and give our listeners unique insights and listening experiences around the artists they care about.
Giveaways: I know the labels are stingy when it comes to catalog artists, and many Classic Rock programmers don’t have the connections our Active Rock and Alternative counterparts do. But it’s still worth pursuing these rereleases and box sets as prizing that will appeal to your audience, especially at a time when interest remains high but disposable income for many remains low.
The continued interest in artists who make up the core of our formats is something we should not take for granted. We should work harder to fan the flames by giving our audience the benefit of our insights, resources, and connections. Remember, The Beatles Anthology 4 is coming out next week. It’ll be the 370th release based on their 13-album catalog.
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It could be worse. We’ve gone through the radio industry’s problems ad nauseam, and a lot of people have already declared radio dead, so it can seem like keeping the twitching corpse alive is a lost cause, pointless in a world of streaming and an essentially limitless choice of audio options. Is there anything to be gained by keeping the faith and looking for answers?
Maybe not, but it’s not like a dead business has never been successfully revived. Take brick-and-mortar bookstores. Dead, right? Tell that to Barnes & Noble, which not only survived Amazon and e-books, but is now expanding its retail presence and opening several new locations.
I dropped by one of the new locations in Delray Beach, and it was busy with customers and — this is probably the key — a lot smaller than the chain’s older stores. There’s no pseudo-Starbucks. There aren’t a lot of places to sit and read. They do carry all the usual categories and the non-book gift stuff, but less of it than a full-sized store. And it appears to be working.
How about restaurants? Chili’s was a declining brand mostly known for that baby back ribs jingle until the Triple Dipper appetizer combo went viral. A new CEO’s decision to emphasize seafood boils has apparently revived Red Lobster. It doesn’t always take much to change the public perception of your business.
This leaves one question on the table: Does anyone even WANT to revive broadcast radio? And another question: How the hell do you do that?
Reinvention takes a lot of creative thinking; to use a hoary cliché, it takes thinking outside the box. That is not something a business stripped of assets by private equity ownership does well.
If the owners look at the business as something to operate in a bare-bones manner before unloading it on another sucker, there won’t be any innovation. If they’re buying the business for the real estate, it’s over. And if they bought in thinking they could succeed where others had failed, there’s hope, because they wanted to be in the business in the first place.
Here’s one idea: Embrace the audience you have and forget trying to attract those who aren’t interested no matter what you do. Broadcast television has done that, and not just the traditionally senior-centric CBS; Weigel Broadcasting has done quite well with MeTV and its many offshoots, all using programming long discarded by other operators. There’s not a new medication in the formulary that isn’t incessantly advertised on MeTV. You can’t even tell what diseases the drugs are for. You also can’t avoid Medicare Advantage commercials on those channels; even if they’re all per-inquiry, that’s a decent amount of revenue.
It may not be a long-term answer, since once the seniors die off, the younger demos aren’t using radio, but it’ll buy some time. Maybe those dead-in-the-water formats discarded because the demos were too old for agency business have some life in them after all.
Or, oh, I don’t know, national formats — not voice tracking or pretending to be local, but actual same-wherever-you-are networks, like they have in most other countries. Maybe car radios can have DVR capabilities so drivers can rewind and start a show from the beginning — streaming makes this technically feasible already. Maybe offer alternate broadcasts of sporting events on multiple channels, like ESPN does with the Manningcast. Maybe just use the bandwidth for data. Anything is possible.
Maybe all those ideas are lame and wouldn’t work. They probably wouldn’t work. But the collective brain power of the people remaining in the radio business can surely come up with ideas that would catch the public’s attention and make money, right? (Don’t answer that.)
Offer something others don’t, offer something of perceived value, and you might be able to resurrect the medium. In case you haven’t noticed, the patient is heading towards flatlining. The time to start emergency measures is here.
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When MSNBC rolled out its new MS NOW branding, it became clear very quickly that the network did not stick the landing.
MSNBC was forced to modernize its identity, and is now positioning MS NOW as a news product built for a faster, digital-first audience. Yet the execution feels scattered. It’s as if the network grabbed a new name, slapped it on every surface it could find, and hoped people wouldn’t look too closely at the details.
But the details matter. They always matter.
Let’s start with the basics. MS NOW doesn’t have control of the @MSNOW handle on X or Instagram. Instead, it’s forced to use @MSNOWNews. Those platforms remain some of the most important places to establish a clean, unified digital identity, especially when you’re launching a brand spanking new moniker.
If you can’t secure the most obvious handle, you’re already playing from behind. Meanwhile, the network does own MS NOW on Facebook and TikTok, which is great. But the inconsistency across platforms undercuts the credibility they’re trying to build. A brand that wants to feel sharp and coordinated shouldn’t need a flowchart to explain where to find it online.
Then there’s the website. MSNOW.com? Taken. So the network is using MS.now instead. It’s clever on paper, and I’ll even grant them that it looks sleek. But the average user doesn’t care about aesthetic cleverness. They care about something familiar, reliable, and easy to understand. MS.now doesn’t communicate that, it isn’t natural, and the likelihood that it takes hold with viewers and news consumers immediately doesn’t feel strong. It gives off the vibe of a company picking through the bargain bin of domains after arriving late to the party.
