ESPN dominates on digital extending the network’s streak to 58 straight months finishing number on in sports digital. The network reached 223.9 million unique fans in April 2026. That figure represents 82% of all U.S. adults — up 8% year-over-year.
What We Know: April was ESPN’s strongest digital month yet. Across ESPN Digital, YouTube, and social platforms, total unique fan reach jumped 8% compared to April 2025 — growing from the 196.6 million reported in March. The network’s App drew 27.7 million unique users, topping the next 10 non-ESPN apps combined. Additionally, ESPN Social surpassed 701 million engagements — averaging 23.4 million per day — while adding 75 million new followers, up 14% year-over-year.
What The Numbers Show:
ESPN Digital & Social Graphic April 2026 (Courtesy: ESPN Press)
What Remains Unclear: Specific platform-by-platform breakdowns aren’t detailed in the data. The release does not specify which sports events drove April’s significant traffic surge. Furthermore, ESPN.com drew 62.3 million unique visitors — up just 1% year-over-year — suggesting slower web growth compared to app and social gains.
What It Means: ESPN’s digital dominance continues to widen among it’s competitors. Holding the No. 1 social spot for 58 consecutive months signals consistency, not just a hot streak. Moreover, reaching 82% of U.S. adults makes the network nearly inescapable for sports fans. For anyone competing in the digital sports media space, these numbers are a serious benchmark. It shows deep fan engagement beyond passive consumption. For competitors, the gap isn’t closing. It’s growing.
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.
The NBA is attempting to address the local media rights of it’s franchises ahead of the upcoming season this fall. According to the Sports Business Journal, the league has hired veteran media executive Matt Volk as a newly created role of general manager of local Media, effective June 22.
What We Know: Volk arrives from NESN and SportsNet Pittsburgh, where he served as COO for three years. He will lead a newly formed local media group covering both the NBA and WNBA. His team will handle live game production, broadcast operations, programming, and commercial execution across all team markets.
What’s At Stake: A national streaming package expected to launch in 2027. Meanwhile, the focus for Volk will be maintaining standing with local teams. Headed into the new season this fall, 13 NBA teams will no longer lean on FanDuel Sports Network as their local distribution model. This was the fallout from the collapse of Main Street Sports Group. Following incidents of not making financial payments to it’s partner franchises in early 2026.
What Remains Unclear: The full scope of Volk’s job duties is unknown. It is unclear how many staff members his team will ultimately include. However, a national streaming package for local NBA games will likely launch for the 2027-28 season. How local rights agreements with individual teams are structured around that launch remains an open question.
What It Means: The NBA understands that local rights are just as vital as the national rights. With thirteen teams aiming for a new local distribution home, the league is allocating assets to assist in aligning for a national streaming package to launch the season after next. Volk brings deep experience from ESPN, Audacy, and NBC Sports Washington among other places. His background spans both sides of the NBA and WNBA. The league is clearly building infrastructure ahead of a major shift in how fans access local games in the very near future.
Major changes were announced to 60 Minutes on Thursday, days after the 58th season of the news magazine ended.
What We Know: Correspondent Cecilia Vega has exited 60 Minutes. Her departure comes as Sharyn Alfonsi announced she would not be back with the program on Wednesday. Additionally, senior executives from the news magazine are also departing. Executive Producer Tanya Simon has been fired, according to a report from Puck’s Dylan Byers. Nick Bilton replaced her in the role. Executive Editor Draggan Mihailovich and Senior Producer Matthew Polvoy have also departed.
What They Said: “Tanya has dedicated more than three decades to 60 Minutes, and she has served the institution with enormous care, professionalism, and devotion. She led the broadcast during an extraordinarily challenging period with grace and steadiness, and we are deeply grateful for her contributions to the show and its legacy. The reality facing journalism in 2026 is not easy. Information is fragmented. Algorithms reward outrage. AI-generated misinformation is proliferating. Audiences are overwhelmed. And they have lost trust in legacy media. That reality makes the mission of 60 Minutes more important than ever.” -CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss and President Tom Cibrowski in joint memo to staff
What Remains Unclear: If any other on-air personnel changes will take place before the next season of the show. Anderson Cooper has already announced he will not return. With the revelation of Vega and Alfonsi also departing, it remains to be seen who will be added to the program. Only four of the seven correspondents from the past season remain.
