|
|
| Wednesday January 28, 2026 |
 IN THE NEWS |
| During a CBS News all-hands meeting on Tuesday, editor-in-chief Bari Weiss outlined her plans for the storied brand – and she didn’t mince words. “Our strategy until now has been to cling to the audience that remains on broadcast television. I’m here to tell you that if we stick to that strategy, we’re toast,” she warned. “CBS News is still in a linear mentality and we need to shift to a streaming mentality immediately.” Investments in podcasts, newsletters and live journalism are part of Weiss’ game plan, along with building brands around talent.
“Starting now, we all must focus on what we’re building, not on what we’re maintaining, on how we’re going to reach an audience exponentially bigger than the one we have now by marrying the journalistic principles that will never change – seeking the truth, serving the public, and ferociously guarding our independence, with the tools that are constantly are,” said Weiss. After the call, CBS News announced it has added 19 new contributors covering politics, national security, health, arts, food, style and more, including former general H.R. McMaster and happiness expert Arthur Brooks.
Sports events and movies drove record-breaking viewership during the peak holiday season, according to Nielsen’s Media Distributor Gauge, with Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, Hallmark, Netflix and Amazon all seeing significant gains. Disney was up 4% in overall viewing, fueled by ESPN, which recorded a 30% viewership bump. Freeform doubled its November viewing, driven by its holiday lineup. Warner Bros. Discovery cable networks TBS and TNT were up 23% and 24%, respectively, with an assist from college football playoff coverage and holiday movie viewership. And Hallmark Channel secured the top five movie telecasts across cable distributors. |
 |
| Brian Robbins, former Co-CEO of Paramount Global, has launched Big Shot Pictures, focused on developing animation franchises. The company has hit the ground running with a first-look theatrical production deal with Sony Pictures Entertainment, and rights to classic children’s book Eloise at the Plaza. Big Shot’s strategy: Use digital platforms to test and build audiences for the intellectual property it develops; successful projects will be turned into long-form theatrical releases and streaming series. “We will build for how kids actually discover and connect today,” said Robbins, whose purview at Paramount included Nickelodeon. “The opportunity couldn’t be more clear to us, and the time is now. From reimagining timeless IP to discovering the bold, original ideas by emerging creators, we will work with the most talented artists to bring these stories to life.” Robbins left Paramount Global in August 2025, the day before it was acquired by Skydance Media.
CBS’ “The Late Show” will air its final episode Thursday, May 21. Stephen Colbert, who took over hosting duties in 2015, shared the news during a taping of NBC’s “Late Night With Seth Meyers.” Colbert succeeded David Letterman, who launched the franchise in 1993. The cancellation, announced in July, was described as “purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late-night.” |
 |
CONVERGENT TV AWARDS: INFLUENCER LIST
The Voices Defining Cross-Screen Media
The 2026 Convergent TV Influence Awards spotlight executives shaping the future of video—from streaming and platforms to measurement and media investment.
Honorees span from Netflix, Disney, Amazon, Google, Roku, Omnicom, Paramount, and more.
VIEW THE LIST |
| NEW & RETURNING SERIES |
| Netflix’s “Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen” drops Thursday, March 26. The horror series, set in the week leading up to a doomed wedding, was created by Haley Z. Boston (“Brand New Cherry Flavor”) and is executive produced by Matt and Ross Duffer (“Stranger Things”). |
 Netflix docuseries “Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model” premieres Monday, February 16. The three-parter examines the inner workings of the hit competition, including interviews with key players who reflect the highs and the lows in the 23 years since it first aired.
Also coming to Netflix: Drama “Vladmir,” starring Rachel Weisz as a professor fixated on her new colleague, played by Leo Woodall. The limited series debuts Thursday, March 5.
HBO late night series “Neighbors” launches Friday, February 13 at 9p. The weekly show follows the complicated disputes of neighbors.
“The Librarians,” TNT’s 2014-18 fantasy adventure, has found a new broadcast home on Comet. The series launches Saturday, February 14 at 6p, following a six-hour event on Saturday, February 7 featuring the three “Librarians” films.
Season two of animated musical “Disney Jr. Ariel – The Little Mermaid” premieres Wednesday, January 28.
Apple TV has renewed “Shrinking” for a fourth run. Season three of the comedy starring Jason Segel premieres today.
MHz Choice has acquired exclusive North American rights for a French series adaptation of “Zorro,” set to premiere Tuesday, June 30. |
Today’s Premieres
Apple TV+: Shrinking
Paramount+: School Spirits |
| TECH |
Performance TV is now the largest advertising channel, accounting for 24% of total media spend, and tied with social media as the most effective driver of results, according to tvScientific’s State of Performance TV report. Additional findings include:
– Budgets are shifting away from YouTube, Meta, and TikTok.
– AI is turning TV into an always-on experimentation engine, accelerating targeting, creative development, and optimization.
– Transparency expectations are rising, with more than half of marketers citing measurement clarity as critical to success.
– Adoption is broad, with 77 percent of small and midsize businesses running Performance TV campaigns.
