WASHINGTON—Civil rights groups have sent a letter to the Chair and Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation urging them to delay confirmation hearings for Danielle Thumann Severs to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

The Sept. 15 letter to Senators Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) urged the committee to wait until Democratic Commissioner Anna Gomez has been renominated alongside Thumann Severs so that both nominees are moved through the confirmation process together.

In the past, presidents have nominated both Republican and Democrats at the same time to the FCC but President Trump has not, as yet, put forward a Democrat.

If confirmed, Thumann Severs would give the Republicans a 3 to 1 majority. Gomez’s term ended in June 30, 2026 but she will be able to remain on the FCC until the end of 2027 or until the Senate confirms a successor.

“President Trump and other administration officials have repeatedly undermined the traditional independence of regulatory bodies, setting a perilous precedent that puts at risk their mission to safeguard the American public,” the letter said. “The nomination of Ms. Thumann Severs, a Republican, without an accompanying nomination of a Democrat, is a breach of democratic norms that raises serious concerns about the separation of powers that has protected our democracy for generations. Independent agencies should not be extensions of presidential will: their leaders should exercise independent judgement based on their expertise and statutory mandates. Senate confirmation is meaningless if confirmed officials can be summarily dismissed without cause, as has occurred at other regulatory bodies, raising serious questions about the efficacy and purpose of the confirmation process itself.”

“FCC Chairman Brendan Carr’s conduct over the past year highlights the need for a fully staffed FCC capable of providing a number of checks on the Chairman, including providing great transparency into the Commission’s actions, ensuring the administrative record is complete, raising important questions during proceedings, and meeting consumers,” the letter added. “In our previous letter (sent December 17, 2025) to this Committee, we highlighted our concerns with the behavior — the pressuring of broadcasters, gutting of media diversity rules, coercion of companies to pull back of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, and aiding attempts by the Administration to limit the ability of states to regulate artificial intelligence — under Chairman Carr’s leadership. In the nine months since that letter, Chair Carr has continued to threaten broadcasters and gut critical federal programs like Lifeline and E-Rate. A check on these actions is needed now more than ever, and Commissioner Gomez has been an outspoken critic of many actions taken by the Commission over the past two years.”

The letter was signed by: The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights American Library Association; Asian Americans Advancing Justice - AAJC Clearinghouse on Women's Issues; Common Cause; Communications Workers of America; Feminist Majority Foundation; Hispanic Federation; HTTP; League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC); MMTC; National Action Network; National Hispanic Media Coalition; National Urban League; UnidosUS; and United Church of Christ Media Justice Ministry.

The full letter is available here.

In a blog post announcing new features that expand the ways content creators can tell stories and interact with content, YouTube announced that it is launching capabilities to create episodic short series or what it is calling "YouTube Shorts series."

With Shorts series, creators can now structure their Shorts into seasons and episodes, while new features like custom thumbnails and sequential playback make it easy for viewers to discover new Shorts and keep watching. Shorts series rolled out to creators, across web, mobile, and TV on Sept. 23.

The launch builds on the growing popularity of episodic, multi-part storytelling on the platform.

YouTube noted in its official blog that creators from around the world such as Kinigra Deon and GOKKO CLUB are already leaning into episodic, multi-part storytelling with Shorts and that they had seen a “huge increase in popularity in microdramas. In the first half of 2026 alone, microdramas on YouTube surpassed 6.5 billion views, with watch time growing by over 50% year-over-year. And even though microdramas are a mobile-first format, views of microdrama content on TV alone increased by over 90% year-over-year,” the official YouTube blog reported.

YouTube also announced that posts are also getting an upgrade to enhance how creators connect with their communities. “On average, more than 300M users engage with posts daily on YouTube,” the blog explained. “On web and mobile devices, viewers will now be recommended posts from the Shorts feed, expanding creators’ audiences. And in the coming months, we’re bringing posts to TVs so you can easily find and engage with creators from the comfort of your couch.”

More information is available here.

NEW YORK—Comcast NBCUniversal and NBCUniversal Local announced that a total of $2.5 million has been awarded to 80 nonprofit organizations servicing one of the 11 NBC- and Telemundo-owned stations’ markets across the U.S. through the 2026 NBCUniversal Local Impact Grants.

Founded in 2018, NBCUniversal’s grant program has now provided $24.3 million to 695 nonprofit organizations.

“We’re proud to celebrate this year’s Local Impact Grant recipients and continue our support of impactful nonprofits in our markets,” said Valari Staab, chairman, NBCUniversal Local. “The impact of these organizations can be seen every day in the communities they serve, through the opportunities they create, the connections they build, and the lives they touch.”

For the ninth year, the competitive grant challenge is awarding unrestricted funding to eligible nonprofits making a difference in local communities. Applications were accepted in three categories: youth education and empowerment, next generation storytellers, and community engagement. The 2026 application window for 501(c)(3) nonprofits was March 24 through April 24.

“Local nonprofit organizations help expand opportunity, strengthen community connections and create lasting impact,” said Jessica Clancy, senior vice president of corporate social responsibility at NBCUniversal. “Through the NBCUniversal Local Impact Grants, we support organizations that are addressing the unique needs of their communities, opening doors for future generations, and making a meaningful difference in the lives of people across the country.”

Nonprofits receiving funds serve communities in the following NBC- and Telemundo-owned stations’ markets: New York (WNBC, WNJU), Los Angeles (KNBC, KVEA), Chicago (WMAQ, WSNS), Philadelphia (WCAU, WWSI), Dallas (KXAS, KXTX), Boston (WBTS, WNEU), Washington, D.C. (WRC-TV, WZDC), San Francisco (KNTV, KSTS), Miami (WTVJ, WSCV), San Diego (KNSD, KUAN) and Hartford, Conn. (WVIT, WRDM).

A full list of nonprofits receiving grants can be found here.

For more information on the NBCUniversal Local Impact Grants, visit localimpactgrants.com and the Spanish-language becasdeimpactolocal.com.

WASHINGTON—NAB Show New York 2026 has announced programming and speaker highlights for the event, which is taking place Oct. 21–22 at the Javits Center.

The East Coast marketplace for media innovation will bring together more than 150 speakers across 60+ educational sessions broadcast, streaming, sports, the creator economy and AI, along with the technologies, business strategies and new models reshaping how content is created, produced, distributed and monetized.

During the show this year, the organizers reported that the NAB Show New York is expanding its focus on the business of media and entertainment in 2026 by connecting technology innovation more directly to investment, growth, monetization and real-world implementation.

Business strategy moves to the forefront with new conversations around consolidation and investment, creator-led companies and the changing economics of sports, while AI programming increasingly focuses on how organizations are putting the technology to work.

On the show floor, more than 225 exhibiting companies will give attendees opportunities to compare technologies and evaluate tools and workflows for immediate implementation.

“NAB Show New York reflects a media industry where technology and business strategy can no longer be separated,” said Karen Chupka, executive vice president, Global Connections and Events at NAB. “Whether you’re building a creator-led company, rethinking a streaming product, investing in sports or modernizing a newsroom, the decisions being made today are about both how content gets made and how media businesses grow.”

More specifically, the show will also be putting a spotlight on some of the industry’s biggest structural changes during “The Great Media Reshuffling: Consolidation, Spin-Offs and the Battle for Scale” panel featuring Jessica Reif Ehrlich, managing director and senior media and entertainment analyst at BofA Securities; Eric Menell, global head, Media and Communications Investment Banking at J.P. Morgan; and Aaron Sobel, partner at Apollo Global Management. CNBC media and sports reporter Alex Sherman moderates the discussion of the forces reshaping the media business.

Creator businesses are part of that changing landscape. Michael Kassan, founder and CEO of 3C Ventures, will lead “From Following to Franchise: Building the Next Generation of Creator-Led Entertainment,” exploring the evolution of creators from audience builders into owners of scalable media businesses and entertainment brands. He will be joined by Jarret Myer, co-founder and CEO of UPROXX, and Chelley Bissainthe, TV personality and “Love Island USA” season 7 contestant

Additional programming will examine monetization, advertising, streaming and the economics of local television as established media companies and new entrants compete for audiences, investment and growth.

Sports: From Media Rights to Investment and Fan Engagement

Another major highlight will be sports programming examining the increasingly interconnected worlds of media, investment, betting, production and audience engagement.

“The Future of Sports Betting: Growth, Media and Responsibility” features FanDuel President Christian Genetski and Craig Carton, TV host and FanDuel responsible gaming ambassador at WFAN Radio. “Investing in Sports Media Today” features Laurie Freeman, partner at Bruin Capital, and George Barrios, director and investor at Isos Capital Management, while “Inside the Live Sports Economy with Jon Ledecky” features New York Islanders co-owner Jon Ledecky on the economics, ownership models and opportunities shaping sports media.

“Game On: The Power of Sports on Broadcast” features OutKick founder Clay Travis in conversation with NAB President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt. Other sessions explore sports marketing, production innovation and new approaches to fan engagement.

AI Moves from Experimentation to Implementation

Artificial intelligence runs throughout the program, with an emphasis on how organizations are putting AI to work in newsrooms, production environments and content operations.

“Creating an Environment of FOMO: AI in the Newsroom” features Ryan Struyk, director of AI innovation at CNN, and Christina Hartman, vice president of emerging technology operations at The E.W. Scripps Company, discussing organizational adoption and practical newsroom applications. “Can AI Help Solve the Local News Crisis?” brings together Axios COO Allison Murphy and former CBS News President and CEO Wendy McMahon to explore how AI could help build more sustainable local journalism while preserving trust and human reporting. Another session will share practical newsroom lessons from NAB’s Google AI training initiative, including applications for research, document analysis and information integrity.

Streaming and Next-Generation Media Technology

Streaming leaders will examine how platforms are evolving around changing audience expectations, personalization and product performance.

“Providing a Personalized Playback Experience: What Customers Want and What’s Coming Next,” moderated by VP of OTT at Vimeo Francesca Sussman, features Isaac Josephson, senior vice president of product management at Fubo, and Srebrina Tanova, senior director of software engineering, content discovery experience services and tools at Warner Bros. Discovery. “Inside Paramount Skunk Works” offers a look at Paramount’s approach to rapid experimentation and streaming product innovation with Vice President of Engineering Tom Schultz.

NASA+ General Manager Rebecca Sirmons and NASA broadcast technology leaders will explore the future of streaming in “Streaming the Next Frontier with NASA+,” which also includes longtime Kennedy Space Center broadcast engineer Ron Gonser. “Seoul Search: Leveraging ATSC 3.0 and K-Culture to Unlock New Opportunities” examines the intersection of NextGen TV technology and emerging content opportunities with Sinclair Broadcast Group President of Technology Del Parks and NAB Chief Innovation Officer and Senior Vice President of Emerging Technology John Clark.

Local Television Leaders Tackle Streaming, AI, Revenue and Technology

The Local TV Strategies conference on Oct. 21 brings together senior executives from major station groups to examine the business and operational transformation of local television.

Programming will explore streaming strategy, new revenue opportunities, AI implementation, technology investment and the 2027 advertising marketplace, with executives representing CBS, Cox Media Group, Fox Television Stations, Gray Media, Hearst Television, NBCUniversal Local, Nexstar, Sinclair, Scripps and Tegna.

Creators, Streaming and Sound

Creator-focused programming will examine how independent creators and emerging media companies are turning audiences into sustainable businesses through monetization, production efficiency, partnerships and platform strategy. The program also includes streaming-focused sessions and AES@NAB New York, bringing professional audio into the broader conversation around the future of content creation and distribution.

Technology Discovery Across the Show Floor

The show floor will feature 225+ exhibiting companies, including more than 40 new exhibitors and 53 international companies, spanning production, post, broadcast, streaming, cloud, AI, audio, workflow and infrastructure technologies.

Attendees can compare technologies side by side, see demonstrations and connect directly with vendors and partners as they evaluate tools and workflows for immediate implementation. The show is expected to draw professionals with significant buying influence across corporate enterprise and brand studios, film and television, creators, broadcasting, systems integration, streaming and sports.

In addition, the Career Fair returns both days, connecting students and early-career professionals with employers across the media industry. Post|Production World New York runs Oct. 20–21 with in-depth training for editors, motion graphics artists, visual effects professionals and post-production specialists. The NAB Marconi Radio Awards take place Oct. 20 at the Edison Ballroom ahead of the Show. (Tickets must be purchased separately from show passes.)

Explore the full NAB Show New York speaker lineup and view the 2026 education program.

Registration for NAB Show New York 2026 is now open.

WASHINGTON—A bipartisan group of Republicans and Democrats in Congress have introduced the Motion Picture, Television, and Entertainment Revitalization Act, which aims to bring entertainment productions back to the United States from foreign countries through federal tax incentives.

Following President Trump’s call for Congress to establish a federal production incentive to bring entertainment jobs and production back to America, this bill would establish a 20% base tax credit for qualifying film, television, and visual effects (VFX) projects that are produced in the United States.

U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Sens. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), and Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) introduced the legislation on Sept. 24.

In the House, Representative Nathaniel Moran (R-Texas-01), Representatives Linda T. Sánchez (D-Calif.-38), Brian Jack (R-Ga.-03), Laura Friedman (D-Calif.-30), David Kustoff (R-Tenn.-08), Judy Chu (D-Calif.-28), Mike Carey (R-Ohio-15), and Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.-03) introduced companion legislation in the House.

Backers of the legislation included the Motion Picture Association, companies like Paramount and NBCUniversal and a variety of unions.

Those supporters include the American Federation of Musicians, American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP), Coalition for American Production (CAP), CreativeFuture, Directors Guild of America (DGA), FilmUSA, Independent Film and Television Alliance (IFTA), International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), Motion Picture Association (MPA), Paramount, Producers Guild of America (PGA), Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), Teamsters, Television Academy, Writers Guild of America East (WGAE), and Writers Guild of America West (WGAW) have endorsed the legislation.

“Having worked in a movie theater growing up, I saw early on how films can move and inspire generations of Americans. Films like ‘The Notebook’ bring us to tears, and films like ‘Forrest Gump’ inspire us to see the world differently. That is the power of film, and South Carolina is blessed to serve as the backdrop for both of these iconic American stories,” said Sen. Scott. “We cannot stand by as more and more American film production moves overseas, taking jobs, investment, and an important source of American cultural influence with it. This legislation will create jobs in communities across America, support local economies, and help ensure that the next generation of iconic American films is made right here in America.”

