Television
News articles and original analysis on the television industry, including broadcasting, cable television, satellite television, streaming television, advertising, measurement and policy.
Sony fires “Wheel of Fortune” announcer Jim Thornton
Sony Pictures Television has fired Jim Thornton, the announcer for its game show "Wheel of Fortune," following an internal investigation into his alleged behavior while on board a commercial flight earlier this year.
A Parent Media Company enters receivership after Victory Plus woes
A large investor said APMC faced the likelihood of insolvency; the company owns Kidoodle.TV and Victory Plus.
DIRECTV expands college football campaign with campus tour, championship giveaway
The sweepstakes coincides with the Super Bowl and will gift one lucky DIRECTV subscriber with a trip package valued at $30,000.
Supreme Court restores lower political ad rates for party committees
The Court said the Fourth Circuit likely lacked jurisdiction because the challengers sought judicial review before the full FCC acted on their appeal.
NEW DETAILS
Don’t call it a firing, attorney for fired Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo says
The attorney, Bryan Freedman, spent considerable effort trying to spin the narrative, but didn't provide proof that earlier reports were wrong.
Ex-Fox Sports broadcaster Mark Sanchez to plead guilty in assault case
Sanchez faces charges including battery causing serious injury; it was not clear from court records what charges are involved in the guilty plea.
TiVo refreshes operating system with AI capabilities, new FAST channels
TiVo is adding interactive television capabilities through IRCODE, using AI and computer vision to support commerce, advertising and content discovery.
Laura Williamson to retire from Hearst’s Central California stations
No successor has been named; Williamson led the Salinas-Monterey cluster of stations since 2020.
EXECUTIVE MOVES
Fox Business parts ways with Maria Bartiromo
No reason was given for her departure; some speculate that she could be next in line to become the White House Press Secretary.
Warner Bros Discovery launches shoppable streaming experience in Poland
When viewers pause a program in the TVN WBD Player app, they can see products detected in that scene, with listings powered by artificial intelligence.
Victory Plus shuts down after losing local sports rights
The shutdown ends a short-lived experiment in free ad-supported local sports streaming; many teams have signed deals with other platforms like DAZN and Prime Video.
NEW DETAILS
CBS schedules Judge Judy retrospective for September 22
CBS will mark the 30th anniversary of “Judge Judy” with a new 90-minute primetime special focused on the career and cultural influence of Judy Sheindlin.