CBS News has announced a promotion for Robert Costa, who will now serve as a national correspondent for CBS Sunday Morning and also as the network’s chief Washington analyst.
Costa had previously served as the chief election & campaign correspondent for CBS News, based in Washington D.C.
“Building on three years of excellent contribution for Sunday Morning, he will join the broadcast’s staff and will cover many issues in the coming years, from in-depth pieces on politics and national affairs to newsmaker profiles to stories on culture and the arts,” a statement announcing the promotion said.
“As chief Washington analyst, Robert will continue to offer his deeply-sourced reporting and respected analysis across CBS News broadcasts and platforms. He will continue to report on all things in the political world including Congress, the Trump administration, President Trump, and potential 2028 candidates,” the statement concluded.
In his first story as a national correspondent for CBS Sunday Morning, Costa will sit down with bestselling author Michael Lewis to discuss his upcoming book “Who Is Government? The Untold Story of Public Service.”
Before joining CBS News in 2022, Robert Costa served as a national political reporter at The Washington Post. He also previously served as the managing editor and moderator of the PBS News program Washington Week from 2017 to 2020. From 2015 to 2020, he worked as a political analyst for NBC News, appearing on many MSNBC programs like Morning Joe and The 11th Hour, in addition to Meet the Press and Today.
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Edison Research has named its list of the top 10 new podcasts for 2024, and the show from Candace Owens earned the second spot on the list.
Owens launched her new podcast in June after her high-profile exit from The Daily Wire in March. Owens clashed with the outlet’s co-founder — Ben Shapiro — over her stance on the Hamas/Israel conflict, ultimately leading to her departure and subsequent back-and-forth shots between the two conservative media personalities.
The performance of Candace was especially notable since the research firm shared that, naturally, podcasts released earlier in the year perform better than those that begin later in the calendar.
The only podcast launched in 2024 that topped the show debuted by Candace Owens was Talk Tuah with Haliey Welch, the viral star that has yet to release a new episode since early December after being accused of a cryptocurrency scam at the end of the year.
Also joining Talk Tuah and Candace in the top 10 were:
So True with Caleb Hearon
Mind the Game with LeBron James and JJ Redick
Six Feet Under with Mark Calaway
Basically Unfiltered with Remi, Alisha, Zane, and Heath
MeSsy with Christina Applegate & Jamie-Lynn Sigler
The Salty Podcast
Where Everybody Knows Your Name with Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson (Sometimes)
Wartime Stories
The selections from Edison Research are “based on the highest average weekly audience throughout their debut year, demonstrating significant listener engagement and impact.”
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Paramount Global and YouTube TV are currently involved in a carriage dispute, leading to customers of the over-the-top streaming service not receiving certain channels. Amid the expiration of its existing contract on Thursday, networks owned by Paramount Global, including CBS, MTV and Nickelodeon, could go dark on the subscription service. In an internal memo shared by Dade Hayes of Deadline on Wednesday night from Paramount co-chief executive officers George Cheeks, Chris McCarthy and Brian Robbins, leadership conveyed what was taking place and emphasized that Google was “unwilling to agree to reasonable terms consistent with the market.” Conversely, Google said that it was engaging in “good faith negotiations” but had been unable to reach a deal.
YouTube TV recently took part in a price hike, augmenting the cost of its service by 14% to $82.99 per month. The streaming service recently surpassed 8 million subscribers and is also the home of NFL Sunday Ticket. Nielsen Media Research measured YouTube viewing on connected televisions to secure an 11.1% share of total TV usage throughout the month of November. YouTube TV articulated that if it cannot agree to terms with Paramount Global or if the content remains unavailable for an extended period, it will offer subscribers an $8 credit.
“Paramount is an important partner for us and as you can imagine, this is not the outcome that we want,” the YouTube team wrote in a blog post. “We’re still in active conversations with Paramount and are hopeful we can come to an agreement to keep their content available on YouTube TV.”
Paramount Global has a special webpage that emphasizes YouTube TV trying to pressure the company into agreeing “to unfavorable and one-sided terms.” Moreover, the company is stating that it has made “a series of offers to YouTube TV” that are good for its customers. Paramount Global currently has the rights to various programs resonating with the marketplace, including the No. 1 new series, comedy series and news magazine, along with top rankings in daytime and late night. CBS also broadcasts NFL games and recently attained its most-watched regular season slate of games since 1998.
“Paramount has a long track record of successfully and amicably renewing partnerships with every major distributor, including several in recent months,” a Paramount spokesperson said, “and we will continue our efforts to reach a new agreement with YouTube TV.”