What It Means: Reports continually surfaced that Bari Weiss was unhappy with the direction of 60 Minutes. Those reports ultimately proved to be true. Widespread changes to a program that finished as the most-watched news television show back up those claims.
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.
The Kornacki Cam was on display earlier this week. The NBC News special broadcast featuring Steve Kornacki performed well for the network.
What We Know: NBC News created a digital special featuring Steve Kornacki during the Texas primary election on Tuesday evening. The presentation was available on social media channels, YouTube, and NBCNews.com.
What the Numbers Show: During the Texas primary, the stream featuring Steve Kornacki earned 1.6 million video starts on YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and NBCNews.com. The stream also accumulated more than 150,000 views alone on YouTube.
What Remains Unclear: What the future of the Kornacki Cam looks like as primaries continue around the country. The network has not yet revealed plans for further primaries or the midterm election in November.
What It Means: NBC News has essentially pioneered a new election coverage lane with the Kornacki Cam. CNN attempted a similar presentation featuring John King. The network has pulled the YouTube video of their live stream from the platform, so more concrete numbers are unavailable. The style — featuring the “big board”, analysis, the incoming result, and lack of panel on a digital platform — has been key for Steve Kornacki and NBC News in recent elections.
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.
Changes are happening at 60 Minutes, as CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss has installed a new leader for the program.
What We Know: Nick Bilton will replace Tanya Simon as the Executive Producer of 60 Minutes. He joins the network after previously working as a technology correspondent at The New York Times. He also previously worked as an investigative reporter for Vanity Fair. He becomes the fifth Executive Producer in the 58-year history of the news magazine. Bilton is also the third person in the role in the past 13 months, after the exit of Bill Owens.
What They Said: “Walking into this building and putting my name on this job is the honor of my career. Though I don’t need to tell you, 60 Minutes is, without exaggeration, the most important television journalism brand this country has ever produced. The fact that it has held that position for almost six decades is not an accident. It’s the result of generations of producers, correspondents, editors, researchers, and crews who decided that the work mattered more than the noise… the world we are reporting on, and the world we are reporting to, where people consume their news, has moved. And if we don’t move with it, in the ways that matter, we won’t be here for the next sixty years. I want to do everything humanly possible to ensure that we are.” -Nick Bilton
“Nick Bilton is one of the most entrepreneurial and ambitious journalists working today. I am thrilled that he is the next executive producer of 60 Minutes.” -Bari Weiss
What Remains Unclear: What role Tanya Simon will play, if any, at CBS News going forward. Simon took over the role of Executive Producer from Bill Owens last year. She previously spent 25 years working on 60 Minutes. She was the first woman to serve as Executive Producer of the show. CBS News made no mention of Simon in its announcement for Bilton.
What It Means: It marks another change in the leadership at CBS News and at the news magazine. It doesn’t appear as if Bilton has any previous television experience. The ship at 60 Minutes clearly needs steadying. Time will tell if Bilton is up for the job.
It's the honor of my career to become the executive producer of 60 Minutes. I just shared the note below with the incredible staff and can't wait to get started. pic.twitter.com/4PHmHJF3Bj
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.
As the days wind down toward summer in Southern California, Audacy’s 97.1 The Fan is just beginning its sports radio tenure in the City of Angels. Last Monday, the first all-sports radio station on the FM dial began airing across Los Angeles. The launch came after months of discussion, planning, and resource allocation led by The Fan’s brand manager, Andrew Williams.
“Just after the new year, I got approached about the opportunity,” said Williams after stating there had been whispers and rumors about the opportunity for some time. “It wasn’t too long after that when I presented a thesis to Jeff Federman (Audacy West Regional President), Jeff Sottolano (Audacy Chief Programming Officer), Chris Oliviero (Audacy Chief Business Officer), and Chris Kinard (Audacy Sports Format Vice President). It kind of took off from there after I told them about my vision for what 97.1 The Fan can be.”
