News Brief
Quick stories from the technology, journalism and media industries, updated daily.

Scripps News, KNXV receive National Headliner Awards
The E. W. Scripps Company's streaming news channel Scripps News received a number of honors this week, as did its Phoenix TV station.

TVB CEO Steve Lanzano to retire later this year
TVB says its long-time chief executive Steve Lanzano will be retiring at the end of the year.

Baseball players go bald to promote DirecTV’s streaming TV platform
Several professional Major League Baseball players are sporting domes for DirecTV this season.

Channel 4 CEO Alex Mahon to depart this summer
Mahon's resignation comes as the public service broadcaster addresses a shift from traditional TV to streaming platforms in the United Kingdom.

Report: Banijay Group weighing bid for ITV Studios
French entertainment giant Banijay Group is exploring a potential acquisition of ITV or its production division, ITV Studios.

Nexstar names Chris Flynn as new VP, General Manager of KRON-TV
Nexstar Media Group has promoted Chris Flynn, a former Comcast Advertising executive, to serve as the new leader of its San Francisco-based CW Network station.

FreeCast expands into the Caribbean with broadcast-streaming TV platform
FreeCast aims to position itself as a new entertainment option for consumers and a strategic partner for regional broadcasters seeking to expand their audiences and revenues in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Spotify touts $100 million paid to podcasters since January
The company released the figure in an interview with the New York Times on Monday, one day before it shares Q1 earnings.

Scripps to air WNBA pre-season games on Ion
The E. W. Scripps Company's sports broadcast division Scripps Sports will produce a handful of nationally-televised women's professional basketball games in May.

Vizio integrates Local Now content streams into free service WatchFree Plus
Vizio's smart television sets are now able to provide local news feeds from more than 220 markets across the United States after integrating content streams from Allen Media Group's Local Now, the companies announced this month.

Plex to raise rate of “Plex Pass” membership on Tuesday
Plex will be raising the price of its Plex Pass premium subscription on Tuesday, but streamers can save over the long-term costs by purchasing a lifetime pass on Monday.

Dave Schwartz, Sinclair SVP of Station Ops, to retire in June
Dave Schwartz, a long-time executive with Sinclair who has worked as the company's stations operations leader, will retire this summer after a career that spans more than four decades.