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One of the most crucial factors in securing a radio station’s brand identity is being ‘on’ when news breaks. In the competitive world of sports radio, timeliness and engagement are everything. Two of the largest and most successful sports radio brands in the country, 98.5 The Sports Hub and WEEI 93.7FM, both call Boston home and always find themselves going head-to-head in covering major stories.
On Wednesday night, just after 10:30 PM ET, the Boston Red Sox made waves by signing the most sought-after free agent remaining on the market. Infielder Alex Bregman signed a three-year, $120 million deal with reports indicating that the $40 million annual salary was at least $10 million higher per year than what other MLB teams were willing to offer the nine-year pro, making this a blockbuster move for Boston.
Given the late-night timing of the signing, both stations were broadcasting national syndication at the moment the news broke. This presented an interesting opportunity to evaluate how these powerhouse brands captured the moment on social media and how their respective morning shows handled the news as Boston sports fans woke up to the headline.
Morning Show Breakdown: WEEI vs. The Sports Hub
A direct comparison of the first 30 minutes of the key 7 AM hour on each station provided a clear contrast in coverage approaches. WEEI’s Greg Hill Show dedicated significantly more time to discussing Bregman’s signing than The Sports Hub’s Toucher and Hardy did.
As expected, both stations led off their morning drive hours with sports updates, with Bregman’s signing featured as the lead story. However, the similarities largely ended there. WEEI seamlessly transitioned into a segment called The Lead, during which all four show members reacted to the signing. The discussion extended beyond just the contract details, diving into how this acquisition reshaped the Red Sox’s standing among Boston’s professional teams and their potential path back to championship contention. The energy and engagement made it clear that this was a major moment for Boston sports.
However, the remaining portion of WEEI’s 30-minute window was more varied, touching on online mock drafts about ‘Who Killed President Bradford,’ mentions of the Bruins’ upcoming schedule—even though the NHL is on break until February 22nd—and a feature called They Said It, which focused on Travis Kelce’s comments regarding his NFL future. Even so, WEEI bookended the half-hour with another reference to Bregman, as co-host Courtney Cox’s trending report once again placed the signing at the forefront.
Meanwhile, over on The Sports Hub, the difference in coverage was stark. Outside of a brief mention in the top-of-the-hour update, there was no other discussion of the Bregman signing during the Toucher and Hardy show’s 30-minute span. Instead, the conversation centered around rock-jock Eddie Trunk’s obsession with 1980s hair bands, the latest nominees for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and a segment critiquing former Patriots GM Michael Lombardi’s analysis on CBSSports.com. The absence of any substantial discussion on Bregman’s signing was notable, especially considering its impact on Boston sports.
Social Media Engagement: WEEI Takes the Lead
In today’s digital landscape, sports radio stations must not only dominate the airwaves but also establish a strong presence across social media platforms. Here, WEEI once again demonstrated a more proactive approach to engaging with its audience.
Shortly after the news broke, WEEI took to its social media channels—including Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and Facebook—with original station-branded creative content announcing the signing. By early Thursday morning, the station had already posted two clips from The Greg Hill Show reacting to the signing, ensuring that their audience could engage with the content even if they missed the live broadcast. Additionally, WEEI’s website featured an article on the signing as well as a reaction piece by Red Sox beat reporter Rob Bradford by 8 AM. Both articles were shared across Facebook and X, generating engagement, shares, and discussions among fans.
By contrast, The Sports Hub’s social media presence was noticeably subdued. As of 8 AM Thursday, the station had yet to post anything about Bregman’s signing on Instagram, neither in a standard post nor as a reel or story. On X and Facebook, the station did post the news, but with minimal engagement-driving elements. While a reaction column by Tony Massarotti was available on The Sports Hub’s website, it was not actively promoted on the station’s social media channels, further limiting its reach.
In the constant battle for audience attention, being first to react and providing engaging content when major sports news breaks is a crucial element of sports radio dominance. In this instance, WEEI emerged as the clear winner, delivering a more robust, engaging, and timely response across both its on-air programming and digital platforms.
While The Sports Hub boasts strong overall listenership and an established brand, its lack of immediate engagement with the Alex Bregman signing highlights an opportunity for improvement when it comes to capitalizing on breaking news. Meanwhile, WEEI ensured that its audience not only received the news but also had multiple ways to engage with it as the sun rose on Thursday morning.