The presentation was followed by months of discussions, travel, conference calls, and auditions for Audacy’s latest play in FM sports radio. The challenge was unique compared to others under the Audacy umbrella. Instead of shifting an entity with a proven concept to FM, the radio station would become what Williams called a “startup.”
Williams leaned on his vision while crafting the station’s weekday lineup. He wanted talent that resonated with the vibes and culture that make Los Angeles a truly unique sports market.
“The biggest thing for me was the lineup has to be either local people or people with major ties to the city. LA is a different market than anywhere in the country. I’m from the east coast originally. I know the east coast sounds different than the west coast. Because it has to,” explained Williams.
Over the months it took to assemble the pieces that comprised 97.1 The Fan, Williams explained that he frequently flew west from his Washington, D.C.-area home to attend in-person auditions. Over time, many different types of talent auditioned, which made selecting the right candidates difficult.
Following the announcement of the station’s formation, many speculated about how the lineup could appeal to the market’s large Latino population, one of the more passionate and unique characteristics of LA sports culture. Williams stated that he held that demographic aspect in high regard during the audition process, despite not ultimately selecting talent who shared that background.
“We auditioned a lot of different people with different ethnicities and genders across the board. At the end of the day, the best people on air are the ones we brought in. The ones who fit each other the best,” noted Williams. “Obviously, we recognize how big that Latino fanbase is. We want to make sure they feel welcomed and included in everything we’re doing. We’re not blind, it’s part of the LA culture.”
What Williams announced in early May was a lineup featuring a mix of former athletes, LA legends, and respected voices, both male and female. Many also maintain media roles outside of their work on 97.1 The Fan.
For instance, Derek Fisher hosts morning drive while also serving as an analyst for NBC Sports’ NBA coverage. Midday host Alex Curry has roles with local television stations, while her co-host, Brock Vereen, calls college football games for the Big Ten Network.
Williams says the expectation is that every talent with outside work will continue balancing those responsibilities with their duties at 97.1 The Fan.
“It’s going to be a balance. Obviously, I want 97.1 The Fan to be their daily priority. But we must be real in the year of 2026. A lot of people have multiple media jobs. But that helps us for exposure,” said Williams. “Through the vetting process and talking with them as I do one-on-one, they know the daily expectations of a radio show… They know what it takes to come on every day to do the job. Then also have other responsibilities as well.”
Those outside responsibilities could also lead to expanded digital content under the Audacy podcast network. Williams revealed that afternoon host Doug McKain will soon launch a Dodgers-specific podcast under the 97.1 The Fan umbrella, with additional on-demand content also in development.
Answering Early Questions
Even while the current focus remains on ensuring the on-air product and talent perform at a high level, Williams is keeping an eye on future expansion. While some doubt the Los Angeles market can support four sports radio brands, Williams understands he can only control what is within his reach.
“I don’t know if I have a clear answer on why LA can support that many sports radio brands,” said Williams. “I want to win; that’s my mindset with everything. Otherwise, why would we do it… The more people we can have working right now in sports radio is a great thing. The fact that Audacy has so many stations on the FM dial shows that we’re in an extremely healthy place.”
The goal for Williams is to continue building the station piece by piece. While he initially hoped to have a full-time evening host in place by launch, he says he expects to fill that role in the near future. Williams is also in the process of hiring a digital lead to help grow the brand’s multi-platform strategy and compete with established brands in the market.
Part of Williams’ vision included a fully live and local lineup. All talent and staff would work inside Audacy’s Los Angeles studios. Williams said that philosophy heavily influenced the decision not to add syndication to the the weekday lineup after internal discussions. That included a potential return of Jim Rome to the Los Angeles market.
“One hundred percent it [Jim Rome] was part of the conversation. I had a giant spreadsheet with talent and shows. Obviously, with our relationship with Westwood One Sports, it was brought up,” explained Williams. “I wanted all our people in this building. They are in this studio and conversing around the halls. That means something in the sense of trying to build something brand new.”
Another element surrounding Rome’s potential inclusion involved the difficulty of removing syndicated programming later if the station wanted to pivot toward a local voice.
“In my mind, if you go down that route, it’s very hard to go ask if we could take this off and get to a local voice that may make more sense,” said Williams. “I want us to all build something special together.”
