103.1 The Wolf is adding New York-based DJ and producer Deerock to its weekend lineup. The station will air Club Rodeo Country Takeover on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings.
What We Know: The show will air Fridays at 5 PM with 103.1 The Wolf Program Director Robby Bridges, giving listeners a high-energy start to the weekend. Additionally, Club Rodeo Country Takeover will air Saturdays at midnight. Deerock brings an extensive music catalog to the station, with more than 230 million streams across his original releases, mashups, and remixes. The New York-based DJ and producer specializes in high-energy mixes, adding a dance-oriented approach to the station’s country programming.
What They Said: “Deerock is one of the New York area’s best mixers who loves, understands, and specializes in high-energy country mixes. We’re pumped to kick up the fun on weekends by adding him to our roster!” -103.1 The Wolf Program Director Robby Bridges
“I’m excited to bring my passion for music to The Wolf and help bring music to the masses!” -Deerock
What Remains Unclear: The station hasn’t disclosed whether the addition will lead to further changes to its weekend schedule. It also hasn’t detailed whether the show will feature additional elements beyond Deerock’s mixes.
What It Means: Adding Deerock gives 103.1 The Wolf a new way to engage country listeners outside its weekday programming. His streaming reach also brings an established digital audience to the station’s weekend lineup. With Club Rodeo Country Takeover airing twice each weekend, the station is positioning the program as a recurring destination for listeners seeking energetic country mixes.
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ESPN has launched ESPN JV, a new YouTube channel built for kids. The family-friendly brand aims to turn young viewers into lifelong sports fans.
What We Know: ESPN JV is live now on YouTube. The channel uses original videos, interactive challenges and athlete-driven stories to cover basketball, football, soccer, baseball and tennis. Its lineup also includes The Sports Explorers, an animated series starring Ez, Shay, PJ and Nora. ESPN Creative Studio created the characters, and the network developed the series alongside WSC Sports.
What They Said: Celia Bouza, VP Multi-Platform Video: “ESPN JV is about creating an exciting entry point into sports for the next generation of fans. By combining ESPN’s connection to the biggest moments and personalities in sports with creative, interactive storytelling, we’re building a destination where kids can explore their interests, discover new sports and develop a lifelong love of the game.”
What Remains Unclear: ESPN did not say how often new videos will drop. The release also skips whether ESPN JV will appear on YouTube Kids. Finally, the network has not named which athletes will appear on the channel.
What It Means: Ultimately, ESPN JV gives the network a direct line to fans before their viewing habits set in. Moreover, YouTube is already a go-to platform for kids watching video. As a result, ESPN can build loyalty early rather than chase it later. That long-term play could pay off as these viewers grow into the core sports audience.
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Netflix is laying off around 1,000 employees, marking the streaming giant’s biggest workforce reduction to date. The cuts affect approximately 6% of its workforce as the company reassesses its staffing priorities.
What We Know: The layoffs primarily affect Netflix’s product, technology, and legal and human resources departments. The Wall Street Journal first reported the cuts, which represent a significant reduction for the streaming company. The move comes as Netflix continues to navigate a competitive entertainment landscape and balance its investments across its business.
What They Said: “Our mission — to entertain the world — is ambitious, and delivering on it requires us to be disciplined about where we prioritize our people and resources.” -Co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters
What Remains Unclear: Netflix hasn’t publicly detailed the full scope of the affected positions, including how the reductions will break down across individual departments. It also remains unclear whether additional layoffs could follow or how the cuts will affect the company’s product development and technology plans.
What It Means: The workforce reduction signals that Netflix is willing to make substantial staffing changes as it evaluates where to direct resources. Although the company remains a major player in streaming, the cuts could reflect a broader effort to streamline operations and prioritize investments. However, the long-term effects on its content strategy, technology development, and employee workload remain uncertain.
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Rachel Nichols is adding a daily show to her already busy plate. The Story with Rachel Nichols debuts Monday on Sports Illustrated’s FAST channel, SI TV.
What We Know: According to Variety, The show streams weekdays at 9 a.m. and reruns several times throughout the day. It will also appear on SI.com and SI’s YouTube channel. Additionally, Nichols keeps co-hosting SI’s Open Floor podcast with senior writer Chris Mannix. She also remains a host and analyst at FOX Sports and a host at Monumental Sports Network.