As the sports media landscape continues to evolve, it’s these moments that define which brands stay ahead of the curve. In this particular head-to-head showdown, WEEI proved to be Boston’s sports original, capturing the city’s biggest sports story in real time while The Sports Hub chose to lean into pop culture and alternative content the morning after a major news story happened with the local team.
This serves as a case study in how critical it is for sports radio stations to remain agile, reactive, and fully engaged—both on the air and online—when major news drops in their market. Because when it comes to sports radio, the competition isn’t just about having the best hosts or the highest ratings; it’s about being there when your audience needs you most.
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Music radio is mourning the passing of Jacksonville personality Eric Leffler. Known as DJ EL, Leffler hosted on 107.3 Planet Radio WPLA and was the in-game DJ for the Jacksonville Jaguars, NASCAR, and Welcome to Rockville.
A post from 107.3 Planet Radio said, “He had a gift for creating unforgettable moments and spreading joy wherever he went. He transformed every event into a celebration. We’re celebrating his legacy and keeping the music alive in honor of him.”
A post from VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena read, “We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our beloved Block Party DJ and radio host, Eric Leffler. We are truly grateful for the cherished memories he created and the contagious energy he infused into our concerts. You will be missed! Thank you for everything, DJ EL!.”
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Nexstar Media Group has announced the appointment of Ric Harris as its Vice President and General Manager of operations at its Chicago cluster, overseeing WGN-TV.
Harris joins after spending 25 years working in broadcasting management. He most recently spent 10 years serving as the President and General Manager of NBC 10, Telemundo 62, and NBC Sports Philadelphia. Earlier in his career, he served as the President and General Manager of WVIT-TV in Hartford.
“WGN is a powerhouse in local news and the home of high-quality CW programming, including live sports like Xfinity series racing, college football and basketball, and WWE NXT wrestling, as well as original entertainment programs,” said Harris. “WGN has forged a deep connection with Chicago-area viewers and has a legacy of quality programming, special coverage of important local events, and service to the community. When you combine all that with the resources of Nexstar, you create a tremendous opportunity for success.”
In his new role, Ric Harris will report to Nexstar Senior Vice President and Regional Manager Brandin Stewart.
“Nexstar is extremely fortunate to have someone with Ric’s talent and experience leading our Chicago media businesses,” said Stewart. “He is a strategic thinker and has been successful everywhere he’s worked by developing a deep connection with local viewers, advertising clients, and his staff. He’s the perfect choice to capitalize on WGN-TV’s strengths and I am looking forward to working with him as he takes on this new role.”
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Top 40 Z90.3 XHITZ Tijuana/San Diego has named Corey Dylan as the midday host.
Dylan previously hosted mornings across town at 100.7 Big-FM KFBG. That station is being sold to Lotus Communications.
PD R Dub said in a news release, “Corey Dylan is already cooking with fire,” First week in, and I’m beyond impressed. Sharp, dynamic, and effortlessly dialed in, every show is a ride through the wild, weird, and wonderful world of pop culture, trending madness, and social media mayhem. Buckle up—this is gonna be good.”
Dylan’s previous stops include New Country 101.5 and Kicks 101.5 WKHX Atlanta, Mix 100.7 WMTX and WFLA, Tampa, and WFLA TV.
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Prior to the NBA trading deadline, the basketball world was sent into a state of shock when All-Star guard Luka Dončić was traded by the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers as part of a three-team deal. Dončić, a five-time All-Star and last season’s scoring champion, had been sidelined for the last month and a half with a calf injury, but he made his long-awaited debut for his new team on Monday night. Ahead of Dončić taking the floor, the Lakers game against the Utah Jazz was moved to ESPN, the second attempt to televise the occurrence nationally after he and superstar forward LeBron James had been held out of the Saturday matchup.
With Dončić and James in the starting lineup for Monday’s game from Crypto.com Arena, the Lakers-Jazz game averaged 2.01 million viewers on ESPN, according to data from Nielsen Media Research. This contest finished first on the day in various key demographics, including Persons and Males ages 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54, and it also marked the most-watched NBA game on cable in over two months.
The return of guard Klay Thompson to face the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center had averaged 2.14 million viewers in early November, a game that ironically included Dončić on the Mavericks. The 19-point Lakers victory peaked with 2.55 million viewers during the 11:15 p.m. EST quarter-hour and ranks fifth among NBA games exclusive to cable this season.