As the station moves deeper into the summer months, Williams says his goal is to get the station out into the community through face-to-face marketing with Los Angeles sports fans. The hope is to fully establish brand awareness before the NFL season begins.
The station currently does not have an official franchise partnership aligned with the brand. Williams said he is not placing a timeline on when the station could acquire broadcast rights with one of the area’s many collegiate or professional franchises.
Williams says his daily responsibilities include monitoring programming, communicating with producers, and hiring digital talent. He is also focused on developing innovative ways to market the station’s multi-platform approach. That effort is especially important in a commuter-heavy city like Los Angeles.
“When I was flying out here for auditions, I would take a lot of Ubers. Everybody, it seemed, was listening to the radio in the car. That was more fuel for the fire of this project as to why it’s going to work,” noted Williams.
The messaging rotation is planned and executed like clockwork. Multiple times per hour, the station promotes not only the FM signal, but also its video and on-demand audio distribution online. Cross-promotions continue running across other Audacy stations in the market to drive tune-in. Already, Williams says he is seeing results from the promotional effort, with plans underway to further fine-tune both the listening and viewing experience.
Defining Success
Success doesn’t happen overnight. Williams, a radio veteran himself, understands that building success takes time. However, he wouldn’t reveal what success might look like one year after the launch of 97.1 The Fan. Williams says he understands much of that success will begin with revenue.
“I’m having daily conversations with our sales team. Think about it, they haven’t sold sports before in Los Angeles,” explained Williams. “It’s so new here for everybody, but they’re so aggressive in the best possible way… Our talent also understands this is a startup. They know they have to sell themselves too, which all are on board with. We need to be green and healthy. That’s the goal.”
In a media landscape where many legacy brands are shrinking, cutting costs, or questioning radio’s long-term future. The launch of 97.1 The Fan represents something increasingly rare — belief.
Belief that local sports radio still matters. Belief that Los Angeles listeners still want connection, personality, and community tied to their teams. And perhaps most importantly, belief that building something from the ground up is still worth the risk.
For Andrew Williams, this isn’t simply about launching another station into an already crowded market. It’s about creating a culture, sound, and brand that reflects Los Angeles while embracing modern sports media habits. Podcasts, video, social content, live events, and radio are no longer separate lanes. They are all part of the same ecosystem.
Whether 97.1 The Fan ultimately becomes a major player in the market remains to be seen. Success in sports radio, especially in Los Angeles, is measured over years, not months.
But for now, Audacy took a swing. In a business increasingly driven by caution and consolidation. That alone makes 97.1 The Fan one of the more fascinating sports radio experiments in America.
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.
A new morning sports program is coming to Cincinnati. First Word, hosted by James Rapien, Marisa Contipelli, and Jacob Tissot, debuts June 1 on The Crown Network, YouTube, RESN with on-demand audio made available wherever podcasts are.
What We Know:The Crown Network, a Cincinnati-based digital media company, is launching First Word. A four-hour weekday morning block running from 7–11 a.m. The show will also air on RESN (Rock Entertainment Sports Network) and stream on YouTube and podcast platforms. Notably, Cincinnati’s sports radio landscape has long been dominated by legacy outlets like ESPN 1530 and 700 WLW — neither of which has offered a dedicated, standalone morning sports show. First Word aims to fill that specific void. Rapien, a well-known voice in Cincinnati sports media, leads the program alongside Contipelli and Tissot as co-hosts.
What They Said: James Rapien on ‘First Word’: “Cincinnati sports fans are the best. Loyal, passionate, second to none. The city lives and breathes sports, and now it finally has a morning show to match.”
Marisa Contipelli on joining ‘First Word’: “I am so excited to finally share that I have joined The Crown Network. I’ll be contributing as a co-host on Cincinnati’s ONLY morning sports show, First Word with James Rapien, every weekday morning from 7-11am. I’ll also be producing features & interviews around the city & can’t wait to expand my coverage of our teams. I am extremely grateful for this incredible opportunity to change the morning sports media landscape! Make sure to check us out starting June 1st on YouTube & RESN.”