What They Said: Rachel Nichols: “When I cover sports, it hasn’t just been an X’s and O’s kind of things. There are a lot of societal issues and a lot of big picture things. And even within a game, there are heroes and there are villains, and there’s conflict. It’s not just about one basket. What I’m really looking forward to in this show is to be able to say here are some quick hits about what stories are about over a variety of sports.”
Rachel Nichols: “People are into more sports, a wider variety of sports. Even people who weren’t sports fans now have some hook into it, you know? I think that sports is sort of the big tent we all have left.”
What Remains Unclear: It remains unknown if any additional co-hosts will be added to the new program’s rotation. Also, any additional details of how the new show impacts at all her work with FOX Sports or MSN remains unknown.
What It Means: Ultimately, SI is betting on the right niche rather than mass scale. Moreover, SI TV already blends live events, original shows and archive material. Nichols gives that lineup a familiar face with experience covering a range of sports during her tenure at ESPN, FOX Sports, MSN and now with SI. As a result, the show becomes a key test of SI’s video ambitions.
Rachel Nichols will lead 'The Story,' a new weekday program from Sports Illustrated, fueling the outlet's video ambitions and adding to her portfolio of sports-journalism gigs https://t.co/rRxpBoNH2w
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New York Public Radio (NYPR) CEO Christy Tanner is leaving after eight months. The board announced the move Tuesday in a press release. Meanwhile, a search for her permanent successor will begin. Interim leaders will guide the station in the meantime.
What We Know: Tanner joined NYPR in February. Before that, she led TV Guide Digital and served as executive VP and GM of CBS News Digital. In August, she told Current she saw growth opportunities locally, nationally, and globally at the station. Now, a temporary office of the CEO, made up of Gary Knell, Jenna Weiss-Berman and LaFontaine Oliver, will take over.
What They Said: “The Board of Trustees thanks Christy for her contributions to NYPR and wishes her well.” -NYPR Board of Trustees statement
“We’re grateful to Jenna, Gary, and LaFontaine for taking this on. Together, they bring decades of experience in public media, journalism, and management, and deep knowledge of NYPR.” -NYPR Board Chair John Rose
“I am looking forward to sharing what’s next for me soon.” -Christy Tanner
What Remains Unclear: The station did not say why Tanner is leaving. Likewise, it did not say whether the decision was hers. Meanwhile, the release offers no timeline for naming a permanent leader, only a promise of a thoughtful search. The temporary leadership team and the incoming CEO will have to decide whether to maintain Tanner’s shift or re-evaluate NYPR’s digital product roadmap as well.
What It Means: Tanner’s rapid departure marks yet another leadership disruption, leaving NYPR searching for its fifth non-interim CEO since 2019. The high executive turnover makes long-term strategic execution difficult for the nation’s largest public radio station. NYPR is facing significant financial headwinds, including a reported $9.3 million budget deficit.
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iHeartRadio ALTer EGO is back. The 10th annual show lands Saturday, January 16, at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, CA.
What We Know: iHeartMedia’s ALT 98.7 in Los Angeles revealed the lineup on The Woody Show. Evanescence, The Offspring, Death Cab for Cutie, and Modest Mouse are among artists performing. In addition, Billy Corgan will give a special performance. Additionally, The entire show will stream live nationwide on the iHeartRadio app and across over 80 iHeartRadio Alternative and Rock stations nationwide.
What They Said:Woody Fife, host of “The Woody Show”: “Don’t ask me how we keep coming up with these lineups year after year. That’s above my pay grade. Rest assured, despite the questionable hosting decision this is guaranteed to be a great night!”
ALT 98.7 Program Director Lisa Worden: “This year’s iHeartRadio ALTer EGO delivers a diverse lineup. Spanning all genres of Alternative and Rock music.”
What Remains Unclear: Organizers have not shared set times or ticket prices as of publishing. iHeartMedia has not announced an official video livestream partner (such as Hulu or YouTube).
What It Means: Alternative music often gets overlooked in favor of other genres like pop or country on mainstream charts. The show hitting its 10th anniversary proves that alternative rock maintains drawing power for live venues. The festival pairs Established headliners with breakout artists as well. This strategic mix allows programmers to introduce emerging bands to a built-in, arena-sized crowd.
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The Daily Wire has released the trailer for Confession, a film marking co-founder Ben Shapiro’s screenwriting debut. The movie stars James Franco and Rob Lowe, two prominent actors who have worked with the conservative media company.
