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The Pat McAfee Show Sees 7% Ratings Increase During November

BSM Staff
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The Pat McAfee Show Sees 7% Ratings Increase During November

ESPN has seen ratings growth for several of its studio shows during November, with the news especially positive for The Pat McAfee Show.

During the month, the show, between both linear TV and YouTube, saw a 7% increase in overall viewership compared to the prior month. In November, the show averaged 445,000 total viewers, with a 17% increase in linear viewers.

That figure represented the highest-rated November in the history of The Pat McAfee Show.

Other shows in the ESPN lineup also saw ratings increases during the month. Get Up saw a 2% increase to 461,000 total viewers. First Take saw a 5% uptick in overall viewers to 518,000.

NFL Live saw a 15% increase in overall viewers to 445,000 total, matching The Pat McAfee Show. NBA Today saw a month-over-month increase of 23% to 342,000 total viewers.

The most-watched studio show in the ESPN lineup during November was Pardon The Interuption with Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser. That show saw an average audience of 717,000 total viewers, up 6%.

Between the various editions of SportsCenter, viewership ranged from 320,000 viewers (2 PM ET, up 23%), to as high as 527,000 (6 PM ET, up 18%).

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.

MS NOW to Host Primetime Special with Michelle Obama

BNM Staff
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MS NOW to Host Primetime Special with Michelle Obama

MS NOW has announced plans for a primetime special featuring Michelle Obama to discuss her latest book.

On Thursday, December 18th, Obama will sit down with Jonathan Capehart to discuss “The Look“, her new book.

The former First Lady’s book is centered on the role that fashion and self-expression played during her time in the White House.

Capehart — one of the hosts of the network’s The Weeend, airing on Saturdays and Sundays from 7-10 AM ET — will lead the discussion from the Blackbird House, a community co-working space in Los Angeles.

The Look: A Conversation with Michelle Obama will be broadcast at 8 PM ET on MS NOW. It will also be made available on the network’s digital channels.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.

Cara Banks Departs Golf Channel for Role with NBC Sports

BSM Staff
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Cara Banks Departs Golf Channel for Role with NBC Sports

Golf Channel host Cara Banks has announced she’s leaving the network to join NBC Sports in a full-time capacity.

Banks has spent more than a decade with Golf Channel as a studio host and reporter with the network.

With her new role at NBC Sports, Cara Banks is helping lead the network’s golf coverage, as well as working on the Olympics and the Premier League.

In a post on social media, Banks shared the news, as well as her excitement for the move.

“I will never forget the leap from England to hosting live studio shows here in the U.S. in 2015 and grateful to everyone who held my hand as I grew along the way,” Banks said.

Cara Banks makes the move from Golf Channel to NBC Sports comes as the split between NBCUniversal and Versant — which encompasses the former cable assets of NBCUniversal like Golf Channel, CNBC, and MS NOW, among others — nears its completion.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.

Cumulus Launches 3rd Country Station in Dallas With Debut of Country Legends & Texas Classics 93.3 HD2

BMM Staff
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Cumulus Launches 3rd Country Station in Dallas With Debut of Country Legends & Texas Classics 93.3 HD2

Cumulus Media has announced the launch of its third country station in the Dallas-Fort Worth market as Country Legends & Texas Classics 93.3 HD2 hit the airwaves on Monday.

The station signed on the air at Noon on Monday with “Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind” by George Strait serving as the first song.

According to a statement from the company, the station will feature classic country artists like George Strait, Willie Nelson, Alabama, Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, Randy Travis, Alan Jackson, and Reba McIntyre among others.

“We are doubling down on our long-term commitment to Country music in Texas by launching Country Legends & Texas Classics 93.3 HD2,” Said Cumulus Dallas Regional Vice President Dan Bennett. “This station will give a voice to great Country hits from the 70’s and 80s. 