Jacob Tissot on joining ‘First Word’: “I am beyond excited to announce that I will be joining The Crown Network as a co-host on Cincinnati’s only morning sports show, First Word with James Rapien and Marisa Contipelli every weekday morning from 7-11. Check us out on YouTube, RESN, or wherever you listen to podcasts!”
What Remains Unclear: Several key questions remain unanswered heading into launch. Specifically, details around advertiser support, distribution scale on RESN, and long-term resources have not yet surfaced publicly. Additionally, how the show positions itself against traditional sports media options in the market will be worth watching. Whether First Word pursues traditional radio partnerships with legacy brands or leans fully into its digital-first identity remains an open question.
What It Means: The launch is just the latest example of digital companies attempting to intersect local markets with content living on non-traditional means. This launch matters beyond Cincinnati. It signals that independent digital sports media will continue to compete for morning audiences viewed as underserved. Furthermore, The Crown Network is making a direct statement: local sports fans deserve local morning programming built specifically for them. If the show builds momentum, it could pressure established brands to respond. It will also be interesting to see if The Crown Network expands outside of this flagship programming option for team specific pieces of content.
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.
Months after announcing she’d be leaving WTOP, morning anchor Michelle Basch’s final day on the air was Thursday. She shared her farewells.
What We Know: Basch announced last September her plans to exit morning drive at WTOP after nearly 20 years with the station. She previously worked at 105.9 WMAL and 790 KABC before joining the Washington, D.C. all-news brand in 2006. She took over morning drive alongside John Aaron in 2023. However, she and her husband are relocating to Northeast Pennsylvania. Kristin Diaz will take over the chair vacated by Michelle Basch’s exit.
What They Said: “The first time I was invited to join WTOP, I said no. I was stubbornly loyal to a station that had hired me twice. The second time, I said yes – and found the best place I ever worked. I love how the job is different every day, but the mission is the same: grab attention, be clear, factual, fair, surprising, fun. I love learning. About the world. About myself. WTOP is loaded with talented people. Keep kicking ass and proving that great journalism still exists, and radio still matters. After almost 20 years, it’s time for a new adventure.” -Michelle Basch
What Remains Unclear: How involved Michelle Basch will be with WTOP after leaving morning drive. When she announced her exit, it was revealed that she would continue to serve in a reporting role from her remote location. It is unclear how much work she’ll do in that role or if she’ll still work as a reporter at all.
What It Means: Michelle Basch helmed a variety of dayparts for WTOP during her tenure. Anytime someone with the extended tenure that she held departs, it’s both a sad and joyous occasion. She is leaving on her own terms and beginning a new chapter. Many at the station have spoken glowingly of her since her announcement.
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.
Dan Le Batard addressed criticism from his audience as to why he won’t fully explain longtime co-host Jon ‘Stugotz’ Weiner’s absense from his program. In a several minute open session during Thursday’s program, Le Batard attempted to provide some more context on why ‘Stugotz’ has been missing since last summer.
What We Know: Stugotz’s separation from the Le Batard Show and Meadowlark Media began last year. This followed the company extended its partnership with DraftKings. The new agreement did not include Stugotz’s two podcasts. Subsequently, Weiner launched Stugotz and Company and God Bless Football as his independent programs sponsored by FanDuel. He also landed a nationwide syndication agreement with FOX Sports Radio as the afternoon replacement for Doug Gottlieb. Meanwhile, Weiner’s name remains on Meadowlark’s flagship show, despite him not appearing since last summer. Le Batard has been criticized for not revealing any details of why ‘Stugotz’ continues to not be a part of the program.
Dan Le Batard continues to hope for Jon “Stugotz” Weiner to return to the Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz: “I love that dude, and I’m always going to be indebted to him. I hope that he sits in that chair again. I’ve told him many times I want him to make money from Meadowlark [Media] for as long as it exists. But that’s up to him whether or not he comes back. He’s got a job here. He built his thing, and we were going to do these things together, and so I hope he comes back. I’d like to have it back.”