In a corresponding decision to air the Lakers-Jazz game, ESPN moved the end of the Baylor-Houston college basketball game to its ESPNU linear network. The game had averaged 758,000 viewers prior to the shift, which ended in a 76-65 win for the Cougars. Dončić played 24 minutes for the Lakers, scoring 14 points on 5-for-14 shooting with five rebounds and four assists on a minutes restriction.
The next national television game featuring the Lakers will take place on Saturday, Feb. 22 when the team faces the Denver Nuggets in prime time television on ABC at 8:30 p.m. EST. Shortly thereafter, Dončić and the Lakers will face the Mavericks on TNT, marking the first time he will face his former team. Anthony Davis, who was traded by the Lakers to the Mavericks in the deal, is likely to be without the star forward after he suffered an adductor injury during his debut.
Data from the Nielsen Big Data + Panel indicates that Dončić’s debut finished above the national average audience for NBA games of 1.77 million viewers. A recent report from Tom Friend of Sports Business Journal divulges that viewership during the month of February is up by double digits compared to the previous month. This measurement system recently garnered accreditation from the Media Rating Council, and the company’s out-of-home measurement methodologies now cover 100% of the U.S. contiguous television population.
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As we close the door on the 2024 NFL season and postseason, it is fitting to look back on a weekend of Super Bowl programming beyond the big game itself. From pregame shows to profiles to historic features, there was a plethora of programming to view as we prepared for the Kansas City Chiefs versus Philadelphia Eagles tilt in Super Bowl LIX. However one program served as a hidden gem in his television treasure chest, modeled after a man named Madden and his legendary transportation.
It was called The Madden Cruiser: A Bayou Adventure with Bill Belichick. This one-hour FOX sports program aired on Super Bowl Sunday at noon featuring Belichick aboard legendary coach and broadcaster John Madden’s iconic bus. I buckled in for an unforgettable road trip through the heart of New Orleans, site of this year’s Super Bowl.
It wasn’t just a bus trip, however. It was a trip through some amazing football history. Belichick hosted and narrated the show – a wide ranging and vivid journey through the deep New Orleans pigskin culture. A master historian of the game, Belichick is a coaches’ coach who has great admiration for those who came before him. The ex-Patriots czar and current University of North Carolina Tar Heels football head coach has done a lot of television this year. The Madden Cruiser: A Bayou Adventure with Bill Belichick is his best work.
The program had style, character, texture, and feel. Belichick’s first cohort on the trip was NFL on FOX analyst Michael Strahan. The pair looked back on the larger than life figure that was John Madden and his impact on football. Belichick stated that Madden called more Super Bowls in New Orleans than in any other city.
In another historic feature, Belichick returned to the site of New Orleans’ famed Tulane Stadium. The production values on this program were unbelievable. As Belichick walked through this hallowed ground, you heard sound of historic broadcasts from the stadium. One of my favorite parts of the show was when former Saints’ QB Archie Manning joined Belichick. The elder Manning, father of Cooper, Peyton, and Eli, is one of the truly great men of the NFL, all about credibility, integrity, and a gentlemanly manner.
As a quarterback at Ole Miss, Archie Manning won the 1970 Sugar Bowl in Tulane Stadium before joining the Saints. The Madden Cruiser: A Bayou Adventure with Bill Belichick did a great job reflecting on the players and coaches who brought personality to New Orleans Super Bowls – men like Hank Stram, Roger Staubach, Terry Bradshaw, Mike Ditka, Bob Griese, Bob Lilly, and so many more. Manning and Belichick also shared one of John Madden’s famous Turduckens.
Belichick’s next stop on the tour took him to New Orleans’ voodoo priestess Madame Cinnamon Black. They talked about the fact that the Superdome was built on an old burial ground supposedly cursing the Saints as losers for their first 20 seasons.
Belichick then took out an actual voodoo doll that he received before Super Bowl XXXVI where his Patriots upset the Rams. He joined former Patriot Ty Law inside the Superdome reflecting on previous Patriots’ losses in that stadium before Law and company broke the Pats’ ‘curse’ in 2002. Law was legitimately freaked out by the voodoo doll in a really fun exchange between the coach and his former player.
Belichick looked back on a couple of his favorite New Orleans Super Bowl moments including Super Bowl XXVIII where Emmitt Smith had a tremendous second half helping the Cowboys beat the Bills and, of course, Super Bowl LI, where Belichick’s Patriots erased a 28-3 second half deficit to win the championship.