“Performance TV is no longer an experiment. It has matured into one of the most reliable and accountable growth channels in modern marketing,” said Jason Fairchild, CEO and Co-Founder of tvScientific. “Performance marketers are no longer testing TV at the margins. They are moving the budget to make room for it and putting it at the center of their media strategies.”
Music video network Vevo has partnered with attention measurement company Adelaide to bring outcome-driven attention measurement to advertisers. Attention Guaranteed, part of Vevo Evolve, the company’s data-driven ad product suite, secures a minimum attention score for a brand’s campaign across all screens with one performance report. |
|
| CYNOPSIS JOBS
Big Roles Deserve the Right People
Skip the guesswork. Cynopsis Jobs gives you access to 85K+ media professionals who know how to deliver. Build a team that’s ready for what’s next.
Hire smarter with Cynopsis Jobs.
CONNECT WITH TALENT |
| PRODUCTION |
| ICS Nordic has signed writer and executive producer Brendan Foley to adapt Operation: Arctic Fox into a geopolitical thriller and action-crime drama series. The novel is the third in a series by military affairs journalist and officer in the Finnish Army Reserve Helena Immonen. ICS Nordic first optioned the novel as part of its pact with Finnish publishing group WSOY.
Liz Tigelaar (“Tiny Beautiful Things”) has struck an overall deal with both CBS Studios and Paramount TV Studios, the first joint overall deal for the new corporate siblings. Tigelaar’s Best Day Ever Productions was previously housed at 20th Television (formerly ABC Signature). |
| COMING UP |
| Documentary “We’ve Lost Dale Earnhardt: 25 Years Later,” marking the 25th anniversary of the 2001 Daytona 500 race that cost the iconic driver his life, premieres Thursday, February 12 at 10p on FS1. Fox Sports partnered with NASCAR on the film.
CBS announced a soap opera crossover event between 53-year-old warhorse “The Young and the Restless” and “Beyond the Gates,” launched last year. The storyline will transport six residents from “Y&R” to the gated community of “BTG” in June.
This Valentine’s Day, FMC is featuring “Movies We Love,” classic love stories that will air each night in primetime through February 14. Among the titles: “West Side Story” (1961), “An Affair to Remember” (1957), “Pillow Talk” (1959), and “Roman Holiday” (1953).
Frankie Grande (“Big Brother”) returns to host the “Live from the Red Carpet” pre-show at the 13th Annual Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylists Guild (MUAHS) Awards, presented by L’Oréal Groupe and Giovanni Eco Chic Beauty. The pre-show streams live on Saturday, February 14 at 9:15 on YouTube and Vimeo. |
| SPORTS REPORT |
 The MGM Slam Presented by Capital One has secured a broadcast rights agreement with The CW Network, which will air the event live on Sunday, March 1 at 7p. Ted Robinson will call the action, with tennis analyst Chris McKendry serving as host.
Sports video production and distribution agency Story10 has renewed its partnership with the GENERALI Hexagon Cup for a third consecutive year, supporting the continued growth of padel team competition. Set to take place in Madrid today through February 1, the GENERALI Hexagon Cup features eight teams led by high-profile owners including Andy Murray, Anthony Joshua, Eva Longoria, Pierre Gasly, Maribel Nadal, Robert Lewandowski and Kun Agüero.
The 2026 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series outdoor game will feature the Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins on Sunday, February 1 in Tampa. The series marks the Lightning’s first-ever hosted outdoor game, and the Bruins’ first NHL Stadium Series appearance. It’s also the first time in League history that an outdoor game will be played in a football stadium in the state of Florida. New partners activating at this year’s Stadium Series fan fest: USPS, Norwegian Cruise Line, and NOBULL, and Norquain. |
| DISTRIBUTION |
| STARZ has acquired the exclusive US rights to five-part thriller “The Listeners,” based on the novel by Jordan Tannahill. The drama premiered on BBC One in the UK to critical acclaim and will launch in the US later this year.
Rakuten TV in Europe has licensed two animated children’s series from Banijay Kids & Family. Seasons one and two of “LoliRock” jumps to Rakuten’s FAST and on-demand platforms in the UK, Ireland, Spain and Italy, while the first two season of “Totally Spies” have been licensed for the UK, Ireland, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands, with seasons three and four headed for Germany, Austria and Switzerland. |
| RATINGS |
| The first two episodes of “Star Search,” Netflix’s foray into live entertainment competition formats, delivered 2.3 million views on Monday for its first two episodes. That landed the show in fifth place on the streamer’s list of top 10 US shows for the week of January 19. |
| EXECUTIVE MOVES |
| Association of National Advertisers Group Executive Vice President Bill Duggan will retire from the organization in June. He will be succeeded by former IAA Global Managing Director Dagmara Szulce, who joined the ANA last week as EVP.
Nikki Cameron has been named Vice President, Development at Bunim/Murray Productions. Cameron had served as Director of Development at Bunim/Murray since joining in 2021.