Dan Le Batard on the pressures of remaining silent on why Jon “Stugotz” Weiner has remained away from the show: “It’s been crushing to me. Imagine how much I must value that relationship. When you guys know how transparent I am, and you guys know that I care about him. I want him here. Imagine how hard it must be for me to protect the relationship with him, and keeping his name on the show in service of wanting him back so the audience can have what it wants. Because I want it to.”
Dan Le Batard on struggling to find the balance with transparency with his audience over Jon “Stugotz” Weiner’s departure: “I don’t know how to make it any clearer to him or you guys that I would love to have him here. But I’m not telling the audience something when I value my transparency. When it’s important to me. When the relationship with the audience, you know that I’m grateful for it. How must I value that relationship to not speak my mind, like how, how much?”
Dan Le Batard on his struggles in not discussing why Jon “Stugotz” Weiner is no longer on the program: “It’s been killing me to not be able to speak honestly to our audience for a while. It’s been killing me. It hurts. I want his name on this show forever. I have worked in protection of that. He knows this.”
Dan Le Batard on how business is making a reunion difficult between Dan Le Batard and Jon “Stugotz” Weiner: “Business is hard. We were and are in business together still. He’s building his own thing, and he wanted to do that. We helped him do that, and we wanted it to commingle with this. It did for a while, and then it didn’t… We’re trying to build two things together. At the moment, we’re sponsored by competing entities. So, that makes it a little difficult to do business. Like, it just makes it a little difficult. That’s all.”
Dan Le Batard on his most recent communication with Jon “Stugotz” Weiner: “We have exchanged texts back and forth in the last couple of weeks trying to connect.”
Dan Le Batard attempting to explain why he’s remained quiet about Jon “Stugotz” Weiner and his role with the program: “I don’t know if it’s what Stugotz wants. I’m living in service of the protection of somebody I care about. Somebody whose career I care about. Somebody whose family I care about. I know they [the audience] want answers. Do you not think it kills me to not give them all the answers they would like? But I’m trying. I don’t want to say anything bad about a person that I care about. I don’t want him to say anything bad about me.”
What Remains Unclear: Le Batard confirmed only that “we have exchanged texts back and forth in the last couple of weeks trying to connect.” However, those texts haven’t produced a return. While Le Batard hinted business between competing sportsbook sponsors as a potential reason for the separation, it’s not fully known if that’s the case. It is equally hard to believe Weiner would stop taking calls from Le Batard after more than two decades of success and friendship. Over time, both personalities have said the ball is in the other person’s court as to enact a potential reunion. Still, it hasn’t happened.
What It Means: Dan Le Batard’s transparency has always been his currency. Therefore, protecting that currency while withholding information creates a painful paradox for Le Batard. As a witness to the back and forth between the two personalities, there is a mix of business and personal friction which neither will fully admit. ‘Stugotz’ has referenced in the past the separation has hurt him, and Le Batard’s word today also frame that emotion. Ultimately, both men feel full transparency runs risk and I’d expect both to remain silent until that risk is fully gone.
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.
Last week, NPR shared it was offering buyouts to employees. If not enough were accepted, a round of layoffs would begin. Those layoffs began on Wednesday.
What We Know: 10 newsroom employees were laid off on Wednesday. That round of layoffs came after the network offered buyouts to 300 employees. After stating that it needed 30 employees to accept the buyouts to avoid layoffs, 18 staffers took the offer. The deadline to accept the buyout offer was Tuesday. NPR stated that it was looking to cut $8 million from its annual budget following federal funding cuts.
What They Said: “Today has been incredibly heavy, and I want to acknowledge how difficult it is to say goodbye to our colleagues.” -NPR Editor-in-Chief Thomas Evans
What Remains Unclear: Names of those whose positions were eliminated have not been released publicly. NPR Science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce has shared that she has exited after more than 20 years. A report from NPR’s David Folkenflik shared the names of some longtime staffers who accepted buyouts. They include National Political Correspondent Don Gonyea, Managing Editor Vickie Walton-James, and Investigations Correspondent Joe Shapiro.
What It Means: The network wasn’t bluffing when it said it was looking to slash millions from its budget. It was also clear about the size and scale of the cuts, depending on the number of accepted buyouts. It expects a $15 million drop in member station fees, only exacerbating the budget problems.
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.