The Madden Cruiser: A Bayou Adventure with Bill Belichick visited famed Preservation Hall, a historic jazz venue in the Big Easy since 1961. Belichick talked about the history of Preservation Hall and its intimacy as well as the dynamic and rhythmic Southern University band that played at several Super Bowls. He also recalled several players who came out of New Orleans including Steve Van Buren, Fred Dean, Peyton and Eli, as well as Louisiana natives Jim Taylor, Marshall Faulk, and Dak Prescott.
Another terrific stop was at Saint Augustine High School for a chat with Louisiana football icon Tyrann Mathieu on the many NFL players who came out of that school’s football program. Mathieu, a St. Augustine product, talked about some of the players as their high school game clips ran on screen. Next on this wild ride was a visit with Louisiana native and Hall of Fame safety Ed Reed who won Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans with the Ravens.
In the conversation, Belichick told Reed that he and Tom Brady always had to game plan around Reed. In fact, Belichick once told Reed face-to-face that he is the greatest free safety ever to have played the game. Reed grew up just 10 minutes from the Superdome and looked back on his Super Bowl win, a game that featured brotherly opposing head coaches John and Jim Harbaugh as well as a power outage in the Superdome.
I absolutely loved the many clips of past New Orleans Super Bowls – Cowboys’ fullback Robert Newhouse throwing a touchdown pass in Super Bowl XII versus Denver, the Niners scoring 55 points against the Broncos in Super Bowl XXIV, and Chicago’s Refrigerator Perry scoring a touchdown versus New England in Super Bowl XX.
The program also looked back on 2005’s Hurricane Katrina and how the Superdome was used to house 20,000 people forced to leave their homes. Belichick also visited the Hurricane Katrina Memorial joined by FOX’s Curt Menefee and New Orleans’ own entertainment personality Rocsi Diaz. They paid homage to those whose lives were lost and looked back on the first game at the Superdome following the hurricane where the Saints beat Atlanta highlighted by Steve Gleason’s blocked punt.
As the show wound down, Diaz gave us an inside look at the Madden Cruiser with some great still shots of the legendary John Madden himself. Strahan then met up with Tom Brady and Erin Andrews of the NFL on FOX with Brady talking about his New Orleans Super Bowl memories and both discussing their Super Bowl pregame jitters.
Honestly, this was one of the finest Super Bowl pregame offerings I have ever seen. It eschewed the overdone ramblings on the Eagles and Chiefs, instead giving viewers some real football memories and knowledge.
Bill Belichick cruising through a historic football city like New Orleans with the joyous spirit of John Madden hovering over the entire production was my absolute favorite program of Super Bowl weekend. It provided fans with a spectacular sendoff as another NFL season ended. Forget baseball and Iowa, The Madden Cruiser: A Bayou Adventure with Bill Belichick was absolute football heaven.
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One hundred twenty-six million Americans tuned into the big game this year. Among the music heard during the much-celebrated commercials (at $8 million for a 30-second ad) were Steppenwolf’s “Born to Be Wild,” The Who’s “Baba O’ Riley,” one of the more talked about featured Seal singing his “Kiss From a Rose” and even that track is 30 this year.
Expedia recently used Clarence Henry’s 1961 track “But I Do” and Steppenwolf also appeared last year in a Pampers ad campaign ostensibly targeting young parents.
What’s fascinating is that the “mad men” (and women) seem to have no issue regularly using “oldies,” i.e., 1960s hits, in their ads, but they balk at the idea of media serving up the music.
The argument is flawed in two ways: first, as evidenced by what I’d imagine is focus group studied ads, old songs don’t only appeal to old people, and second, older Americans have most of the disposable income, and they’ll spend it in several categories.
Why is there this schism in what is acceptable to ad agencies and what is not? Why do advertisers refuse to reach upper demos when the idea that “older people are set in their ways and not susceptible to ad messaging” is much more outdated than the ’60s hits too taboo to build a format around?
Today’s 70-year-old is not living the lifestyle a 70-year-old did 70 years ago, even 25. Madison Avenue might be wise to update their thinking on demos (and again, gold songs and formats test with people who didn’t grow up with them also) as they have with creative.
The Kendrick Lamar Halftime Show was polarizing, but the NFL was convinced to go young. Soon-to-be 83-year-old Paul McCartney played a pop-up show in New York at a dive bar Tuesday, and it sold out in seconds with a stand-by line, causing a traffic issue in the city.
Whose song would you want in your client’s ad? And who WOULDN’T want that broad Sir Paul fandom?!
Also Steppenwolf had other hits guys just saying, use “Sookie Sookie” or “Rock Me” next time!
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