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The latest stories published on The Desk.
Nexstar Chief Technology Officer Brett Jenkins to retire
Nexstar Media Group said Brett Jenkins will retire from full-time work effective October 1; he will transition to Executive Advisor and continue overseeing several special projects.
EXECUTIVE MOVES
Fawesome redesigns streaming TV app with new ad formats
Fawesome has launched a redesigned connected television experience that places greater emphasis on content discovery and gives advertisers new ways to reach viewers before they start watching a movie or show.
Circle City presses DIRECTV for deal involving WRTV, WISH-TV
WRTV would become the third Circle City station unavailable to DIRECTV customers in Indianapolis if no new deal is reached.
NEW DETAILS
Ampere: Streaming platforms slow price increases as consumers vote with wallets
Across the three major streamers, average price increases fell from 24 percent of the prior subscription price in 2023-24 to 14 percent in 2025-26.
DATA
Groups seek to join Disney’s lawsuit against FCC over ABC licenses
The proposed intervenors support Disney’s challenge but argue the company’s corporate interests may not always align with the interests of viewers.
FIRST ON THE DESK
ESPN to raise streaming prices in September
The cost of ESPN Unlimited will rise to $32 per month for all streaming-only sports fans by mid-September.
wedotv expands FAST channel distribution on VIDAA platform
The expanded deal broadens wedotv’s free ad-supported streaming television presence on VIDAA, which is used across smart TVs from Hisense, Toshiba, Loewe and other brands.
CNN blames technical glitch for brief outage of channels
The issue started around 12:15 p.m. Eastern Time during a live broadcast of "Inside Politics with Dana Bash" on CNN and CNN International.
Sinclair: On-air KOMO employees vote to leave SAG-AFTRA
Anchors and reporters at Sinclair's local television station in Seattle narrowly voted to break from SAG-AFTRA for their union representation, the company said in a statement on Monday.
California AG cancels Paramount settlement talks over press leaks
California Attorney General Rob Bonta said his office would be willing to meet again if Paramount “stops playing games and engages sincerely.”
DIRECTV urges Supreme Court to reject Nexstar retransmission appeal
DIRECTV urged the U.S. Supreme Court to reject Nexstar Media Group’s petition seeking review of a Second Circuit ruling in a retransmission consent antitrust case.
FIRST ON THE DESK
Circle City misleads viewers about possible DIRECTV blackout
Circle City made a number of demonstrably-false claims about a possible carriage dispute with DIRECTV that could start Monday evening.
FIRST ON THE DESK