What We Know: The trailer debuted Tuesday, offering a first look at the film set in Moscow in 1938. Lowe plays a man imprisoned for conspiring with his priest, while Franco portrays the character interrogating him. According to The Daily Wire, Lowe’s character is “Forced to the ultimate test of betrayal or conscience, and confronted with his past sins.” The company describes the movie as a “haunting tale of morality and resistance.”
Ben Shapiro has produced several other films through The Daily Wire, but Confession marks his first screenwriting credit. The film will debut at the Warsaw Film Festival on October 15th before opening in 100 theaters on November 11th. The Daily Wire will also make it available on its streaming platform that day.
What They Said: “It was a true honor to be able to work with a cast featuring Oscar, Emmy, and Golden Globe nominees, as well as one of the world’s great directors, to make Confession, an extraordinarily beautiful and honest film deeply rooted in faith, morality, virtue, hardship, and most of all, what it means to be a free and decent human being. I couldn’t be more proud of this project and can’t wait for the audience to see it.” -Ben Shapiro
What Remains Unclear: The Daily Wire hasn’t disclosed additional details about the film’s production budget, its wider theatrical rollout, or whether it plans to pursue further festival screenings after Warsaw.
What It Means: The project adds another feature film to The Daily Wire’s growing entertainment portfolio. By bringing Franco and Lowe together for Shapiro’s screenwriting debut, the company is continuing to expand beyond its core news and commentary programming into scripted entertainment.
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ESPN’s documentary surrounding the legacy of former college and professional head coach Nick Saban set a record for viewership in its debut on ESPN. Moreover, it is the network’s most-watched Original premiere since 2022.
What We Know: The six-part documentary’s premiere averaged 529K viewers on the network. In addition, supporting social content has generated 110M video views and 6.7M engagements since August. The network and Words + Pictures produced the series. All six episodes stream on the ESPN App, and episode two airs Thursday, October 15, at 6 p.m. ET. The early viewership figures mark SABAN as the third most-watched ESPN Original debut of all time.
What Remains Unclear: ESPN did not clarify how streaming factors into the viewership figure or provide a breakdown between cable broadcasts and digital platforms like the ESPN App, Disney+, and Hulu. The network also omitted which two original debuts rank ahead of SABAN.
What It Means: While ESPN is broadcasting the Saban episodes weekly on its traditional cable channel through November, the network made all six episodes immediately available on the ESPN App and via bundled platforms. This hybrid model satisfies both traditional appointment-television viewers and digital-first subscribers. Additionally, The project demonstrates that college sports figures carry mainstream appeal on par with professional sports icons, opening the door for similar deep dives.
ESPN’s ‘SABAN’ delivered most-watched Original debut since 2022! 🏈
📺 3rd most-watched ESPN Original debut EVER! 📱 110M video views across ESPN social platforms since August
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Gerry Callahan is pushing back against John Dennis’ claims that he, along with Kirk Minihane, attempted to remove him from their program. Callahan denies that he and Kirk Minihane tried to keep John Dennis off the air following a stint in rehab in 2016.
What We Know: Dennis and Callahan launched their WEEI morning show in 1997, and it ran for nearly two decades. However, Dennis recently told Glenn Ordway on The Big O Podcast that Minihane’s 2013 arrival changed everything. According to Dennis, Minihane and Callahan asked management whether he had to return from rehab. Ultimately, Dennis called his final year in 2016 “torture” and walked away despite a contract through 2017. Following Dennis’ comments, Callahan responded on “The Big O Podcast” with Glenn Ordway.
Gerry Callahan claims he never attempted to remove John Dennis from his radio program: “I never conspired to get Dino [John Dennis] kicked off the show. That never happened.”
Gerry Callahan knew John Dennis wasn’t shy about talking about retirement on the air: “Dino [John Dennis] would say he was retiring. He would say on the air, I got eight more months till I retire. I thought we got eight more months, and I forget how much time he had left when he left, or when he quit or got bought out, or whatever. But he was planning on leaving not that long after he went to rehab and came back. So, I don’t think there was ever a point where we said, “He’s got to go.” That didn’t happen.”