And maybe that’s the core issue. Whether MSNBC anticipated this rebrand or not, the final product makes it look like the network didn’t have its ducks in a row. That impression carries weight. I know it’s anecdotal, but I’m someone who tries not to give money to any business using “LLC” in its web domain, email, or social tags. If you can’t present yourself as polished and legitimate, I’m already questioning the operation behind the curtain. It’s unfair at times, but branding is perception, and perception is reality.
So imagine telling audiences, “Follow us at MS NOW News on X and Instagram, but just MS NOW on Facebook and TikTok, and online MS.now.” It feels disjointed, it feels messy, it feels like someone rushed to glue together whatever pieces they could find because the project was due on Saturday, November 15th, and by god, we’re going to turn something into the teacher.
That approach might be understandable behind the scenes, but it’s not something you want viewers to sense.
Yes, we’ve heard the explanations. By all accounts, MSNBC was thrust into a new brand without much warning. But that isn’t an excuse. Not for a major national news outlet. Not for a network with the resources to do better. The rollout is the rollout. And these are, very simply, blunders.
That’s not to say the MS NOW brand is doomed. Far from it. The name is strong, in spite of the clunky acronym explanation of “My Source for News, Opinion, and the World.” The network’s digital ambitions are valid. And its talent roster gives the brand more credibility than the launch suggests. But first impressions matter, especially in a media environment where attention spans are short and loyalty is fragile. When people see inconsistency, they sense chaos. When they sense chaos, they scroll.
Still, the rebrand is done. Complaining won’t fix the decisions already baked into the cake. It’s time for MS NOW to hit the ground running in spite of its missteps. Clean up what you can. Simplify what’s fixable. Make sure the content is strong enough that the branding confusion fades into background noise. Viewers will forgive a lot if the product delivers.
MS NOW can succeed. MSNBC can turn this into a win. But next time, the network needs to slow down, secure the essentials, and enter the fight with its gear in order. Because in 2025, nothing screams “we weren’t ready” louder than losing the handles you should have conceivably owned from day one.
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Former President Donald Trump isn’t losing sleep over Tucker Carlson’s latest headline-making interview — even if much of the Republican Party is. Speaking with reporters on Sunday in an interview that aired on Fox News, Trump waved off concerns surrounding Carlson’s recent sit-down with far-right provocateur Nick Fuentes.
Carlson’s conversation with Fuentes on his podcast has been a hot media topic. Tucker’s decision to raise Fuentes’ profile has created a rift inside the conservative movement.
The President however is not piling on.
Donald Trump instead defended Carlson, noting that Carlson has spoken well of him over the years. When asked whether Carlson should have avoided interviewing Fuentes, Trump offered a familiar refrain: “You can’t tell him who to interview. If he wants to interview Nick Fuentes, I don’t know much about him, but if he wants to do it, get the word out, people have to decide.”
Fuentes quickly seized on the moment, thanking Trump online, amplifying the clip of the exchange. Inside the conservative media ecosystem, Carlson’s interview with Fuentes hasn’t just raised eyebrows, it has rattled institutions. The Heritage Foundation saw internal backlash after its president initially defended Carlson’s right to conduct the interview before later condemning Fuentes’ ideology outright.
Trump, meanwhile, positioned Carlson’s guest choice as part of the broader media landscape. “Meeting people, talking to people…that’s what they do,” he said. “People are controversial.” Then, with classic Trumpian flourish, he added, “I’m not controversial, so I like it that way.”
This isn’t the first time Trump’s proximity to Fuentes has caused political turbulence. The two crossed paths at a 2022 Mar-a-Lago dinner with Kanye West, now referred to as Ye. That situation prompted condemnation from GOP leaders, including former Vice President Mike Pence.
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In a major turnaround for streaming viewers, The Walt Disney Company and YouTube TV have reached a new multi-year carriage agreement, officially ending a nearly two-week blackout of Disney-owned channels on the platform.
The standoff, which began on October 30, had removed flagship networks like ESPN and ABC — along with channels such as FX, Freeform and National Geographic — from YouTube TV’s roughly 10 million subscribers.
The dispute centered on distribution fees, with Disney insisting on higher rates for its content and YouTube TV pushing back over the potential cost burden for its customers.
Under the new deal, Disney’s full suite of networks will be restored on YouTube TV “within the next 24 hours,” according to the statement, and select services — including extended access to ESPN’s content — are slated to be included in the base plan through 2026. Both companies emphasized that the agreement reflects evolving viewer habits and commitments to flexibility and value.
The restoration comes in time for a heavy weekend of college football programming and offers relief to the many sports fans who had been affected. Analysts note this blackout was one of the longest for a major U.S. network distributor dispute in recent years, underscoring the high stakes in the evolving streaming ecosystem.
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