“The Motion Picture, Television, and Entertainment Revitalization Act would deliver a true gamechanger for American creators, workers, and businesses – a federal incentive that supercharges production at home, fuels jobs and growth in local communities, and makes the United States a more competitive destination for the next generation of great film and television," MPA Chairman and CEO Charles Rivkin said in a statement. "There’s a reason everyone from President Trump to a bipartisan group of members in Congress to studios, unions, guilds, and more want to get this done. Passing this legislation could inject $250 billion into the country’s economy and deliver nearly 145,000 new jobs every year across all 50 states. That’s a story we can write together by enacting this bill, to ensure that more stories are crafted, created, and made here in America."

The bill would also provide optional 5% bonus credits that could be stacked on top of the 20% base credit, with the total credit capped at 30%. Bonus credits could be received through:

• Production in rural Opportunity Zones or federally declared disaster zones
• Multi-state productions
• Production is completed by an independent producer
• Film companies that increase their number of domestic productions relative to their previous foreign investment
• The tax credit would exclude live sporting events, sexually explicit material, marketing, daytime-drama shows, award event programming, social media posts, and other non-legacy media productions.

Several states have established their own economic incentives, but the lack of a unified federal incentive has left the United States behind as productions leave for countries like Canada and the United Kingdom, the backers of the legislation argued.

Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists President Sean Astin said that “SAG-AFTRA is proud to partner with our fellow unions, industry and policymakers in a bipartisan effort to rescue the domestic film and television business. The money is being invested, the productions are being made, the jobs are being created, just not in America. This is a jobs bill and that is exactly what our members want to see. We have the infrastructure. We have the crews. We have the talent. Now all we need is a level playing field. We are the storytellers who inform and entertain the world. Let's get back to doing that right here at home. Thank you, Senators Scott and Schiff and Representatives Moran, Sánchez, Friedman, and Jack, for championing this critical legislation,” said

Chairman and CEO of Paramount David Ellison and NBC Universal Entertainment chairman Donna Langley were also among those who backed the bill.

“Paramount fully supports this legislation, and thanks Senator Scott for his bipartisan leadership on this important issue," Ellison said in a statement issued just days after Paramount settled antitrust litigation by making commitments to maintain a certain production levels.

"America’s highly-skilled production workforce— including camera operators, set production designers, editors, visual effects artists, lighting and sound crews, costume and makeup teams, transportation workers filmmakers, and countless others — are critical to our nation’s economy, and have built and powered one of this country’s greatest cultural exports," he added. "We believe now is the time to pursue this important legislation, so we can support our critical production workers and make more films and TV right here at home. Paramount will continue working closely with our union partners and the broader creative industry at every level to help support this effort.”

“A federal incentive that complements existing state programs would help level the playing field, drive economic growth, create high-skill jobs, and ensure more film and television production is made in America by one of the nation's most dynamic industries," added Donna Langley.

NEW YORK—Optimum Communications, Inc. and A+E Global Media have announced an expanded, multi-year distribution agreement that will continue to make A+E’s programming available to Optimum TV customers across the cable operator’s 21-state footprint.

The new deal spans A+E’s full linear portfolio, including A&E, The History Channel, Lifetime, Lifetime Movie Network, FYI, VICE, MHC (Military History Channel), CI (Crime +Investigation), Lifetime Real Women, and The History Channel en Espanol.

“Optimum is committed to delivering a best-in-class entertainment experience that gives customers the content they love with the flexibility, accessibility, and value they expect,” said Keith Bowen, president of news, programming and business services, Optimum. “This new agreement helps us build on that commitment by preserving access to A+E’s entertainment programming that our customers want to watch.”

"Optimum has been a valued partner for many years, and we are pleased to continue our longstanding relationship and bring its customers the distinctive storytelling, trusted brands, and premium entertainment that define A+E Global Media,” added Jane Rice, co-president, distribution, A+E Global Media. “Together, we are committed to delivering high-quality programming wherever and whenever audiences choose to engage.”

SAN FRANCISCO—Local television news faces a stark generational divide, according to new consumer research released by #FutureOfTV.Live, a quarterly research initiative from Ring Digital.

Just 10% of 18–24-year-olds watched local TV news during the previous week, compared with 64% of adults 65 and older—a 54-point gap.

Daily television viewing shows a similarly large divide: 31% among 18–24-year-olds versus 81% among adults 65 and older.

The findings are part of the Fall 2026 #FutureOfTV.Live Report, based on a September survey of 1,376 U.S. adults, weighted by age and gender to U.S. Census population data.

"The challenge for local broadcasters isn't simply that pay TV is declining. It's that the next generation of viewers is developing an entirely different relationship with news and television," said Brian Ring, founder of Ring Digital and #FutureOfTV.Live. "The question is increasingly how broadcasters bring their programming into those new viewing behaviors—and then turn discovery back into tune-in."

The Fall 2026 research is sponsored by Big Blue Marble, a cloud and streaming solutions provider serving sports, news and broadcast clients globally.

The report covers a range of topics—vertical video, interactivity, and mobile video news—as part of a larger exploration of news audience behavior.

Among respondents who watched a local newscast, 35% said they last watched through a pay-TV service, compared with 18% through social media or YouTube, 13% through a free streaming app, and just 7% through the station's own app.

The report also found mobile news consumption is substantial. Based on the data, #FutureOfTV.Live estimates 108 million U.S. adults watch news video on their phones daily. Among surveyed mobile news-video viewers, Facebook and YouTube Shorts each reached 46%, followed by TikTok at 37% and Instagram Reels at 33%.

The research also tested possible solutions to the challenges this shift presents. It reports a positive audience reaction to low cost, high ROI interactivity used in CNN's late-night programming. It also tests a "TikTok meets TV Guide" concept designed to use short-form, vertical video discovery to drive viewers into live and linear programming.

The full report is available here. Read the full research and analysis at #FutureOfTV.Live.

TORONTO—The North American Broadcasters Association will hold Cyber University 2.0, a full-day cybersecurity summit, Oct. 20 focused on defending against growing cyber threats facing the broadcast and media industries.

The summit will take place at The Greene Space at WNYC, 44 Charlton St., New York, N.Y., from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. EDT.

Following the inaugural Cyber University in 2023, this year's event will bring together cybersecurity practitioners, broadcast and technology leaders, law enforcement officials and industry experts to share practical insights into protecting media organizations against an increasingly complex cyber threat landscape.

“Broadcasters are increasingly adopting IP-based production, cloud infrastructure, remote workflows and interconnected technology ecosystems, which bring with them new security vulnerabilities,” said Rebecca Hanson, NABA director-general. “Cyber University 2.0 is [a] forum to identify these emerging vulnerabilities, share real-world experiences and discuss practical strategies for strengthening cybersecurity and operational resilience.”

Cyber University 2.0 will feature sessions across a range of topics, including ransomware response, building executive and board-level support for cybersecurity investment, the security implications of agentic AI, cloud and identity protection, law enforcement perspectives on cyber threats and content supply-chain security.

The full slate of guest speakers covers a diverse range of cybersecurity expertise and include leading organizations such as Google, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Sinclair, FOX, CBS/Paramount, PBS, NYPR, Mandiant/Google Cloud, CYPFER, Wiz, OKTA, Trusted Partner Network (TPN) and Columbia University.

Who should attend Cyber University 2.0?

• Broadcaster Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) and other cyber support professionals.
• Broadcast network engineers, including for IP-based networks and cloud workflows.
• Production and news tech engineers overseeing automation systems and IT infrastructure.
• General managers responsible for overall station operations.

Summit registration and additional information is available online.

WEITERSTADT, Germany—LYNX Technik, a global provider of signal processing solutions for the professional broadcast and media industries, has announced the PVD 5440 DO, a high-performance frame synchronizer and multi-format video processor designed for demanding broadcast and production applications.

Combining frame synchronization, up/down/cross conversion, motion adaptive de-interlacing, and comprehensive audio embedding and de-embedding, the PVD 5440 DO delivers extensive signal processing capabilities in a single 12G-SDI Series 5000 card.

At the heart of the PVD 5440 DO is the Up/Down/Cross (UPXD) processing engine, incorporating LYNX Technik’s high-quality motion-adaptive de-interlacing technology.

The de-interlacing process uses motion-adaptive processing followed by diagonal interpolation, delivering clean, detailed images while minimizing common interlacing artifacts, particularly around diagonal edges and moving objects.

The processing engine also supports conversion between virtually all broadcast formats, including resolution and frame-rate conversion. Additional features include crop and zoom, horizontal flip, and a built-in test pattern generator with automatic failover when the input signal is lost.

In addition, the PVD 5440 DO provides frame and line synchronization to bi-level or tri-level reference, with automatic reference detection. If reference is lost, the card can continue in free-run mode, with an optional latch-back function when reference returns. Independent video and audio delay adjustments provide precise timing control.

The PVD 5440 DO provides comprehensive audio processing across 12G-SDI, MADI, and AES, including full embedding and de-embedding capabilities.

More specifically, a 136x200 audio crossbar provides extensive flexibility for managing audio between all interfaces. The card supports up to 64 audio channels over 12G-SDI, 64-channel MADI input and 64-channel MADI output, plus four AES audio channels in and four AES audio channels out. Channels can be routed, swapped, muted, mixed, and gain-adjusted, with automatic monitoring for audio presence, silence, and overload. Dolby audio can be passed through transparently as part of the SDI signal but is not decoded or processed by the card.

The card provides one 12G-SDI input and four 12G-SDI outputs, with one output configurable as loop-through. Optional fiber connectivity is available through a wide range of SFP modules supporting transmitter, receiver, and transceiver configurations, including single-mode, multi-mode, and CWDM operation with up to 18 wavelength options. Two GPI inputs provide remote control for functions including input switching, video freeze, test pattern activation, etc.

Configuration, monitoring, and status are managed through LynxCentraal, providing intuitive graphical control of the card’s video, audio, synchronization, and system parameters.

More information is available at www.lynx-technik.com, and www.lynx-usa.com.

WASHINGTON—The Federal Communications Commission has announced a tentative agenda for its Wednesday, September 30, 2026 Open Meeting that will see the Commissioners consider such issues as satellite spectrum, unlicensed ultra-wideband (UWB) devices, environmental policy rules, 911 and other issues.

The meeting is scheduled to commence at 10:30 a.m. in the Commission Meeting Room of the Federal Communications Commission, 45 L Street, N.E., Washington, D.C.

Open Meetings are streamed live at: www.fcc.gov/live and on the FCC’s YouTube channel.

The regulator described the items on the agenda as follows:

• Modernizing the Commission’s National Environmental Policy Act Rules (WT Docket No. 25-217). "The Commission will consider a Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to overhaul the Commission’s outdated National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) rules. These reforms will clarify the scope of Commission actions subject to environmental review and streamline and expedite the review process to ensure NEPA serves as a tool for informed decision-making rather than a barrier to investment, innovation, and connectivity."
• Satellite Spectrum Abundance (SB Docket No. 25-180); Spectrum Abundance for Weird Space Stuff (SB Docket No. 26-54); Expanding Use of the 12.7-13.25 GHz Band for Mobile Broadband or Other Expanded Use (GN Docket No. 22-352); Shared Use of the 42-42.5 GHz Band (WT Docket No. 23-158); Use of Spectrum Bands Above 24 GHz for Mobile Radio Services (GN Docket No. 14-177). "The Commission will consider a Report and Order and Order of Proposed Modification and two Further Notices of Proposed Rulemaking that would increase the amount of spectrum available in order to support innovation in the American space economy. The Order would unlock more than 1,000 megahertz of spectrum in the 12.7 GHz and 42 GHz bands to provide greater capacity for satellite broadband to the home or for in-flight connectivity and the like. One FNPRM would seek comment on unlocking an additional 1,175 megahertz of spectrum in the Ku- and Ka-bands and 138.25 gigahertz in the D-band for more intensive use by satellite communications. The other FNPRM would seek comment on three new bands across thousands of megahertz that might be able to be used to control spacecraft or to provide data communications in support of emergent space activities, such as in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing."
• Unleashing the Power of Unlicensed UWB Devices (ET Docket No. 26-245). "The Commission will consider a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would modernize the rules for unlicensed Ultra-Wideband (UWB) devices. UWB devices operate under part 15 of the Commission's rules and support a wide variety of applications, including automobile sensors, door locks, ground- and wall-penetrating radars, and location tracking for NFL players during games. The NPRM would modernize the UWB rules by updating definitions, measurement procedures, technical parameters, and outdated restrictions, while removing unnecessary coordination requirements. The NPRM would also create a new UWB device category for emerging applications like AI-enabled sensing and overall seek to future-proof UWB regulations for the next wave of innovation while maintaining protections for incumbent services."
• Modernizing the 911 Framework (PS Docket No. 26-197). "The Commission will consider a Notice of Inquiry exploring modernization of the 911 framework to ensure the public can continue to effectively and reliably access emergency services in this era of rapid technological change."
• Enhancing the Ability of Consumers to Control Which Calls That They Wish to Receive (CG Docket No. 02-278). "The Commission will consider a Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking modernizing its Telephone Consumer Protection Act rules to ensure that consumers have easily accessible ways to opt-out of robocalls while streamlining callers’ ability to process consent revocation requests."

SAN JOSE, Calif.—Adobe has completed the acquisition of AI video and image enhancement specialist Topaz Labs.

The acquisition has been valued at $340 million.

Topaz Labs will continue as a standalone brand, and Adobe and Topaz will integrate its advanced capabilities into creative tools and workflows. In 2025, Topaz received an Emmy Award for its video technology.

Filmmakers, photographers and designers use Topaz Labs technology to recover detail, improve clarity, maintain temporal consistency and produce video and image, said Deepa Subramantam, vice president of product marketing for creative professionals at Adobe in announcing closing of the deal.

Topaz Labs technology is available in Adobe Firefly and Photoshop. It helps creators upscale and enhance images and video while maintaining a natural look and details of the original, said Subramantam.

With the company’s Neurostream technology, creators can process AI models on their own devices or Topaz Lab’s cloud-based option.

Its tools enable users to modernize content at scale. Studios with decades of archived films, broadcasters and others can use Topaz Labs tools to modernize content for high-resolution screens, said Subramantam.

“By integrating Topaz Labs’ tools and models into everyday Creative Cloud workflows, Adobe’s global community of creative professionals and enterprises will benefit from spending less time moving between tools and more time refining performances, shaping emotion and finding the perfect cut. Adobe will also optimize the performance of Topaz Labs models, while leveraging strong enterprise relationships and global reach to raise awareness of Topaz Labs among creative professionals,” she wrote.