“Paired with our fan favorite DFW Country stations, 99.5 The WOLF and New Country 96.3, this creates a wall of Country for our station group and for the passionate Country music lovers in the DFW area and strengthens our belief in this incredible format,” Bennett concluded.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.

WWE Returning SmackDown to 3 Hours on USA Network in 2026

BSM Staff
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WWE Returning SmackDown to 3 Hours on USA Network in 2026

WWE SmackDown is expanding in 2026, with USA Network airing three hours of coverage beginning when the calendar flips.

Previously, the show was on for two hours from its debut in 1999 to earlier this year, when the show moved to USA Network after previously being seen on FOX.

After slimming the broadcast to two hours in the middle of the year, USA Network will now broadcast a three-hour show beginning on Friday, January 2nd.

The news was announced on Friday’s latest episode of the two-hour version of SmackDown.

With the expansion of the show back to three hours each week, WWE now has more than eight hours of live weekly television programming between the Raw, NXT, and SmackDown brands.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.

News Media Reacts to Statement From President Donald Trump on Murder of Rob

BNM Staff
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News Media Reacts to Statement From President Donald Trump on Murder of Rob

Actor and Director Rob Reiner and his wife were stabbed to death on Sunday, with their son in custody. President Donald Trump joined many in sharing reactions to the news, but his statement is drawing wide condemnation from many in the news media.

In a post on his Truth Social account, President Trump called the situation “a very sad thing.”

However, his statement then went on to blast Reiner, who was a public critic of Trump and the MAGA movement in his later years.

“Rob Reiner, a tortured and struggling, but once very talented movie director and comedy star, has passed away, together with his wife, Michele, reportedly due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDORME, sometimes referred to as TDS,” Trump wrote. “He was known to have drive people CRAZY by his raging obsession of President Donald J. Trump, which his obvious paranoia reaching new heights as the Trump Administration surpassed all the goals and expectations of greatness, and with the Golden Age of America upon us, perhaps like never before. May rob and Michele rest in peace.”

Many members of the news media — especially those from the conservative side of the aisle — took to social media to share their displeasure with Trump’s comments.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.

Scripps Sports President Brian Lawlor: NHL Teams Moving From RSNs ‘Basically Made Whole’ By Our Deals

BSM Staff
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Scripps Sports President Brian Lawlor: NHL Teams Moving From RSNs ‘Basically Made Whole’ By Our Deals

Scripps Sports has made a heavy push into the local broadcast rights for professional sports teams. The network’s president, Brian Lawlor, says it’s worked for both the company and the NHL and NBA teams they’ve partnered with.

The company currently owns the rights to four NHL franchises, including the Tampa Bay Lightning, Vegas Golden Knights, Florida Panthers, and Utah Mammoth. All of those teams left deals with regional sports networks on cable to take their broadcasts to free, over-the-air channels.

In a conversation with Sports Business Journal, Brian Lawlor says that the move has expanded the reach for the teams, and the increase in viewership has increased ad sales. That means the deals “basically make whole” the revenue figures the teams lost by leaving their RSNs for Scripps Sports.

He did note that the figures don’t work for every team or league, noting that the company ended conversations with a Major League Baseball franchise after learning it was receiving $70 million per year in its current deal, but said for other teams and leagues like the NBA and NHL, deals with his company makes plenty of sense.

“It’s been harder to make those big numbers work, but I think at the NBA and the NHL level, the ad model works and we can get there,” Lawlor said. “As more and more broadcasters get into sports and have these rights, they’re very valuable to the (distributors).”

He added that changes in the media landscape have made outlets like Scripps Sports much better competitiors than they were previously.

“Look, RSNs were a great business 10, 15, 20 years ago, when they reached 80% of the households. But they were successful because they had reach, and now they don’t anymore. And we have a platform that does,” he concluded.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.