Gerry Callahan was unaware of John Dennis’ feelings about working the show with Kirk Minihane: “I didn’t know Dino [John Dennis] was that miserable. I didn’t. When he left for rehab. I thought he was coming back. I thought you [Glenn Ordway], [Gary] Tanguay, and maybe one or two other guys were going to fill in. We had like a month. We weren’t planning, plotting, replace him with you. Eventually he left and we didn’t try to replace him with you. We didn’t need anyone else but I didn’t know he was that miserable. I didn’t realize he gave up a year salary or was willing to [move away]. We were still doing a good show, and we were still having a good time. Dino had his issues, but I didn’t know he was that miserable.”
Gerry Callahan didn’t know how John Dennis really felt about working with Kirk Minihane: “I know they disagreed a lot, but mostly on the air. We weren’t hiding it. It wasn’t one of those deals where Dino [John Dennis] was all smiles on the air and miserable off the air. We were battling it out on the air. They just disagreed on how to do the show at times. Kirk was kind of forcing us to do it his way, and I was agreeing with him. We were getting good ratings and having a good time. So, I thought Dino could have come back. I don’t remember him being that unhappy, but I guess he was.”
Gerry Callahan says working with Kirk Minihane was a fun experience at WEEI: “We were always there, always ready to go. Always had the energy, and sometimes it was a little maniacal. Sometimes it was a little over the top, but we all came ready to go that day. Kirk [Minihane] was just fun. [Fred] Toucher is wrong. We had a blast. We laughed every day, and were never sure what he was going to do.”
What Remains Unclear: Callahan said he expected Dennis back and assumed fill-in hosts would cover the month. As a result, it’s unclear what anyone actually told station management about Dennis’ return. After Dennis departed in 2016, Callahan stayed on as the show became Kirk & Callahan.
What It Means: Ultimately, the dispute reopens one of Boston sports radio’s most turbulent eras. Callahan remembers a loud, fun show with strong ratings. Dennis, by contrast, remembers a workplace that drove him to walk away from a year of salary. Either way, two longtime partners now tell very different stories about the same studio. Ordway has teased that he’s arranging a reunion between the three talents on his podcast. We will see if the three will appear and bury the hatchet from differences in the past.
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What We Know: The show launched into national syndication in 2020. Today, it operates as a joint venture between Connoisseur Media and Compass Media Networks. Moreover, Connoisseur owns the flagships, STAR 99FM in Fairfield County, Connecticut, and WALK-FM on Long Island. Meanwhile, recent affiliates include Phoenix, Portland, Lansing, St. George and dozens of other markets. In addition, the two added stations include Sunny 104.3 in Phoenix, and Warm 103.3 in York, Pennsylvania.
What They Said: Anna Zap: “Reaching 100 stations is an incredible milestone for Anna & Raven. We are grateful to the broadcasters who believe in us and to every listener that who lets us be part of their day. Growing relationships with our partners while sharing laughs with our listeners in more communities is a dream come true.”
Raven: “The fun of developing real relationships, sales success stories, and wins with our affiliates can’t be overstated. The dream is alive!”
Ken Brentlinger, Sierra H Multimedia Owner: “I am happy to welcome the Anna & Raven Show to the growing Sunny 104.3. We know that morning drive sets the tone for listening throughout the day at work and the commute. I am looking forward to hearing them wake up the Valley!”
Eric Rosado, Sierra H Multimedia Director of Content & Programming: “The Anna & Raven show was a no brainer for mornings on our new brand Sunny 104.3. They are a great fit offering the companionship, interaction, and positivity that listeners crave as they start their day. I love how buttoned up the team is, providing all the resources for the best sounding and looking experience. Welcome to the Valley and big congrats on affiliate #100 Anna & Raven!”
Bobby D, Program Director, WARM FM: “Adding Anna & Raven to WARM 103.3 has been a great decision. They make it easy to create a show that feels local, give us the flexibility to customize content for our audience, and are always eager to support promotional and sales opportunities. They truly operate as partners, not just a syndicated show.”
What Remains Unclear: Terms and any finances under the added affiliations are unknown. Any additional targets for added syndication or growth is unknown.
What It Means: Ultimately, the milestone strengthens the show’s position in syndicated morning radio. In addition, the show now serves AC, Hot AC, CHR and Classic Hits stations. Moreover, affiliate programmers praise its local feel, flexibility and promotional support. Moreover, for a show built on partnerships, that reputation could keep the station count climbing.
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