The Topaz Labs brand will remain. Its apps and models will continue to be available as standalone products. Company CEO Eric Yang will join Adobe’s Digital Video and Audio team. Topaz Labs' customers will receiver the same level of support as they have, said Subramantam.

More information is available on the Adobe website.

SHENZHEN, China—Wireless film and video production product provider Hollyland has unveiled the LARK M3 scalable wireless audio system for multi-camera, multi-person productions.

LARK M3 can be a one-to-many or many-to-one audio system that captures interviews, podcasts, multi-person content and multi-camera shoots with a setup that adapts to the number of people and devices involved.

The new audio solution relies on a multi-transmitter and multi-receiver architecture. Up to four transmitters can connect to a single receiver, letting each person wear a mic and be recorded independently without passing around a single microphone. Conversely, one transmitter can connect up to four receivers simultaneously, so a single speaker's voice can be captured by multiple cameras or smartphones at once.

With four-track independent recording, the LARK M3 can be paired with the hot shoe adapter, or connected via a USB-C or camera receiver to a computer in post-production to deliver four isolated audio tracks.

Recording at 48kHz/32-bit with a 70dB signal-to-noise ratio and 125dB max SPL, the LARK M3 pairs studio-level specs with an easy-to-use design. It uses Hollyland's proprietary HDT wireless technology to move audio data 50% faster for richer, clearer sound over distances of up to nearly 1,000 feet (300 meters).

AI noise cancellation, powered by deep learning and computational auditory scene analysis, suppresses wind, traffic, running water and other background noise across three adjustable levels.

Custom voice tuning provides one-tap vocal enhancement for all transmitters, along with eight vocal presets that can be assigned individually to each transmitter. Each preset can be customized in the app for more precise control over vocal tone.

Auto-Limit Clip Protection keeps volume levels stable across dynamic ranges, while a Primary/Secondary receiver setup ensures recording never stops. If the primary receiver drops out, a secondary RX instantly takes over.

The kit is designed for portability. Each 9g transmitter uses flexible magnetic mounting, and an all-in-one charging case stores transmitters, receivers, cables and windscreens while delivering up to 48 hours of total battery life.

More information is available on the company’s website.

New data from Parks Associates shows that the number of standalone streaming services continues to decline in the U.S. market, with the research company’s Streaming Video Tracker reporting ten US streaming service profiles were phased out in Q2 2026 as many services rebrand and reorganize their content and brands.

Notably, Paramount Skydance ended BET+ as a separate service and consolidated that content within its flagship Paramount+ streaming service.

The Streaming Video Tracker also started tracking two new services last quarter, OG Network and TrueTVplus.

Overall, there were 336 standalone streaming services in the U.S. down from 366 in 2022.

Recent market changes highlight an active streaming market where services are closing, consolidating, or moving content to different distribution models, the researchers noted.

In particular, the market has been active regarding sports content, as providers experiment with the best strategies to capture sports fans and viewers:

For example, FIFA+ moved to DAZN, RidePass now operates solely as a FAST channel and FanDuel Sports Network shut down its television channels and streaming operations.

“Streaming services continue to experiment with the best ways to reach and monetize audiences,” said Michael Goodman, director, Entertainment Research, Parks Associates. “The movement of content from standalone apps to larger platforms and FAST channels shows how quickly distribution strategies are changing.”

In its monthly updates, the Streaming Video Tracker analyzes the strategies and emerging market trends when providers move content into larger offerings or launch new services:

• BET+ has been phased out by Paramount Skydance, and its content library has migrated to Paramount+ under a dedicated BET Hub.
• CTV Throwback and Movies moved to Crave.
• OHL Live transitioned its digital streaming content to FloHockey.
• Barça One was replaced by Barça Play, which is integrated into FC Barcelona’s app and website.
• OG Network and TrueTVplus were added to the tracker in Q2 2026. OG Network operates as an AVOD and FAST service, while TrueTVplus launched as a FAST platform with programming across sports, independent films, documentaries, and lifestyle content.

Parks Associates will host the industry webinar “Streaming Video: Churn, Loyalty, and Competition” on September 24, where the firm’s analysts will share research and comment on market trends and the implications for service providers and content owners.

STAMFORD, Conn.—Spectrum News has launched Spectrum News NECN, delivering hyper-local, community-based journalism to viewers across New England.

The network will feature reporting from Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont and remains available to existing NECN distributors across the region.

Spectrum News NECN will expand availability to additional viewers in the coming months and will launch a morning show, anchored by veteran New England journalist Matt Reed, later this year. Reed will also be the network’s primary anchor beginning at launch.

“For the past 10 years, I’ve had the opportunity to wake up New Englanders and deliver the news they need to start their day,” said Reed. “I’ve covered stories that have been shaping our region, including nor’easters, the 2020 and 2024 New Hampshire primaries, duck parades for three Patriots Super Bowl wins, one Red Sox World Series and one Celtics NBA Championship. It’s an honor to help launch this next chapter with Spectrum News NECN, and I look forward to covering issues impacting all New Englanders today.”

Senior news director Teisha Parker leads the network, which is hiring staff throughout New England.

NECN initially launched in 1992. The rebranded 24/7 news network now features local headlines every 15 minutes and weather forecasts every 10 minutes on the 1s. Spectrum customers can also find Spectrum News NECN through the Spectrum News App on mobile, Xumo Stream Box, Roku and Apple TV.

Spectrum News has continued to expand its reach in recent years, launching multiple local linear TV news networks across the country; the Spectrum News+ streaming news network; the Spanish-language Spectrum Noticias news network; and mobile and connected TV apps with more than 9 million combined downloads.

More information is available on the company’s website.

BERGEN, Norway—Agence France-Presse (AFP) and Dalet have announced a partnership to strengthen content provenance and authenticity across the news media ecosystem.

Unveiled at the Media Provenance Summit here, the collaboration brings together AFP’s early work applying the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA) standard to editorial content with Dalet’s more than three decades of experience supporting the mission-critical workflows news organizations use to create, manage and distribute content. During the 2024 U.S. presidential election, AFP’s photo department conducted a real-world proof of concept (POC) demonstrating how provenance information could accompany editorial content.

As news workflows evolve, Dalet is championing an approach in which trust, governance and human oversight are embedded throughout the content lifecycle. Integrating provenance information directly into operational workflows gives editorial teams the context they need to make informed decisions while preserving the speed required in modern news production.

"The agency believes content authenticity is a major issue in a world where AI-generated content may damage the public's confidence in images circulating online and in the news media," said Guillaume Meyer, AFP deputy news director in charge of video.

Article 50 of the European Union's AI Act provides that only generated content must be marked as such since August 2026. AFP wants to go further. "We believe that all content –both AI and non-AI– would benefit from watermarking to bolster the public's trust in the media. C2PA adds a verifiable certificate to real field journalism."

AFP and Dalet will collaborate on the implementation of the C2PA standard within video encoding and distribution workflows. Engineers from both organizations will develop a fully functional POC, scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2027. The POC will demonstrate how a news agency can apply C2PA Content Credentials to video and deliver it to broadcasters with a verifiable record of its origin and history.

"It is urgent that the media find a way to help people navigate an increasingly complex information ecosystem,” said AFP news director Phil Chetwynd. “The C2PA project has the potential to raise trust levels in quality content by clearly identifying provenance. This is an encouraging step forward."

The joint AFP-Dalet project will also examine the commercial and legal considerations associated with implementing C2PA at scale.

“Trustworthy news depends not only on the journalism itself, but also on the integrity of the workflows that carry it from the field to the audience,” said Erwan Kerfourn, head of product at Dalet.

“Provenance cannot sit outside the production process or be treated as an afterthought. By working with AFP, we are embedding verifiable content history into the workflows news organizations use every day, giving editorial teams greater transparency while keeping people firmly in control of what is published. This is fundamental to protecting journalistic integrity and sustaining audience trust.”

More information on the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity is available online.

More information is available on the Dalet website.

ATLANTA—The Ohio Valley Conference has renewed its deal with Gray Media to broadcast the league’s athletic events across twenty Gray markets in eight states.

As part of the Conference’s multi-year contract with ESPN, the entire package will also be simulcast live nationally on ESPN+ and available through the ESPN app without digital blackouts.

The 2026-27 package again features select men’s and women’s basketball matchups, plus expanded coverage with three men’s soccer, three women’s soccer and four volleyball contests this fall. A list of basketball contests to broadcast on Gray stations will be announced at a later date, in addition to plans for spring sports coverage.

Gray’s Tennessee Valley Sports & Entertainment Network and Mid-South Sports & Entertainment Network each looks forward to bringing two Tennessee institutions – Tennessee State University and the University of Tennessee at Martin – to viewers across the state.

The Tennessee Valley Sports & Entertainment Network broadcasts over-the-air in Nashville, Knoxville, and Chattanooga, while the Mid-South Sports & Entertainment Network broadcasts in Memphis and Jackson. The OVC is headquartered in Brentwood, Tennessee (just south of Nashville).

In addition, Gray’s Matrix Midwest in St. Louis and Cape Girardeau, Missouri, will serve hometown viewers of OVC’s Southeast Missouri State University, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and Lindenwood University, while Gray’s Illinois stations in Champaign, Peoria, Quincy, and Rockford are excited to serve fans of OVC’s Western Illinois University and Eastern Illinois University.

Gray’s Indiana stations in Evansville, Ft. Wayne, South Bend, Lafayette and Terre Haute will focus on the University of Southern Indiana, and Gray will also bring the package to fans of Morehead State University in Lexington, Kentucky.

eX² Technology, a provider of network infrastructure development, deployment, and commercialization services, announced that it recently joined with Holland Board of Public Works (Holland BPW) and Holland City leaders and community members to celebrate the completion of a community-owned Fiber-to-the-Premise (FTTP) network.

The community-owned system offers residents 2 gigabit and 10 gigabit connections.

The Holland City Fiber Fest celebrating the completion was held on September 17 at Holland Ice Park where Holland Mayor Nathan Bocks and other elected officials were present.

“This is a legacy investment,” said Mayor Bocks. “The most important thing about this project is it is not built just for the needs of today. We built it for the Holland our children and grandchildren will inherit. When future history books are written, this decision, the decision to build a world class community owned and operated fiber broadband system will go down as one of the smartest and most impactful decisions the people of Holland have ever made.”

In 2022, the citizens of Holland chose to invest in their community, voting to approve a bond supported by a millage to deploy a 195-mile FTTP network that interconnects with Holland BPW's existing 260-mile fiber infrastructure. Holland BPW, a community-owned utility providing electric, water, wastewater and broadband services to the Holland community, selected eX² to design and build the network. The network enables access of up to 10 gigabits of symmetrical service, a significant leap for a community where, prior to the project, only 22 percent of residents had access to gigabit download speeds.

“The completion of this network is about much more than faster Internet speeds. Access to great internet service gives our residents and businesses the freedom to work, learn and connect so they can thrive in whatever they choose to do, right here in Holland,” said Pete Hoffswell, superintendent of Broadband Services for Holland BPW.

Originally scheduled for completion in December 2026, eX² worked closely with Holland BPW to finish the project months in advance.

eX² Technology implemented a phased network deployment approach for design and construction that emphasized timely completion of individual service areas, bringing neighborhoods online as they were completed.

"Completing this project months ahead of schedule reflects our commitment to being an exceptional partner to our customers and the dedication of every team member who helped bring this network to life," said Jay Jorgensen, COO, eX² Technology. “We couldn’t be happier for the residents of Holland who now have access to high-speed internet and all that it will allow them to do now, and in the future.”

Holland BPW is currently offering 2-gigabit and 10-gigabit service level plans. For more information, please visit: https://hollandbpw.com/en/find-your-fiberhood.

LOS ANGELES—Television Critics Association (TCA) members have voted to amend the organization's bylaws to prohibit generative AI usage in members' work and expand membership criteria to include new forms of content creation.

Recognizing changes in media, TCA—a nonprofit, member-run organization of more than 220 people who cover TV—now welcomes "professional television critics, reporters, writers, editors, and/or hosts who produce insightful, ethical, high-quality television criticism, reporting, and coverage that is distributed to the public."

That includes podcasters and creator-journalists whose work appears across mediums, such as e-mail newsletters and vertical video.

"People trust TCA members for their original reporting, insightful analysis, and helpful reviews, and should be able to find TCA members in any medium," said Andy Dehnart, TCA president and founder of reality blurred. "Our bylaws have always held members to high journalistic standards. These updates reflect how journalism has evolved and the work our members already do while welcoming professional creator-journalists and people who work across new platforms and formats."

TCA's new AI guidelines allow members to use industry-standard tools, but expressly prohibit publishing work produced entirely by generative AI.

"The addition of a clear AI policy ensures our audiences and those in the industry know that TCA members will not misrepresent a machine’s text as their own,” Dehnart explained. “This practice is especially concerning since generative AI is built on the stolen work of TV critics, journalists, media organizations, and other writers and artists. I’m proud that TCA members decided to make clear what is acceptable and what is not.”

The organization also reported that applications are now open at tvcritics.org/apply for those interested in membership. Applicants will be evaluated based on the quality of their work and vetted by TCA’s Board of Directors. TCA members have access to exclusive press conferences, professional development workshops, member-only discounts, and a vibrant community of other professionals who cover TV, among other perks.

During its annual meeting, members re-elected Kevin Fallon of The Daily Beast and Alex Reif of Laughing Place to new two-year terms as directors. The 2026-27 TCA Board of Directors also includes President Dehnart, Vice President Amy Amatangelo, Secretary Danette Chavez, Treasurer Megan Vick, and Directors Liz Shannon Miller and Matt Mitovitch.

While the introduction of AI-enabled smart glasses has prompted widespread privacy concerns, a new report and survey from S&P Global Market Intelligence Kagan finds that AI-enabled smart glasses are beginning to move beyond an emerging technology category and into everyday use.

The research, which highlights reported impacts on productivity, accessibility, and broader consumer experiences among US adults, found that more than 4 in 10 U.S. online adults’ expressed interest in or already own smart glasses. In addition, one in six owners use smart glasses to help manage a disability, with features supporting vision, hearing, and cognitive needs.

"Smart glasses are often discussed as a future technology, but many owners are already reporting practical benefits,” explained Neil Barbour, industry analyst at S&P Global Market Intelligence. “Our findings suggest the category is beginning to evolve from another wearable device into a platform for contextual AI assistance, with applications spanning productivity, creativity, accessibility and everyday life.”