Superadio ‘Remains Fully Committed to the Ebro Brand’ After Ebro in the Morning Departs HOT 97

BMM Staff
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Superadio ‘Remains Fully Committed to the Ebro Brand’ After Ebro in the Morning Departs HOT 97

Ebro in the Morning — the show hosted by Ebro Darden, Laura Stylez, and Peter Rosenberg — was abruptly canceled by HOT 97 on Friday. But that doesn’t mean the show is going away.

In the aftermath of the show’s cancellation, Ebro has been pushing listeners to a newly launched YouTube channel. After sharing a link to the channel, which is labeled as The Ebro Laura Rosenberg Show, the channel immediately featured more than 3,500 subscribers without sharing a video.

The release of the YouTube channel came after both Ebro Darden and Peter Rosenberg shared videos on social media discussing their exits from the station. Ebro in the Morning had been on HOT 97 since 2012.

In his video on social media, Darden said that he viewed his exit as politically motivated.

“They need my (expletive)-talking, anti‑Netanyahu, anti‑government, progressive (expletive) out the way, bro,” he said. “They need me out the way.”

Rosenberg said he’s looking forward to the future after the exit from HOT 97.

 “I told you guys for a long time, change is afoot,” he said. “Change can be beautiful. There are some changes on the horizon. Stay tuned.”

While the radio show may have ended, Superadio, the national syndicator of the morning program, has said that it remains in business with Darden, Stylez, and Rosenberg, and is also looking forward to the future.

“While the distribution of Ebro in the Morning in its current form is ending, Superadio remains fully committed to the Ebro brand,” the company said in a statement. “We look forward to continuing to bring Ebro’s voice and talent to the masses across new platforms, which we’ll be sharing more about very soon.”

In addition to his work with HOT 97 and Superadio, Ebro Darden is the Global Editorial Head of Hip-Hop and R&B at Apple Music, where he hosts The Ebro Show and Rap Life Radio.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.

Black Box Group Launches 30/60/90-Day Brand Bursts

BMM Staff
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Black Box Group Launches 30/60/90-Day Brand Bursts

Black Box Group (BBG), the modern-scaled strategy shop led by Barrett Media columnist and veteran and award winning operator, programmer, talent coach and strategist Keith Cunningham has an announcement. The new brand is launching 30-Day, 60-Day, and 90-Day Brand Bursts for media groups. BBG’s rapid cycle strategic assessments and plan-builds are for brands looking to start 2026 sprinting, not snoozing.

“Brands don’t need six months of meetings with minimal progress,” said BBG Founder Keith
Cunningham. “They need to move fast to meet the market. I’ve built short-burst, high impact models
that move quickly, include hands-on assistance, and stay focused on the needle that matters most
— revenue.”

BBG’s 30/60/90-Day Brand Bursts combine strategic programming insight, revenue and NTR
development, talent optimization, audience and data analysis, and a network of specialists. All are aimed at accelerating brand momentum. Each Brand Burst is designed for different needs. They range from rapid strategy resets to full-scale revamps to advanced talent and research development.

Limited openings are available for Q1. For further details, contact Keith Cunningham at keithblackboxgroup@gmail.com. Keith can also be reached on LinkedIn here.

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.

Funkmaster Flex Takes Mornings ‘Until Further Notice’ at HOT 97 Following Ebro in the Morning Exit

BMM Staff
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Funkmaster Flex Takes Mornings ‘Until Further Notice’ at HOT 97 Following Ebro in the Morning Exit

After the exit of Ebro in the Morning, featuring Ebro Darden, Laura Stylez, and Peter Rosenberg, HOT 97 has put Funkmaster Flex into the daypart.

Flex has been with the station for more than 30 years. It will be the second change for him this year, after moving up in the lineup to 5-10 PM ET in September. Previously, his program began at 7 PM.

MediaCo has stated that Funkmaster Flex will host the morning show until further notice. He began the duties on Monday morning.

Ebro in the Morning began in 2012 when Darden returned to mornings after previously working in the timeslot from 2004 to 2007.

HOT 97 has not announced who will take over the 5-10 PM window previously held by Funkmaster Flex.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.

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