Other key findings include:

• The report shows that families adopt at nearly twice the general-population rate.
• 44% of smart glasses owners report greater productivity at work and at home, with hands-free access to information and communication cited as core benefits.
• More than a third of owners say smart glasses help them stay present in the moment, and nearly one in five reports spending less time looking at their phone.

As major streaming services work to control programming costs, a new study finds that streaming series are struggling with cancellation rates that are higher than broadcast TV.

“The Show Must Go Off," a new report from Luminate that takes a closer look at renewals and cancellations in a post-peak TV landscape, finds only 44% of streaming series were being renewed by the major SVODs.

In contrast broadcast networks’ renewal rates are now significantly higher than those of streaming services and cable channels, a reversal of the once-conventional wisdom that series would have an easier time surviving on streaming than on broadcast TV.

The networks renewed 65% of their output in 2025, Luminate reports.

New streaming hits are also in serious decline, with freshman series falling from half of U.S. scripted output on the major SVODs in 2022 to 42% in 2025. HBO Max was the only major service where freshman series increased as a share of total premieres in 2025, while only Apple TV and Prime Video increased their number of new shows.

That figure, however, excludes limited series.

The study also found that despite its reputation for aggressive cancellations, Netflix actually renewed the most shows among the major SVODs from 2022 to 2025, renewing about 50% of its U.S. slate on average.

Audience retention across a full season is the single strongest predictor of renewal or cancellation when it comes to streaming series. Shows have a much stronger chance of renewal if more than half of the viewers who start a season end up finishing it, with cancelled series in our dataset averaging 44% retention.

The Luminate streaming viewership data also indicated that SVOD shows with more than 50% audience retention between their season premiere and finale are usually renewed, but each service has a different benchmark for what they’ll accept; Apple TV appears to accept the lowest retention, particularly for prestige series like The Studio (28% over 120 days).

WASHINGTON—America's broadband providers invested $92.6 billion in U.S. communications infrastructure in 2025, a 3.4% increase over 2024 and the third-highest annual total since 2003, according to the 2025 Broadband Capex Report released by USTelecom – The Broadband Association.

Cumulative industry investment now approaches $2.3 trillion since 1996, extending the strongest sustained era of network investment on record.

The report ties this investment to a fundamental shift in how networks are used.

Average monthly broadband usage reached 767.4 gigabytes per subscriber in 2025, up 9.9% year-over-year, and Cisco projects AI and agentic AI adoption could drive a 6.6-fold increase in consumer network traffic by 2035.

More strikingly, upstream usage—prompts, photos, video and sensor data flowing back into the network—rose 21.7% in 2025, more than double the growth rate of overall traffic, as networks built for one-way streaming adapt to an increasingly two-way, AI-driven internet. Fiber's ability to deliver matching capacity in both directions, the report notes, makes it central to that shift, along with the 5G, fixed wireless and satellite networks that depend on fiber backhaul.

“Fiber isn't just wiring for today's internet – it's the load-bearing infrastructure for whatever comes next,” said Jonathan Spalter, president and CEO of USTelecom.

“In 2025, providers extended an era of historically high broadband industry investment—expanding rural reach, modernizing wireless networks, adding capacity, and pushing fiber deeper into communities,” the report states. “At its core, this investment reflects broadband providers' sustained commitment to ensuring that the opportunities created by American innovation reach every community.”

The full report is available here.

Paramount has reached a settlement with a coalition of 12 attorneys general that would resolve the states' antitrust lawsuit alleging that the $111 billion merger of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery (Warner Bros.) would harm competition by lowering output and raising prices, hurting both workers and consumers in the process.

Separately the writers unions announced a settlement with Paramount that will prevent writer layoffs at CBS News for five years.

The settlement, which still must be approved by the court, includes a five-year court enforceable commitment to increase film output, a minimum of an additional $1.5 billion commitment to bolster domestic film production, a $47.5 million fund for workers who are impacted by the merger, and restrictions on how the company handles cable negotiations to help keep prices competitive.

In the wake of the settlement, Paramount is likely to move as quickly as possible to close the deal because it had promised to pay $7 million a day to shareholders if the merger didn’t close by Oct. 1.

According to the 12 AGs who brought the suit the settlement includes:

• An Annual Film Release Commitment: Paramount has agreed to a five-year term, where the merged company will commit to release 30 films a year, including 20 wide releases, in the first two years and 32 films a year, with 21 wide releases. in years three, four, and five. Paramount commits to release at least four independent films in each year of the commitment period. The proposed settlement stipulates that if Paramount fails to meet this film output requirement in any year, the company will be required to divest Miramax Studios and must pay $30 million per missed film toward the health care and retirement trust funds associated with the Writers Guild of America (WGA), International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), Directors Guild of America (DGA), International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), and other unions, toward the Motion Pictures & Television Fund, and to the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) in support of antitrust enforcement.
• Domestic Production: Paramount has agreed to bolster the merged company’s U.S. film production and spend an at least additional $1.5 billion over five years over its 2025 U.S. spending levels. Importantly, this is a baseline. Right now, around 5% of all of Paramount’s production is in the U.S. If a federal film tax credit of at least 20% is passed, production in the U.S. would need to increase to be 20% of all film production for years one and two and at least 30% of all film production for the remaining years. If, in addition to a federal tax credit, a more expansive state film tax credit is also passed in either California or New York, then production investment would need to increase to at least 40% of all film production being in the U.S instead of overseas. In addition, Paramount has committed to follow through on all existing development efforts, which includes major planned investments in New Jersey.
• Independent Film Fund: The merged company will form and operate a fund for purchasing independent films and will make an annual contribution of $5 million per year, for a total of $25 million.
• Protections for Workers: The merged company will commit $47.5 million in a workforce fund over five years for training and career development for workers who are displaced by the merger. The merged company must also honor previously established collective bargaining agreements and bargain in good faith with unions in years to come.
• Cable Agreements: For five years, the merged company must conduct negotiations for Paramount basic cable channels independently from negotiations for Warner Bros. basic cable channels, preserving the existing competitive dynamic between the companies. Preserving competition helps to keep prices down for consumers. The merged company also must continue to offer a free streaming service, like Pluto TV, and maintain its current service and quality. Additionally, the company agrees to create an editorial-independence board for CNN and CBS.
• Ongoing Monitoring: The company also agreed to appointment of an independent monitor to oversee its compliance with this agreement.

Following the announcement of the settlement with the AGs, the Writers Guild of America East and Writers Guild of America West, also announced that they have settled their lawsuit to block the proposed merger of Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery.

“We continue to believe the merger will cause damage to writers and the industry at large," the WGA said in a statement. "Now that the Attorneys General have settled with Paramount, however, as a nonprofit, the WGA must contend with the reality of forging ahead alone, with no backing from government enforcers, with a complex antitrust lawsuit that would cost millions of dollars to pursue through trial. Consequently, we have also settled our lawsuit with an agreement from Paramount to prohibit writer layoffs at CBS News Broadcast for 5 years, and to pay $17.5 million to our health fund along with our attorneys’ fees in the litigation."

"Though we were not successful in blocking the merger, our advocacy brought more attention to the harms that this merger—and others like it—will cause. We will continue to fight the harms of industry consolidation," the statement added.

FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez also criticized the settlement in a statement: “I am disappointed that this settlement appears to pave the way for yet another massive media consolidation deal that could raise prices for consumers, reduce content diversity, and weaken editorial independence. This settlement does nothing to resolve the FCC’s own unprecedented decision to approve near complete and unchecked indirect foreign ownership of one of America’s largest media companies from some of the most repressive governments in the world. Setting aside that worrisome arrangement, this transaction still represents a troubling new stage of media consolidation, with real consequences for consumers and for a free and independent press. The editorial independence protections included in this settlement remain untested, and there is good reason to be skeptical they will hold up once the ink is dry. Whether these commitments actually protect newsrooms inside CBS and CNN from political, financial, or regulatory pressure, or simply provide cover for further editorial interference, remains to be seen. I will be watching closely to see whether these promises translate into real protections or will be just words on a page.”

More to come as reaction to the deal becomes available.

HUNT VALLEY, Md.—Sinclair is expanding The National News Desk (TNND) by increasing news programming and adding additional news hours on various Sinclair stations around the country.

Beginning Sept. 21, a 5 p.m. edition of The National News Desk, anchored by Taylor Murray, will be added to the programming schedules in Seattle, Nashville, Baltimore, Columbus, Mobile, Wilkes-Barre, Flint, Savannah, Charleston, New Bern, Reno and Chico.

Sinclair will also add daytime half-hour editions of The National News Desk, anchored by Jan Jeffcoat, with Live Desk anchor Mark Boyle and National Reporter Angela Brown, within the afternoon programming blocks of stations in Seattle, St. Louis, Nashville, Pittsburgh, Las Vegas, Grand Rapids, Oklahoma City, Birmingham, Mobile, Wilkes-Barre, Omaha, Flint, Chattanooga, Syracuse, Tri-Cities, Reno, Tallahassee, Eugene, Bakersfield, Corpus Christi and Gainesville.

“The expansion of The National News Desk gives us another opportunity to increase the amount of news programming we provide and serve viewers with timely reporting throughout the day,” said Scott Livingston, senior vice president of news at Sinclair. “By leveraging the strength of our content centers and journalists across the country, TNND amplifies the local journalism our stations deliver every day and gives audiences greater access to reporting that goes beyond the headlines and helps inform and enrich their communities.”

TNND provides viewers with real-time national news and regional stories, utilizing the resources and content from Sinclair stations around the country to deliver the most impactful news of the day.

Since its launch in 2021, The National News Desk has expanded rapidly, now airing on 90 stations across the country with morning, evening, late-night, weekend and now, afternoon and early evening newscasts.

The National News Desk also airs on TheNationalDesk.com, which is available to all viewers, free of charge with no subscription, log in or authentication required. The National News Desk is also available live and on demand on YouTube.

PORTSMOUTH, N.H.—New research indicates that in the streaming subscription businesses, not all subscribers are equally valuable. According to Hub Entertainment Research’s “Decoding the Default” 2026 study, the more engaged users are, the more likely they are to stay and the less likely they are to churn and drop subscriptions.

This has important implications for the problem of subscribers churning in and out of subscriptions, which increases marketing and retention costs.

The HUB researchers found that the clearest signal of that engagement is whether a viewer considers a service their default, which is to say it is the service they turn on first when they want to watch something.

Being the default service not only drives usage. The new Hub data indicates that across paid streaming, free ad-supported services, and live TV, a viewers' default services are far less likely to be canceled, often remain in households for years, and are the ones consumers are most likely to personalize and make their own.

More specifically the survey found that viewers’ default source is the last one to get cut. When viewers are forced to imagine keeping only one service, being someone’s default source is worth two to six times as much loyalty as simply being used.

Among all Netflix users, 28% say they’d keep it if they could only keep one service. Among users who call Netflix their default, that jumps to 62%. The gap is even wider for Disney+: 10% of all users would keep it alone, versus 61% of users for whom it’s the default — more than six times as loyal.

“This data illustrates why streaming’s metric of success is shifting from subscriber numbers to engagement,” said Jon Giegengack, principal at Hub Entertainment Research and one of the study authors. “It also suggests the benefits that might come from combining Fox and Roku, and partnerships like Peacock and YouTube Premium, or Netflix and TF1 in Europe. These all create combined services that have more than one ‘starting point’ than either platform does by itself. And if you give viewers a compelling reason to start with your service, they will use your service more and stick around longer.”

Default services are also long-lived: nearly 70% have kept the same one for more than two years, Hub reported.

The no-contract streaming era has made viewers notoriously fickle when it comes to subscription-hopping. But once a service becomes “home base” for TV, that relationship is much more stable. More than two thirds (69%) say they have subscribed to their current default source for more than two years.

The survey also found that viewers invest time to make their default “their own," which in turn makes them more sticky.

Most viewers say they’ve spent time making their default service “their own,” by creating profiles, building watchlists, and customizing the app settings. This is especially prevalent among younger viewers (a segment particularly hard to retain).

More specifically, two-thirds (68%) of viewers overall agree they’ve made their default source “their own” through a profile, watchlist, or saved preferences. Among viewers under age 35, that rises to 79%, compared with 62% of viewers 35 and older.

These findings come from Hub Entertainment Research’s “Decoding the Default” 2026 study, based on a survey of 1,600 U.S. TV viewers ages 16-74 with broadband access, U.S. census balanced, conducted in August 2026. It is part of Hub’s ongoing series of syndicated Hub Reports.

Multiple reports from Bloomberg, Reuters and others indicate that Paramount has struck a deal with California State Attorney General Rob Bonta and other state attorneys general to settle their antitrust lawsuit against Paramount Skydance’s $111 billion takeover bid for Warner Bros. Discovery

The settlement, if completed, would stave off a antitrust trial in 2027 and pave the way for the deal to be quickly completed. On Sept. 17, the FCC’s Media Bureau approved foreign ownership waivers that were the last major regulatory hurdle.

Details of the settlement have not been made public but Bloomberg reported that the settlement would create an independent editorial board to oversee CNN and CBS. It also sets output levels for the combined studios’ movie production.

Bloomberg did not report any divestitures of the merged companies’ cable channel portfolio.

The potential deal was quickly criticized by some opponents of the merger, who argued that the concessions were “minor,” “largely unenforceable” and “in some cases promise less than the two companies are already doing as standalone competitors.”

In a statement, Free Press Co-CEO Jessica J. González said “[w]e are disappointed that Attorney General Bonta went back on his promise to enforce the law and protect consumers and workers…Based on all reports, this weak deal contains nothing but unenforceable, empty Paramount promises. It abandons the thousands of creatives and workers who risked speaking out, and the tens of millions of consumers the attorneys general should be fighting for.”

Over the weekend, some prominent Democrats also came out against any settlement with Paramount.

FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez also criticized the settlement in a statement: “I am disappointed that this settlement appears to pave the way for yet another massive media consolidation deal that could raise prices for consumers, reduce content diversity, and weaken editorial independence. This settlement does nothing to resolve the FCC’s own unprecedented decision to approve near complete and unchecked indirect foreign ownership of one of America’s largest media companies from some of the most repressive governments in the world. Setting aside that worrisome arrangement, this transaction still represents a troubling new stage of media consolidation, with real consequences for consumers and for a free and independent press. The editorial independence protections included in this settlement remain untested, and there is good reason to be skeptical they will hold up once the ink is dry. Whether these commitments actually protect newsrooms inside CBS and CNN from political, financial, or regulatory pressure, or simply provide cover for further editorial interference, remains to be seen. I will be watching closely to see whether these promises translate into real protections or will be just words on a page.”

The settlement would still need to be approved by the judge in the case and would likely face opposition from critics.

ATLANTA—Gray Media has promoted Tim Maloney to general manager and director of sales of WBKO, the ABC, Fox, and The CW affiliate serving Bowling Green and the surrounding South Central Kentucky region. The promotion takes effect Sept. 21.

A 20-year WBKO veteran, he began his tenure at the station as an account executive and most recently served as multimedia sales manager, directing station revenue strategies and servicing local and regional business accounts.

Prior to joining WBKO, Tim founded and operated a multi-location retail business.

Tim maintains an active presence in local civic affairs. He currently serves on the board of directors for Junior Achievement of South Central Kentucky, where he previously served as Board Chairman, and holds an associate membership with the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce. In addition, he helps spearhead station events, fundraisers, and community initiatives that support active partnerships with more than 30 nonprofit organizations across the region.

Tim attended Xavier University and studied fine arts at the Rochester Institute of Technology.

WASHINGTON—NOAA has selected Tomorrow.io to provide contracting support for the Earth Prediction Innovation Center (EPIC), the backbone of the agency’s operational weather forecast modeling suite.

This contract is part of the federal agency’s effort to speed up the development of its next-generation Earth modeling system, the Unified Forecast System (UFS), through open science.

The effort is important for broadcasters who rely on NOAA data in their weather segments.

“With EPIC, we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to cement U.S. leadership in weather prediction by leveraging the full power of the public, private, and academic sectors,” NOAA Administrator Neil Jacobs said. “We will accelerate the transition of scientific research into operations through a unified approach to model development in a cloud-based environment, which will advance our mission of protecting life and property.”

Established in 2019, the EPIC program provides community modeling infrastructure and engagement opportunities to foster collaboration with the larger weather research enterprise, including academia, public agencies, and private industry. The program aims to transition research innovations into operational forecast models used by NOAA’s National Weather Service more efficiently.

While the EPIC program oversees management and planning-related tasks, scientific innovation and other relevant projects, Tomorrow.io will be responsible for software infrastructure and engineering as well as user support services. The company will share responsibility for engaging the UFS community and collaborating on high-performance computing initiatives.

The goal of the UFS is to modernize and streamline NOAA’s operational modeling suite while accelerating the transition of scientific research into operations through a unified, community-driven Earth modeling system. By providing a single, flexible framework that integrates various components—such as the atmosphere, ocean and land—the UFS replaces numerous standalone operational models to better predict weather and climate across all timescales.

“We are proud to lead the team supporting EPIC and NOAA, the trusted global authority in weather science, in strengthening the nation’s forecasting models and infrastructure," said Thomas Cavett, vice president, U.S. federal business, for Tomorrow.io. “Our expertise in AI modeling and satellite observations reflects our commitment to NOAA’s mission of protecting lives and property. We look forward to helping realize NOAA’s vision and supporting continued progress in forecasting and early warning for partner nations around the world.”

SAN JOSE, Calif.—TiVo Platform Technologies and Element have announced the availability of new Element smart TVs powered by TiVo in the U.S.

The televisions are available with 4K Ultra High-Definition in 50-inch and 65-inch screen sizes through major online retailers including Amazon.com, Walmart.com, BestBuy.com and Target.com, as well as exclusively at BrandsMart retail locations.

TiVo, which is owned by Xperi, said that the launch represents an important milestone in the continued expansion of TiVo OS in the U.S. market, providing consumers with more opportunities to experience a smart TV platform designed to simplify entertainment discovery and viewing.

TiVo OS brings together live television, streaming apps and personalized content recommendations into a single, intuitive experience that helps viewers spend less time searching and more time enjoying the entertainment they love. By organizing content across entertainment sources and putting discovery at the center of the viewing experience, TiVo helps consumers quickly find something worth watching.

"The smart TV experience should revolve around content, not complexity,” said Geir Skaaden, chief products and services officer at Xperi. “TiVo OS is being used by millions of consumers who spend less time searching and more time enjoying entertainment, and our partnership with Element expands access to that experience for households across the U.S."

"Consumers shouldn't have to choose between value and a great entertainment experience,” added Vlad Kazhdan, president of Element. “With Element smart TVs Powered by TiVo, we're bringing together trusted quality, affordability and an intuitive content-first platform that helps viewers quickly find what they love to watch."

NEW YORK—Operative has announced a slate of new products for a unified broadcast management platform that it says will provide media companies with new intelligence and automation capabilities.

The features, which integrate natively with its core order management and broadcast management solutions, allow Operative customers to rapidly integrate end-to-end advertising and content management workflows, to accelerate revenue growth and increase efficiency with an agentic ecosystem of connected intelligence, smart automation, and unified omnichannel operations.

“Media companies are transforming themselves to win in an era of omnichannel platforms, digital-first distribution, and AI-powered workflows. Operative has built a unified platform that combines open design with native AI architecture to accelerate our customers’ transformation and provide them with value now,” said Dang Ly, chief product and technology officer at Operative. “Our new products give customers the flexibility to use Operative’s out of the box capabilities or integrate seamlessly to their internal enterprise platforms, the ability to activate their data as a strategic asset, and the agentic automation to reimagine workflows at scale. We’re investing in our customers’ success, delivering what matters most so they can realize more revenue, reclaim valuable time, and Operative can continue to be a trusted partner for today and what comes next.”

Operative described the new products and capabilities as follows:

• AOS (Advertising Operating System) Advanced Solutions: Pulse CRM, Inventory Studio, and Migration Accelerator transform fragmented and complex operations across linear and digital channels into a unified system. Sales workflows connect from opportunity through billing and measurement. Inventory Studio models, manages, and tracks multiple inventory types from display, streaming, and podcasts to newsletters, live events, and out-of-home, balancing supply and demand to maximize yield and revenue.
• BOS (Broadcast Operating System) Advanced Solutions: represents a significant expansion of modern, cloud-based, unified platform technology designed for broadcast management, complementing existing BMS systems with out-of-the-box intelligence and automation to deliver strategic scheduling, optimization, and planning capabilities.
• MAX provides dedicated capacity with embedded domain experts for accelerated customer value tailored to their needs.
• Insights unifies cross-platform semantic layer data to deliver AI-powered visualizations and business intelligence. Natural language querying, self-service and agent-assisted analytics, and a governed data hub allow customers to understand forecasts, revenue, pacing, and audience delivery faster.
• Integration Exchange catalogs and controls external system integration connectors, simplifying and accelerating the process of building enterprise workflows in a secure, scalable, and governed way.
• Workforce is a configurable agentic AI automation platform for ad sales and broadcast operations, built on top of Operative’s MCP (Model Context Protocol) framework, that optimizes workflows, removes manual steps, and scales throughput with intelligent agents. Its no-code Studio lets teams configure Operative’s standard, pre-built agent templates to their own business rules, automating everyday workflows. Complete audit trails, monitoring dashboards, and human-in-the-loop controls ensure autonomous work is performed in a governed way.

“This isn’t just a product update, it’s a structural repositioning of our core strategy built on automation, data, and integrations,” said Michael Napodano, CEO of Operative. “We’ve evolved from a portfolio of application solutions into a unified platform designed for a connected agentic ecosystem without forcing customers to wait. They get measurable value today while being architected for exponential capabilities that will redefine their operations in the future. That’s the real shift. A platform that works for right now and scales with their ambitions. Innovation and continuity aren’t a choice anymore, and the momentum our customers feel today is just the beginning.”

“This isn’t just a product update, it’s a structural repositioning of our core strategy built on automation, data, and integrations,” said Michael Napodano, CEO of Operative. “We’ve evolved from a portfolio of application solutions into a unified platform designed for a connected agentic ecosystem without forcing customers to wait. They get measurable value today while being architected for exponential capabilities that will redefine their operations in the future. That’s the real shift. A platform that works for right now and scales with their ambitions. Innovation and continuity aren’t a choice anymore, and the momentum our customers feel today is just the beginning.”

Operative’s new products enter beta this month, with general availability planned across the portfolio by December 2026. Media companies interested in participating in beta programs or learning more about the products are encouraged to contact their Operative account team or visit operative.com.

AMSTERDAM—TVU Networks and vivo have unveiled TVU Pocket, a phone-sized broadcast device that packs with a complete studio.

The device was launched during the just completed IBC 2026.

With TVU Pocket, there is no app to download and no rig to assemble. Simply turn it on and go live. Purpose-built for live production rather than everyday smartphone use, TVU Pocket combines vivo’s imaging hardware with TVU’s broadcast transmission and cloud production technology.

Features include:

• Connectivity no phone can match. Most phones hold two SIMs but use one at a time. TVU Pocket runs both at once: dual active SIMs on two independent 5G carrier networks as well as dual active Wi-Fi bands: four live data paths carrying the stream in parallel, not failing over one at a time.
• TVU One technology, pocket-sized. Fusing those four paths into one resilient stream is the most advanced and proven bonding technology: TVU’s patented ISX (Inverse StatMux Plus), the same transmission engine that powers TVU One.
• Deliberately versatile. TVU Pocket offers a broadcast camera, a bonded transmitter and a production toolkit in one. It captures 4K to 480p at 25–60fps with manual ISO, shutter speed and exposure and layers on split-screen output, background keying, URL/HTMLs/GPS overlays, one-tap social simulcast, video return, TVU Partyline intercom, TVU Anywhere remote control and Time Lock sync. External gear from Accsoon, DJI (including Osmo series) connects directly. Capture breaking news, stadium sports and creator content as a solo unit or one camera among many, it adapts to the job.
• Cloud-connected. Every feed enters TVU’s cloud production ecosystem, so one field unit can be scaled to power a full remote production workflow.
• Built on a custom-edition vivo flagship. Dual-5G aggregation is exclusive to this co-engineered edition, whose ZEISS primes (14mm, 35mm, 85mm) cover the establishing shot, the interview and the distant subject. Optional ZEISS teleconverters reach 200mm and 400mm (full-frame equivalent), and that reach and its stabilization carry into the live feed for concerts and stadium sport.

More information is available on the company’s website.

The boards of two public media organizations serving Ohio and Western Pennsylvania Sept. 17 said they had voted to merge their operations after completing a comprehensive due diligence process in response to Congress’s vote to rescind federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Ideastream Public Media and PBS Western Reserve are filing with the Federal Communications Commission for a license transfer and working on a filing with the state of Ohio to merge. Together, the combined entity will serve more than 4 million people in Northeast Ohio and Western Pennsylvania under the name Ideastream Public Media. No layoffs are planned.

An article on the Ideastream website by Christian Petrilla quotes Kevin Martin, president and CEO of Ideastream as saying the move is “about taking action now to protect something that matters deeply to the communities we serve.”

In 2021, Ideastream entered into a public service operating agreement with Kent State University covering 89.7 WKSU and several transmitters and translators in Ohio. The deal also combined content teams. Last year, Ideastream and Cleveland State University entered into a joint operating agreement for the university’s WCSB.

Martin will remain president and CEO of Ideastream.

The Ideastream article about the merger is available online.

WASHINGTON—The Federal Communications Commission’s Media Bureau has approved a Paramount petition that would allow 49.5% foreign ownership of the company after its merger with Warner Bros. Discovery is completed.

Despite this key approval, the deal still faces antitrust lawsuits that have delayed its completion.

Paramount had filed a petition for declaratory ruling with the FCC asking for a waiver of rules that bar foreign investors from owning more than 25% of a company that owns broadcast stations.

In approving the petition, FCC staff dismissed worries that allowing such a large foreign ownership stake posed national security issues, noting that the Ellison family will retain 100% voting control and that the foreign investors do not have voting shares.

The Media Bureau also stressed that the FCC has the “discretion to allow foreign investment in a licensee’s controlling U.S. parent above 25% unless the Commission finds that the public interest would be served by refusing to permit such foreign investment.”

“We are persuaded by Paramount’s argument Reply Comments that the Foreign Investors therefore will not be able to wield any influence, let alone control, over decisions involving the Licensees,” the Media Bureau ruled. “Paramount has further demonstrated that David Ellison will retain control over Paramount and that the Ellison family will continue to own a majority of the voting stock, and we credit Paramount’s statement that `Paramount will ensure that there will be no interference with the editorial or decision-making policies of its broadcast stations (or CBS News or any other facets of Paramount news and entertainment programming).’"

The agency did impose, however, a number of conditions on Paramount that will require it to report any changes in foreign ownership and control. “We condition our approval of the Petition on Paramount’s returning to the Commission for approval before giving the Foreign Investors additional rights, including but not limited to, any voting rights,” the Media Bureau said.

Public-interest group Free Press, some Congressional Democrats and others who opposed the waiver argued that foreign investors should not be allowed such a large stake in a U.S. broadcaster such as CBS.

They also noted that the approval would give Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, the Qatar Investment Authority and Abu Dhabi Investment Authority a 38.5% stake in the company, and that those countries had poor human rights records in terms of censorship, torture and crackdowns on dissent.

Anna Gomez, the sole Democratic FCC commissioner, reacted to the unilateral approval of the waiver with a statement criticizing the move: “The FCC just let some of the most repressive governments in the world indirectly control nearly all of a combined Paramount-Warner Bros. An investment this large in one of America's biggest media companies doesn't just buy equity; it secures influence over what gets said and what gets made.

“That's why I called for this new and novel issue to go to a full Commission vote given what's at stake,” she added. “Instead, the FCC snuck this ruling out as a staff-level decision, with no public vote and no accountability for a call of this magnitude.”

The full ruling is available here.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.—The Southwest Athletic Conference has expanded its SWAC TV with the launch of a dedicated FAST channel, increasing the accessibility and national reach of its programming.

SWAC TV will now be available via Prime Video, Plex, Xumo Play, Amazon Fire TV, Google TV and Dingo TV at no charge. The conference intends to announce more distribution platforms going forward.

“Expanding SWAC TV across leading FAST platforms represents a transformative moment for our conference and is a direct reflection of the tremendous support our fans have shown for SWAC programming,” said SWAC commissioner Charles McClelland. “The growth in our viewership has positioned us to take this significant next step and provide even greater access to our content on platforms that millions of consumers use every day.”

The expanded distribution of SWAC TV represents another major step in the conference's ongoing investment in digital media and broadcast programming. Through the FAST channel, viewers will have access to live sporting events, original programming and additional content highlighting the SWAC's 12 member institutions and 18 conference-sponsored sports.

SWAC has partnered with Triple B Media to operate and distribute the SWAC TV FAST channel across participating platforms.

The SWAC TV FAST channel will officially begin its live sports programming with action from week three of the 2026 college football season on Saturday, Sept. 19.

The FAST channel will complement the conference's existing SWAC TV distribution and provide an additional avenue for fans, alumni and supporters to follow their favorite programs while significantly expanding the potential audience for SWAC athletics.

More information is available on the conference’s website.

CHICAGO—United has inked a deal with Dish to provide live professional and college football broadcasts from ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, FS1, ESPN, ESPN2, NFL Network and TNF on Prime Video on Starlink-enabled seatback screens for people flying on the airline.

The games began being available this week and will continue through the Super Bowl in February. United expects to have Starlink on nearly 700 airplanes by then.

Starlink’s WiFi in the sky and live TV streaming on seatback screens is now on board more than 220 mainline aircraft for customers in every class of service – up to 700 flights per day – with plans to reach 700 mainline planes early next year. The airline expects to complete installations before the end of 2027.

Starlink is free for MileagePlus members in every class of service.

"Starlink opens a whole new world of features and benefits for our customers, regardless of where they sit on the plane – now football fans don't have to schedule their flights around game day," said Andrew Nocella, United's executive vice president and chief commercial officer. "Instead, they can watch their favorite team on seatback and also make changes to their fantasy roster, text or live chat with friends, or even stream different games on their phone, laptop or tablet, just like they would do at home."

United's new agreement represents a collaborative effort with Dish, utilizing its OnStream platform, to deliver content to next-generation aviation environments.

"With United, we are helping to rewrite the inflight playbook," said Amir Ahmed, executive vice president, video services, Dish. "Whether you're sitting on your couch or cruising at 35,000 feet, you should be able to watch your favorite teams play. By pairing DISH's OnStream platform with United's Starlink connectivity, we're keeping fans connected to the moments that matter most."

United said that the new service is just the latest example of how United is using Starlink to redefine the inflight entertainment experience. Last month, United partnered with ESPN to host a first-of-its kind live Fantasy Football Draft from 30,000 feet where ESPN analyst Tyler Fulghum made his picks live from the sky during the two-hour broadcast. And earlier this summer, United customers could stream the biggest soccer tournament in the world onboard Starlink-powered domestic flights.

Starlink is now active on more than 560 United mainline and United Express® aircraft and the airline has already flown more than 31 million passengers on Starlink-powered aircraft across more than 464,000 flights, powering 14.2 million devices.

MONTREAL—LNK Group, one of Lithuania’s leading commercial television companies, has moved playout and media management for its five national television networks to Grass Valley’s AMPP Media Operating System, completing a project to introduce software-defined operations alongside its transition to SMPTE ST 2110.

The deployment covers LNK, BTV, TV1, InfoTV and 2TV, replacing LNK’s legacy playout environment with Playout X and Framelight X running on AMPP Local at its Vilnius facility.

Delivered by Hannu Pro, Grass Valley’s partner in the Baltic region and a certified AMPP Managed Service Partner, the project combines an on-premises primary system with cloud-based disaster recovery.

LNK selected the Grass Valley solution following a competitive tender as part of a wider upgrade of its broadcast infrastructure. The broadcaster required the reliability and operational resilience of national television playout, with greater flexibility to develop services and workflows.

“This project represents an important step in the modernization of LNK Group’s broadcast infrastructure,” said Ričardas Kazlauskas, CTO at LNK Group. “Our objective was to maintain the reliability required for national television broadcasting while giving us more flexibility in how we deploy and develop our services. Moving our five networks to AMPP and Playout X alongside our transition to SMPTE ST 2110 provides that foundation.”

LNK’s five networks combine scheduled programming, advertising, live content, news and graphics. Redundant Playout X chains provide continuity across all five, with support for live inputs, secondary recordings, HTML5 graphics, advanced audio and SCTE insertion for downstream advertising on LNK’s digital platform. LNK and BTV also support SRT contribution feeds.

Grass Valley also noted that AMPP allows applications to run on shared compute rather than dedicated broadcast hardware, giving LNK greater flexibility to introduce or modify workflows. The deployment operates alongside the broadcaster’s SMPTE ST 2110 infrastructure, connecting software-defined applications with its wider IP environment.

“One of the most important aspects of this transformation is that broadcast applications are no longer tightly coupled to dedicated hardware,” said Justinas Kunickas, CIO at LNK Group. “With AMPP we can run applications on shared compute infrastructure, integrate them with our existing systems and introduce or change workflows without rebuilding the underlying signal chain. For us, that architectural flexibility is one of the key benefits of moving toward a Dynamic Media Facility environment.”

Framelight X provides media management, logging, editing, record scheduling and content review, with high-resolution and proxy media held on central NAS storage. It also supports QC and preview of high-resolution content and connects LNK’s active workflows with an archive of approximately 150,000 assets, Grass Valley reported.

Framelight X replaces the archive browsing and selection functionality previously used by traffic, scheduling and promo teams, providing access to content held within the existing Telestream DIVA archive. Hannu Pro integrated DIVA and Vantage with the new environment to meet LNK’s workflow requirements.

For LNK and BTV, disaster recovery is provided through a separate AMPP deployment on AWS, with Wasabi storage for high-resolution and proxy media.

The project continues a technology relationship between LNK and Hannu Pro dating back to 1993. LNK’s wider production environment includes Grass Valley LDX cameras, K-Frame vision mixers and GV STRATUS, alongside Octopus NRCS for news production.

“LNK Group demonstrates how software-defined applications can be introduced into established broadcast operations while maintaining the resilience required for national television,” said Carlos Ferreira, VP of Sales, Southern Europe at Grass Valley. “AMPP gives LNK a common platform for playout and media management across five networks, with the flexibility to run applications on premises and extend critical services into the cloud. Combined with SMPTE ST 2110, it provides a practical route towards the Dynamic Media Facility.”

WASHINGTON—The NAB Leadership Foundation (NABLF) has announced the 2027 class of executives who will be taking its Broadcast Leadership Training (BLT) program.

For more than 25 years, BLT has prepared nearly 450 senior executives and managers for station ownership and C-suite roles. With interactive sessions led by seasoned faculty members and invited speakers, the participants explore financial and business strategy, management and leadership, artificial intelligence, human resources, organizational culture and other issues shaping the future of broadcasting. 

“The 2027 BLT class brings together an exceptional group of professionals who are ready to challenge conventional thinking, learn from one another and inspire confidence for what lies ahead,” said NABLF President Michelle Duke. “Resilient and effective leadership has never been more important, and we are thrilled to support these professionals as they grow and to see where their leadership takes them.”

The NAB welcomed the following members of the 2027 BLT class:  

• Angel Livas, founder and CEO, ALIVE Network
• Ashley Parker, vice president and general manager, KSAT, Graham Media Group 
• Brenden Nakamine, news director, KITV, Allen Media Group
• Coriya Burns Falker, general sales manager, Urban One Atlanta
• Eric Casella, vice president of programming, Cox Media Group
• Erik Smith, vice president of news operations and technology, Fox Television Stations
• Ilana Goldstein, director of finance and strategy, Beasley Media Group
• James Galindo, general manager, 23ABC (KERO-TV), The E.W. Scripps Company
• James Loftus, vice president and general manager, KAPP/KVEW, Morgan Murphy Media
• Jessica Fernandez, news director, Univision Television Group
• Keith Hildibrand, vice president of benefits, Gray Media
• Matt McDonald, general manager, Central Oregon Daily News (KBNZ/KOHD)
• PJ English, director of operations, Tuscaloosa Radio Group
• Shannone Dunlap, executive vice president and general manager, Black Diamond Broadcasting & Digital Solutions
• Shawnda Adams, news director, KOCO, Hearst Television

For more information about the program, please contact Pamela Cervera, senior program manager, NABLF.

The mission of the Foundation is to develop leaders, prepare individuals for careers in broadcasting and recognize the community impact of local television and radio stations. Learn more at nabfoundation.org.

SAN JOSE, Calif.—Roku has introduced Roku Labs, a new program built on the concept that the best innovation happens when customers help shape it.

Available soon in the U.S., Roku Labs will give viewers early access to experimental, in-development apps from Roku’s engineers and innovators, letting them test new experiences, share feedback and directly influence what gets built next. Roku Labs is found directly through a tile on the Roku Home Screen.

“Our best breakthroughs have never happened in a vacuum; they start with Roku engineers building and the people watching,” said Roku senior vice president for advanced development Brian Pinkerton. “Roku Labs continues to bridge the gap between engineers and our viewers, giving millions of households a seat at the table to explore, test and shape experiences in real time. It ensures every feature that comes to our platform solves a real pain point, brings genuine delight and reinforces our commitment to streaming.”

One of the first concepts to come out of Roku Labs is Roku City Dash, an original game that takes viewers inside Roku City, past iconic buildings and unexpected surprises from outer space. Having graduated from Roku Labs, Roku City Dash is now available to viewers everywhere. At launch, four more features remain in testing inside Roku Labs. Roku Stocks allows viewers to keep an eye on their portfolio, and Roku Weather checks the forecast from their TVs.

Backdrops Studio lets viewers get more creative with custom artwork and images for their screens, and Roku Immerse enables them to set the screensaver atmosphere they want, whether that’s looking for spectacular mountain views or the desert at sunset.

Other updates are planned, including global expansion of the new Roku Home Screen with Brazil and Mexico launching in coming months; premium subscription bundles offering 30% savings compared to a la carte subscriptions in the U.S. and Mexico; smarter search offering a more personalized, dynamic experience; and expansion of Roku Voice into a more capable on-screen assistant outside of entertainment.

The new OS features will be available over the coming months across all Roku TV models and streaming devices in the United States.

The company today also announced that Roku LT OS, its lightweight operating system powering Roku remote and Roku Smart Home is now open source, making the core technology available to programmers.

More information is available on the company’s website.

There will be a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System this November.

FEMA, in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission, will conduct a nationwide EAS test on Nov. 17. The FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau made the announcement on Wednesday.

All EAS participants — which includes nearly all licensed radio stations in the U.S. — are required to participate in the test and submit required filings in the commission’s EAS Test Reporting System (ETRS). If conditions on that date require rescheduling, the alternate test date is Dec. 3.

This is the first national periodic test since 2023. In the past, those tests have occurred every two years.

Prior to the test, all EAS participants must submit their annual ETRS Form One for calendar year 2026 no later than Oct. 30.

FEMA will transmit the nationwide test at 2:20 p.m. Eastern Time on Nov. 17 using Integrated Public Alert and Warning System, according to the commission. The test will be disseminated in English and Spanish as a Common Alerting Protocol message using the Nationwide Test of the EAS (NPT) event code.

It will be geo-targeted using the All-US (000000) geocode, according to FEMA.

The test message audio and text, which the commission said is designed to be identical to the greatest extent possible, is as follows:

“This is a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System, issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, covering the United States from 2:20 to 2:50 hours ET. This is only a test. No action is required by the public.”

Preparation Steps
The bureau encourages EAS participants to take the following preparation steps in coordination with their State Emergency Communications Committees:

• Ensure a copy of the EAS operating handbook is located at normal duty positions or equipment locations and is accessible to operators. A writable PDF version can be found on the bureau’s website.
• Review handbook procedures for actions operators must take upon receipt of the test alert and tailor steps specific to the facility.
• Review state EAS plans for monitoring assignments and ensure equipment is configured to monitor those sources.
• Update EAS equipment software and firmware to the most recent version.
• Ensure equipment clocks are synchronized to official time provided by the National Institute of Standards and Technology if not automatically set.

Post-Test Reporting Deadlines
Forms Two and Three will open in ETRS on Nov. 17 at the time of the test:

• ETRS Form Two: Must be filed within 48 hours of the test (by 2:20 p.m. ET on Nov. 19, or Dec. 5 if conducted on the backup date).
• ETRS Form Three: Detailed post-test data must be submitted within 45 days (on or before Jan. 4, 2027, or Jan. 18, 2027, for the backup date).

A user who has a registered username and an FCC registration number can access ETRS through the commission’s website.

Filers who have not previously create a username can do so at its user registration section.

Exemptions
All EAS participants — including Low Power FM (LPFM) stations, Class D noncommercial educational FM stations, and stations operating silent under Special Temporary Authority — are required to register and file in ETRS.

The only exceptions are:

• LPTV stations operating as translators that entirely rebroadcast another broadcast station;
• FM booster and FM translator stations that entirely rebroadcast another local FM station, and
• International broadcast stations

Satellite or repeater stations that rebroadcast 100% of a hub station’s programming, but the primary hub station remains required to file.

The Integrated Public Alert and Warning System Modernization Act of 2015 requires FEMA to conduct nationwide tests of the public alert and warning system.

This article originally appeared on TV Tech sister brand, Radio World.

As live sports proliferates on streaming platforms and more viewers are watching live sports, new research from Premion and Advertiser Perceptions finds that demand for live sports streaming/CTV ad inventory is also growing.

The survey found that nearly three-quarters (73%) of advertisers plan to allocate budget to live sports streaming/CTV advertising over the next 6–12 months, driven by engaged fans and major live events. Agency demand is even stronger, with 79% planning to invest, compared with 65% of marketers, the study found.

At the same time, the study also indicated that advertisers also want better measurement, stronger proof of ROI and simpler ways to navigate an increasingly fragmented sports marketplace as they ramp up those investments.

“Live sports continues to deliver something incredibly valuable for advertisers: passionate audiences showing up in real time,” said Blake Hebert, head of publisher operations, Premion. “As more sports viewing moves to streaming, advertisers want to capture that engagement with greater precision, accountability and local relevance. The opportunity now is to make live sports easier to access, measure and prove across an increasingly fragmented landscape.”

Six in 10 advertisers (61%) say reaching highly engaged sports fans during live events is a top reason for investing in live sports streaming, making it the leading investment driver. More than half (52%) also point to capitalizing on live sporting events that draw large audiences.

The appeal goes beyond engagement and scale. 41% cite aligning their brands with premium live sports content, while 40% are looking to extend the reach and impact of linear TV campaigns and 37% want to connect with streaming-first or cord-cutting sports fans. The findings reinforce streaming’s growing role in extending linear reach and connecting advertisers with shifting sports audiences.

57% of advertisers rank audience delivery and geographic reporting down to the local market among their most important measurement capabilities, higher than any other capability tested. That local focus signals that advertisers want to know not only that they reached sports fans, but that they reached the right audiences in the markets that matter, the researchers reported.

Accountability also ranks high. 52% prioritize attribution following exposure to live sports advertising, while 49% prioritize transparent reporting across publishers and inventory sources. Another 49% prioritize measuring incremental reach beyond linear TV. The expectation is clear: prove audience delivery, quantify streaming’s incremental reach and connect exposure to outcomes.

The survey also found that four in 10 advertisers (40%) are investing in live sports streaming to extend the reach and impact of linear TV campaigns, while nearly half (49%) prioritize measuring incremental reach beyond linear TV.

The findings underscore how streaming and linear are increasingly working hand in hand. As sports audiences spread across screens, streaming helps advertisers extend linear reach while adding greater targeting and measurement, the researchers said.

In terms of barriers to investment, the survey indicated that cost is the top obstacle to greater live sports streaming investment. That factor was cited by 44% of advertisers, with difficulty measuring campaign performance and ROI close behind at 41%.

Other hurdles reflect the complexity of today’s sports marketplace. 35% cite a lack of transparency into campaign delivery and reporting, while 34% point to the complexity of buying across multiple publishers and platforms. Another 34% cite limited access to premium live sports inventory.

Notably, just 23% cite difficulty reaching sports audiences at sufficient scale, the lowest-ranked challenge. The gap is telling: reaching sports fans isn’t the primary obstacle. Cost, proving performance and navigating a fragmented marketplace are the bigger hurdles to greater investment.

“Our research shows advertisers already recognize the value of live sports streaming. The next step is removing the friction that can hold back greater investment, from buying complexity to transparency and ROI. Solving those challenges will help advertisers get more from live sports,” added Hebert.

Premion commissioned Advertiser Perceptions to survey 302 U.S. advertising decision-makers from August 3–11, 2026. Respondents were involved in media brand selection decisions and represented companies or clients with at least $1 million in planned advertising spend over the next 12 months. The sample included both agency and marketer respondents from the Advertiser Perceptions AdPROs Community and trusted third-party partners.

The full report is available here.

The Federal Communications Commission’s Media Bureau has announced deadlines and other procedures for responding to the Bureau’s public notice reminding broadcasters and the public about preexisting law and FCC guidance pertaining to the “lowest unit charge” (LUC) requirements for political ads.

The Bureau issued guidance in March that appeared to expand the organizations that are eligible for the discounts on political ads, a policy that could cost broadcasters significant ad revenue.

The move quickly prompted pushback from broadcasters as well as Democrats, including an application for review filed by Democrats Sherrod Brown, Jon Ossoff, Roy Cooper, and Kristen McDonald Rivet who are running for Congress.

The issue has also spilled into the Courts, with a Federal Appeals Court blocking the guidance and the Supreme Court restoring it in a Sept. 4 emergency stay.

Although the Media Bureau did not ask for public comment in issuing the guidance in March and has argued in recent months that it is not required to, the Bureau is now asking for comments to be filed by Sept. 25 and reply comments by Sept. 30.

The filing window is shorter than usual because of the looming midterm elections and the guidance’s potential impact on those election because it would provide discounts to a wider group of political organizations, Republicans have generally favored the expansion, which would require privately owned broadcasters to increase the subsidies they offer political groups, thus reducing their overall revenue, while Democrats have opposed it.

In a statement the FCC’s lone Democrat Commissioner Anna Gomez’s complained that “This comment period comes months after the Application for Review was filed, and only after the discount window already opened and ads are already running under the very policy it is asking the Commission to reverse, so the people most affected have already lost the chance to weigh in when it mattered. By opening a docket on the issue for the very first time, the Commission is confirming what I and the Fourth Circuit already said, that this process needed public input from the start and never should have gone this far without it. This is less like newfound transparency and more like damage control dressed up as due process, and a delay tactic dressed up as diligence.”

The full filing seeking “Comment on Application for Review of Public Notice Pertaining to Lowest Unit Charge Requirements” and related documents are available here.

SACRAMENTO—CBS Sacramento (KMAX), and UC Davis Athletics have announced a new deal that will bring five 2026 UC Davis Aggies football games to the greater Sacramento area via free broadcast TV.

The five-game package gives fans free televised access to a UC Davis team that enters 2026 ranked No. 6 in the FCS. Under third-year head coach Tim Plough, the Aggies are coming off a 9-4 season and a fifth FCS playoff berth since 2018.

“This partnership reflects our commitment to showcasing the teams, traditions and institutions that matter most to Northern California,” said Scott Warren, regional president and general manager, CBS Sacramento and CBS Bay Area. “UC Davis is an important part of the fabric of our region, and we're proud to partner with the university to bring Aggies football free to viewers across the Sacramento area while helping connect more fans with the excitement of the season.”

“Expanding the reach and visibility of Aggie football throughout the Sacramento region continues to be a priority for our department, and this partnership with CBS Sacramento is an important step forward,” said Rocko DeLuca, director of athletics at UC Davis. “Providing free, over-the-air access to our games gives us another opportunity to grow our base of support, connect with UC Davis alumni throughout the Sacramento region and introduce even more fans to Aggie football.”

2026 CBS Sacramento / UC Davis Football Broadcast Schedule:

• Saturday, Sept. 19, 7:00 p.m., Stetson
• Saturday, Sept. 26, 7:00 p.m., Montana
• Saturday, Oct. 24, 4:00 p.m., Northern Colorado
• Saturday, Nov. 7, 4:00 p.m., Utah Tech
• Saturday, Nov. 21, 1:00 p.m., Cal Poly

ESPN is reporting strong viewing numbers for its U.S. Open coverage, with Sunday’s US Open Men’s Championship match between Ben Shelton and eventual champion Alexander Zverev attracting an average audience of 3.2 million viewers on ABC, the largest viewership on record since ESPN began televising the tournament in 2009.

Viewership peaked at 4.0 million from 5:30-5:45 p.m. ET.

Earlier, Saturday’s Women’s Championship, won by Elena Rybakina over Aryna Sabalenka, averaged 2.7 million viewers, peaking at 3.2 million from 6:30-6:45 p.m. The audience was up 13% year-over-year (YOY) and was ESPN’s largest since 3.4 million watched Sabalenka and Coco Gauff in 2023.

The Men’s and Women’s championships combined to average 3.0 million viewers, up 9% YOY.

The All-American Friday night Men’s semifinal match between Shelton and Frances Tiafoe averaged 3.1 million viewers, peaking at 3.7 million between 10:45-11 p.m., the largest Men’s semifinal audience on record for ESPN. The earlier semifinal match with Zverev defeating Karen Khachanov averaged 1.2 million, with the two semifinals combining to average 2.2 million viewers, up 19% YOY.

Overall, the event ranks as ESPN’s most-viewed US Open since 2022. The two-week long tournament across ESPN networks (ABC, ESPN, ESPN2) averaged 1.2 million viewers, a 4% increase YOY.

Other key viewing figures include:

• ESPN delivered its largest US Open opening day audience ever on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC, 914K avg. viewers, up 13% YOY. Action on ABC averaged 1.25M avg. viewers, up 7% vs. 2025.
• The second round drew 834K avg. viewers on ESPN/ESPN2
• Third round across ESPN and ESPN2 averaged 1.1 million, up +27% from last year and also standing as the most-viewed since 2022. ESPN2’s Saturday daytime telecast averaged 1.0 million viewers, up +31% from the comparable telecast last year, while ESPN2’s prime window (1.1 million viewers) was up +43%.
• Through the completion of the third round on Saturday, Sept. 5, ESPN had recorded its most-viewed since 2022 (avg. 846K)
• Third round viewership was boosted by Serena and Venus Williams competing in doubles during primetime, attracting an average audience of 1.2 million (peak 2.2 million from 10-10:15 p.m.) as they lost a three-set match to Hao-Ching Chan and Maya Joint.
• Tournament average (through Women’s Semifinals): 1.0 million viewers, up 2% YoY, ESPN’s most-viewed US Open since 2022
• Quarterfinals average: 1.3 million viewers
• Tuesday primetime Quarterfinals window (7:30 p.m. – 3:40 a.m.): 1.6 million viewers, featured latest-finishing match in US Open history
• Women’s Semifinals: 2.2 million viewers, up 24% YoY, most-watched US Open Women’s Semis in ESPN history
• Women’s Semifinals peak (9:45-10 p.m. ET, Gauff vs. Rybakina): 2.6 million viewers

As traditional cable operators and telcos grapple with increased competition from satellite and fixed wireless broadband providers, new data from S&P Global Market Intelligence delves into who is cutting the broadband cord and why they are choosing wireless alternatives.

According to S&P Global Market Intelligence Kagan’s Q1 2026 MediaCensus consumer survey, 16% of respondents do not subscribe to a traditional wired home broadband service, choosing instead fixed wireless, satellite, mobile data, or forgoing home internet entirely.

Among those without a wired connection, 28% report they have never subscribed to a wired broadband service, while 38% severed their wired connection more than 12 months ago.

Non-wired home internet adoption is led by fixed wireless services at 9%, followed by satellite home internet at 2%, smartphone-only home internet users at 2%, and households with no home internet service at 3%, the S&P Global Market Intelligence Kagan’s Q1 2026 MediaCensus consumer survey found.

Younger consumers demonstrate the highest rate of broadband cord-cutting, with 23% of 18- to 24-year-olds lacking a wired internet connection, compared to just 11% of consumers aged 65 and older. Furthermore, younger cord-cutters and cord-nevers favor satellite internet while older cord-cutters lean toward fixed wireless or no household internet service.

The research also indicates that rural access and mobile bundling serve as key drivers for alternative internet adoption: 43% of satellite internet subscribers cite living in a rural area without wired options as their main reason for not subscribing to wired broadband, whereas 37% of fixed wireless subscribers report being motivated by bundled deals tied to their mobile plans.

In another notable finding, the study found that smartphone-only internet users rely heavily on mobile feature sets, with 52% citing an unlimited data plan and 37% using their phone as a hotspot. Notably, 24% of smartphone-only users claim local wired options are too expensive, compared to 14% of those with no internet service at all.

Satellite subscribers represent the largest share of recent broadband cord-cutters, with 61% having dropped wired broadband in the past 12 months whereas fixed wireless subscribers are more established cord-cutters, with 44% having dropped wired service more than a year ago.

CULVER CITY, Calif.—Prime Video has launched a $29.99 a month five-service streaming bundle combining AMC+, BritBox, MGM+, PBS Masterpiece, and Starz on Prime Video in the U.S.

The $29.99 a month fee offers a savings of nearly 39% compared to subscribing to each service individually.

The offering marks the first time the five streaming services have come together in a single bundle.

"Today marks a milestone for our customers, the launch of the first-ever five-service streaming bundle on Prime Video. Our subscriptions and bundles business continues to see incredible growth because we stay focused on delivering unmatched selection, value and convenience,” said Ryan Pirozzi, head of prime video channels, U.S. “With AMC+, MGM+, BritBox, PBS Masterpiece, and STARZ together, Prime Video customers get the premium entertainment they love, all in one place."

Amazon's Prime Video described the content from the services in the bundle as follows:

• AMC+ – AMC+ is a premium streaming service featuring award-winning original series, exclusive movies direct from theaters, and the ultimate destination for fan-favorite franchises including The Walking Dead Universe and the immortal world of Anne Rice. Subscribers can catch up on the latest critically acclaimed seasons of The Vampire Lestat and The Walking Dead: Dead City, streaming exclusively on AMC+, and look forward to an exciting line-up of new series this fall including Kill Jackie, starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and YAGA with Carrie-Anne Moss, Noah Reid, Clark Backo and Hudson Williams in his first role since Heated Rivalry.
• BritBox – The leading streaming destination for the best of British television, featuring acclaimed drama and mystery series like The Other Bennet Sister, Ludwig, Blue Lights, and the largest collection of Agatha Christie adaptations streaming in North America—including new BritBox Original Agatha Christie’s Tommy & Tuppence (September 15).
• MGM+ – An ad-free linear and streaming service delivering a broad lineup of exclusive, acclaimed original series and docuseries, current movie releases, and classic film franchises—all available in 45 countries across the U.S., Europe, Latin America, Asia-Pacific, and Canada. MGM+ is a destination for premium content, with original series including the hit sci-fi horror series FROM, crime drama The Westies, A Tale of Two Cities, and the highly anticipated crime thriller American Hostage.
• PBS Masterpiece – PBS Masterpiece is a premier streaming destination featuring Emmy® and Peabody Award winning British and international dramas and gripping mysteries. Featuring fan-favorites like, All Creatures Great and Small, Miss Scarlet, and Astrid alongside glamorous new hit, The Forsytes. Fans can cozy up this fall with returning mystery series, The Marlow Murder Club Season 3, Marble Hall Murders and Maigret Season 2 (October 18).
• Starz – Starz's premium programming, including the entire “Power” Universe, all eight seasons of the acclaimed series “Outlander” and its popular prequel series “Outlander: Blood of My Blood” (September 18), the crime drama “S.W.A.T. Exiles” (September 25), available exclusively on Starz, the season finale of the British boxing series “Fightland” (September 25), and the highly anticipated upcoming third season of “P-Valley.” The lineup also features Starz’s library of hit movies, including Michael, starring Jaafar Jackson, and The Housemaid, starring Sydney Sweeney.

ATLANTA—Gray Media and the Cleveland Cavaliers announced a deal with DAZN that will allow Gray to broadcast 15 regular season Cavaliers games on free, over-the-air TV during the 2026-27 NBA season.

The 15-game package is a simulcast of the games available for free that are in front of the Cavaliers on DAZN paid subscription paywall offering.

The games will air locally in Cleveland on Gray Media’s stations, WOIO (CBS 19) and WUAB (MyNet 43), and statewide on Rock Entertainment Sports Network.

Rock Entertainment Sports Network is a collaboration between Gray Media and Rock Entertainment Group, which owns the Cleveland Cavaliers, Cleveland Sirens, Cleveland Monsters, and Cleveland Charge.

In addition, Gray stations in other markets, including Cincinnati, Ohio; Lima, Ohio; and Parkersburg, West Virginia will also air the 15-game package. Gray will seek additional third-party broadcasters to air the games in other parts of the territory where Gray does not own or operate television stations.

“We are absolutely thrilled to partner with the Cavaliers and DAZN to bring world-class basketball straight to our viewers' living rooms completely free of charge,” said Chris Conroy, general manager of WOIO/WUAB. “Local sports belong on local television, and this historic agreement delivers for Cavs fans.”

WUAB has a long history of broadcasting Cavaliers games and a nostalgic legacy of carrying Cleveland Indians baseball. Live Cleveland Cavaliers basketball adds to a lineup that has featured the Cleveland Browns, Columbus Blue Jackets hockey, college football, NCAA March Madness, and events like The Masters.

“In partnership with Gray and DAZN, we've built the most enhanced and accessible broadcast ecosystem we've had in years,” said Nic Barlage, CEO of Rock Entertainment Group, Cleveland Cavaliers and Rocket Arena. “Our fans are at the core of every decision we make, and this season we're proud to triple the number of games available for free, over-the-air on Gray's local stations and Rock Entertainment Sports Network.”

The current schedule provided below is subject to change. The broadcast schedule will include pregame and postgame coverage.

• Mon. October 26, 2026 - Minnesota at Cleveland 7:00 PM (WUAB)
• Thur. October 29, 2026 - Cleveland at Atlanta 7:00 PM (WUAB)
• Mon. November 2, 2026 - Oklahoma City at Cleveland 7:00 PM (WOIO-CBS)
• Sat. November 14, 2026 - Dallas at Cleveland 7:30 PM (WOIO-CBS)
• Sat. December 12, 2026 - Golden State at Cleveland 8:00 PM (WOIO-CBS)
• Fri. December 18, 2026 - Cleveland at Detroit 7:30 PM (WOIO-CBS)
• Wed. December 23, 2026 - Cleveland at Washington 7:00 PM (WOIO-CBS)
• Sat. January 2, 2027 - Cleveland at Charlotte 1:00 PM (WOIO-CBS)
• Sat. January 23, 2027 - Cleveland at Dallas 8:00 PM (WOIO-CBS)
• Fri. January 29, 2027 - Cleveland at Toronto 7:00 PM (WOIO-CBS)
• Sat. February 6, 2027 - Orlando at Cleveland 7:30 PM (WOIO-CBS)
• Sun. February 14, 2027 - Phoenix at Cleveland 1:00 PM (WOIO-CBS)
• Tue. March 9, 2027 - Cleveland at Detroit 8:00 PM (WOIO-CBS or WUAB)
• Sun. March 14, 2027 - Cleveland at Sacramento 6:00 PM (WOIO-CBS or WUAB)
• Sun. April 4, 2027 - Charlotte at Cleveland 3:00 PM (WOIO-CBS or WUAB)

EUREKA, Calif.—Public broadcaster KEET has deployed the Public Media Management (PMM) Cloud and is now operating on the platform.

"We are excited about PMM Cloud," said Amy Stem-Faulk, station general manager. "This transition has modernized our operations and dramatically reduced the engineering burden on our internal team.

“PMM Cloud offers the best of both worlds — a fully managed, turnkey master control solution supported by the PMM NOC, while still allowing us to maintain local operational control whenever needed. It is exciting to see a station our size be able to access this level of technology and operational support in a cost-effective and sustainable way," Stem-Faulk added.

Built on the broadcast-grade cloud infrastructure and nationally distributed IP network of LTN Global, PMM Cloud combines PMM's lengthy experience managing master control operations for public media with technology that has a long track record supporting major media networks. PMM customizes the platform to address the operational workflows, technical requirements and budget considerations of public television stations, creating a fully managed, resilient and scalable cloud-based master control solution.

KEET’s transition from an aging, capital-intensive master control infrastructure to the cloud platform eliminated the need to replace equipment and reduced the number of systems requiring local maintenance, allowing station staff to focus more time on supporting KEET's mission and serving its local viewers and the community.

PMM Cloud provides geographically redundant infrastructure, integrated disaster recovery capabilities, 24/7/365 monitoring through PMM's Network Operations Center as well as LTN’s NOC and predictable operating costs.

KEET is also using comprehensive transmission monitoring, maintenance and infrastructure support services provided by Transmission Services Group, powered by HC Jeffries Tower Company (TSG), creating an integrated operational model that further streamlines station operations and supports long-term sustainability.

"For more than 10 years, PMM has partnered with public media stations to provide reliable, mission-critical broadcast operations," said PMM CEO Marc Hand. "PMM Cloud represents the next evolution of those services, combining the operational expertise we've developed over the past decade with the flexibility and resiliency of cloud-based infrastructure. KEET's successful implementation demonstrates how stations can modernize operations, reduce technical complexity and lower long-term operating costs while continuing to deliver exceptional service to their communities."

BALTIMORE and IRVING, Texas—Sinclair and Nexstar Media Group are launching a consumer awareness campaign Sept. 17 to educate viewers in 13 markets about the benefits of NextGen TV.

The campaign will run in seven Nexstar markets—including Cleveland; Austin, Texas; Kansas City, Mo.; Tampa, Fla.; Portland, Ore.; Buffalo, N.Y.; and Denver—and in six Sinclair markets—Las Vegas; Columbus, Ohio; Nashville, Tenn.; Baltimore; Seattle; and Washington.

The campaign’s goal is to raise viewer awareness of NextGen TV. Available as a TV spot and a social media post, the promo asks: “On game days, who’s got next? With NextGen TV, you do.” The message informs viewers that NextGen TV delivers their favorite games in UHD and immersive sound, as well as their local news, weather and favorite shows.

The campaign builds on the consumer-education initiative Sinclair developed and tested in Columbus during the summer.

“Consumer education is an important part of accelerating adoption of NextGen TV,” said Del Parks, president of technology at Sinclair. “Our experience in Columbus demonstrated that when consumers understand what NextGen TV is, how to access it and the benefits it can deliver, we can meaningfully increase engagement. By partnering with Nexstar, we can take what we learned from that campaign and bring a consistent, consumer-friendly message to viewers across an even broader group of markets. Now is the time for all broadcasters to begin promoting the advantages of NextGen TV.”

The campaign also includes website GoNextGenTV.com, where consumers can learn what NextGen TV programming is available in their area using a search-by-ZIP code feature.

The site also explains the steps needed to set up a NextGen TV viewing experience, whether with an ATSC 3.0-compatible set or a converter box and existing TV. It offers an extensive list of consumer devices—including converter boxes, NextGen TV sets, antennas and cables—as well as a frequently asked questions section and a list of the standard’s benefits.

“The transition to NextGen TV has been a story of broadcasters working together to bring new capabilities to TV viewers. The cooperation and collaboration with Sinclair to educate those viewers is the next chapter in that story,” said Brett Jenkins, Nexstar’s executive vice president and chief technology and digital officer. “We’re confident that as consumers come to understand the advantages of NextGen TV, they will be eager to adopt it and will seek out TV models with ATSC 3.0 capability.”

As a veteran of 25-plus IBC Shows over the past nearly 30 years, I can attest that navigating the annual gathering has its own particular quirks that distinguish it from the NAB Show, particularly the tone of the locale. Apart from the fact that Amsterdam is the “wet and humid” show and NAB is the “dry” show (but only when talking about the climate), IBC also represents a more relaxed tone that reflects the nature of the ancient city itself.

Nevertheless, most of the themes were similar, and before we set our sights on the next gathering (NAB Show New York), I wanted to share some of my thoughts around the central themes:

AI: IBC reported 41,225 attendees for the show, which ran Sept. 11-14 at the RAI Amsterdam, down 6% from 2025. Although consolidation, particularly among U.S. broadcasters, is often cited as one of the main reasons for the decline, I also think it represents a cooling off from the past three or four years, when interest was higher after COVID. (That’s not to mention that the number of attendees from the U.S. has declined since trade shows resumed in 2022.)

But I also think artificial intelligence is playing a role, as more processes become automated. I was reminded of this after hearing Grass Valley Chief Technology Officer Ian Fletcher’s rule that “complexity doesn’t go away, it just moves around.” As the process of media management, production and distribution becomes more automated and software-based, more people are moved out of the media production chain.

Seeing a software demo on the show floor can certainly have more impact than over Zoom, but is it still worth the cost of travel?

This is an ongoing issue that won’t be resolved by the oft-repeated trope that those same people who were doing rote tasks are simply being moved to other areas where they can “focus on other more important work.” Attrition is real and growing.

Collaboration: In our industry, companies have a long history of partnering with competitors, but that seems to be increasing—and this is more of a reflection of the increasing focus on software.

Nowhere was this better illustrated than by the growing influence and impact of MXL (Media eXchange Layer), a critical component of the EBU’s Dynamic Media Facility initiative. Tech demos showcasing partnerships between Grass Valley and Lawo, Matrox and EVS, as well as multivendor demonstrations at the Techex, Qvest and AWS stands, just to name a few, demonstrated how quickly MXL is moving beyond the proof-of-concept stage toward real-world deployment.

The EBU-led MXL initiative also received significant recognition at IBC, winning an IBC 2026 Innovation Award in the Content Creation category. The growing number of vendors incorporating MXL into commercial products and demonstrations suggests the technology is increasingly becoming part of the broader software-defined media ecosystem.

Cybersecurity: Alarmed over recent news of disruptions created by “rogue” AI agents, the security of media production systems was also top of mind for many attendees. As more media and media processing moves into the cloud, concern over potential vulnerabilities increases. This has prompted more production to become hybrid-based, with certain content and processes stored both in the cloud and on-prem.

It has also led to more interest in “MCP,” or Model Context Protocol, a framework that allows customers to establish guardrails to limit information accessible to AI agents.

Tariffs: The “T-word” was back, having been overshadowed by AI and the memory and chip shortages that were the talk of earlier shows. With many of the media tech industry’s largest companies based in Canada, President Donald Trump’s recent imposition of a 50% duty on targeted goods has forced some vendors to raise prices. And although some goods are exempt and vendors are attempting to absorb costs, the tariffs—along with the continued pressure on memory and chip availability worldwide—are cause for concern. However, the increased influence of software-defined production is helping to ameliorate the impact.

I’ll share more of my thoughts about my conversations with IBC exhibitors in the October issue of TV Tech.

WASHINGTON—The Television Bureau of Advertising has once again weighed in on a potentially very costly expansion of political ad discounts in a filing with the Federal Communications Commission.

The Sept. 14 filing argues that the Media Bureau improperly expanded who is eligible to receive a “lowest unit charge,” or LUC, for political ads. It also contends those discounts unconstitutionally violate broadcasters’ First Amendment rights.

In March, the Media Bureau issued a public notice with guidance on who is entitled to discounted advertising rates under the “FCC’s lowest unit charge (LUC) requirements” that appeared to expand eligibility for discounted ads. That notice argued that “the LUC requirements are applicable to (1) authorized committees, including authorized committees that engage in joint fundraising with legally qualified candidates for federal office, and (2) advertisements that qualify as coordinated expenditures of political parties and legally qualified candidates for federal office.”

The TVB petitioned the Media Bureau to reconsider its ruling, but on Aug. 13 the bureau rejected that petition, arguing the FCC hadn’t actually changed any of its rules.

In late August, though, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned that guidance. That ruling sided with four Democratic congressional candidates who had asked the 4th Circuit to limit the groups entitled to discounted political advertising under FCC rules.

The Supreme Court then issued an emergency stay on Sept. 4, reinstating the rules in response to filings by Republican groups.

The FCC political-ad rules are important to broadcasters because expanding eligibility for discounted ad rates could significantly reduce stations’ overall revenue from this year’s hotly contested midterm elections.

In a Sept. 14 filing, the broadcaster-backed TVB argued: “[T]he Commission should grant this application for review, reverse the Bureau’s actions in DA 26-300 and DA 26-851, set aside the Public Notice, and confirm that only a legally qualified candidate and the candidate’s designated principal campaign committee are entitled to the LUC [lowest unit charge for political ads]. In the alternative, the Commission should conduct a proper notice-and-comment rulemaking. The Commission also should determine to no longer enforce its unconstitutional LUC rules in their entirety. Given the exceptional importance of these issues and impending election cycles, TVB urges the Commission to act quickly on this application for review.”

In the filing, the TVB stressed that “under governing law and longstanding precedent, only a candidate’s designated principal campaign committee is entitled to LUC rates, while other types of joint or hybrid committees are not. The Notice thus purports to cement a substantial expansion of the LUC that is contrary to statute, procedurally defective and unconstitutional.”

The group added, “This unlawful expansion exemplifies why the LUC statute and the FCC’s implementing rules violate the First Amendment, and why the Commission should decline to enforce its LUC rules going forward.”

Expanding access to discounted political ad rates, which critics say forces private broadcasters to subsidize political groups, has been backed by Republicans and attacked by Democrats.

Those Democrats, as has been previously reported, include FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez. “Broadcasters are being directed to slash prices and sell their most valuable inventory during their busiest and most lucrative season, even as this same FCC has spent months arguing broadcasters need economic and regulatory relief to compete with Big Tech and streaming,” she said. “You cannot claim broadcasters are struggling to survive and then force them into a fire sale on the one thing that could actually help them compete and increase revenue.”

The full TVB filing is available here.

In a move that will create more competition for news organizations while opening up new ways to attract audiences, Prime Video is introducing on-demand news clips.

The quick, short-form video clips give customers a fast way to catch up on national and local news, weather and trending topics for free, with or without a Prime membership.

The news clips are now available to all U.S. customers on the dedicated news destination on Prime Video.

As part of the launch, Prime Video is introducing curated playlists of on-demand news clips for major national and local stories. Each playlist brings together short-form clips from multiple news sources, making it easy for customers to catch up on key topics in seconds.

News Clips are available on the dedicated news destination on the Prime Video app across living room devices, with mobile and web coming soon. To find them, scroll down to the Trending Topics or Local News carousel on the dedicated news page.

“Until now, customers coming to Prime Video for news could watch breaking news live or tune into full-length on-demand programs. But not everyone can catch breaking news the moment it happens," said Brian Griffin, head of global app experience, Prime Video. "With News Clips, customers have a quick and easy way to get caught up on the latest stories happening in their neighborhood and around the world. Combined with our extensive lineup of free 24/7 live news, Prime Video is becoming a truly comprehensive destination for news."

The news clips expand the news content on Prime Video, which already offers news stories, financial-market analysis and talk shows through networks such as ABC News Live, CBS News 24/7, LiveNOW from Fox, CNN Headlines, NBC News NOW, and hundreds of other free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channels.

Customers can also access additional news offerings with third-party subscriptions to Peacock Premium Plus, Paramount+, Fox One or CNN All Access, among others.