A+E Studios has tapped Chris Sanagustin to serve as Head of Current Programming. Sanagustin was most recently President of Pine Tree Entertainment.
Nextroll has promoted Vibhor Kapoor to Chief Executive Officer, effective February 1. Kapoor is currently Chief Business Officer.
LatinNation Media has named Curly Velasquez as VP of Development. Velasquez was most recently a Content Specialist at Meta. |
|
This Day in History
1934 – The first ski tow began operation, in Woodstock, VT.
Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
Who played the title in the 1974 TV movie “Wonder Woman”? Cathy Lee Crosby. Kudos to: Annette Scherr/Jacksonville, FL; Paul Gluck-TUTV/Philadelphia; Eric Dunefsky-Crossmedia/NYC; Jackie Howell-Nexstar WCMH-TV/Columbus, OH; Dan Whitford-WTTW/Chicago; John Kukla-KDFW Fox 4/Dallas; Ted Linhart-TedonTV/NYC; Rosemary Cunningham-MeTV/Chicago; Tom Boyd-WGN/Chicago; Susan Nessanbaum-Goldberg-M and S Entertainment/LA; Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/LA; Justin Pierce-JP Productions/LA
Today’s Trivia Question
In which city was “Happy Days” (1974-84) set? (Email trivia@cynopsis.com with your answer and be sure to include your name, company, city and time zone. Unofficial rules: a limit of four answers per time zone.) |
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF THE PRACTICE, MULTI-EPISODE TELEVISION PRODUCING >>
BOSTON UNIVERSITY – COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATION/BOSTON, MA: Develope, produce, and manage scripted and unscripted multi-episodic series for linear television and/or streaming. Qualified applicants will be distinguished multi-platform practitioners with a significant body of “boots on the ground” work in the TV and streaming industry. The position will require in-class instruction and on-set exercises. Full info HERE
PROFESSOR OF THE PRACTICE: STUDIO AND/OR FIELD DIRECTING; MULTIPLE CAMERAS >>
BOSTON UNIVERSITY – COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATION/BOSTON, MA: We seek a colleague with a significant body of practical work in television directing using multiple cameras for linear television and/or streaming platforms. Familiarity with visual effects and AI-supported tools is considered a plus. This position includes teaching directing of scripted and/or unscripted content using multiple cameras at many levels. Full info HERE
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF THE PRACTICE: VERTICAL FILMMAKING/CONTENT CREATOR >>
BOSTON UNIVERSITY – COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATION/BOSTON, MA: We seek a colleague with a professional track record in the creation and development of original short-form content aimed at promoting, activating, and motivating young people through social activism, experimentation, entertainment, brand building, and audience engagement across today’s leading content platforms and social media ecosystems. More info HERE
SALES MANAGER – AP AD INSIGHTS HUB >>
ADVERTISER PERCEPTIONS/NEW YORK, NY: Drive direct sales of the platform offering, focusing heavily on new client acquisition. Reporting to and working closely with the GM of the Ad Insights Hub, this individual contributor will partner cross-functionally with Sales, Business Intelligence, Operations, and Client Services teams to build awareness and engagement with new clients. Full info HERE
SALES DIRECTOR – OMG
MOONBUG ENTERTAINMENT
NEW YORK, NY
Deliver and exceed sales revenue targets as well as build, manage and grow a strategic account list with a focus on Omnicom agencies and their clients directly, within the northeast. Ability to navigate holding company structure and negotiate strategic partnerships with key stakeholders (ratecards, preferred programmatic deals, content deals, etc.). More info HERE
DIRECTOR OF PERFORMANCE MARKETING >>
ATHLETE TO ATHLETE/SANTA MONICA, CA: Lead the performance marketing team across Meta Ads and new paid digital channels (TikTok, YouTube, Google, etc.) as well as build and execute a roadmap for channel expansion and profitable scale. Develop and run structured testing frameworks. Partner with Creative Strategist on ad briefs, testing priorities, and creative feedback loops. Full info HERE
SENIOR MANAGER, TRAFFIC >>
INSP, LLC./CHARLOTTE, SC: Oversee the Traffic staff and manage and monitor the day-to-day operations. Responsible for the prompt and accurate execution of broadcast logs for three networks. The manager assumes a leadership role within our Network Operations and consistently looks to streamline processes and increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of the Traffic department. Full info HERE
NATIONAL SALES MANAGER>>
HEARST MEDIA PRODUCTION GROUP/CHARLOTTE, NC: Oversee daily sales pipeline operations focused on national sponsorships, integrations, and branded content tied to unscripted programming. Manage and coach the Business Development team, drive outbound activity, shape proposals and pricing, and lead CRM strategy, reporting, and optimizations via Salesforce. Full info HERE
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER >>
NTD/WASHINGTON, DC: Pitch story ideas and write scripts/segment outlines as well as research guests and interview topics. Book guests and coordinate interviews. Help with logistics and sometimes field production. Support shoots and ensure production runs smoothly. Review footage and work with editors to shape final episodes. Write headlines, teasers, and social posts. Full info HERE
DIRECTOR, HUMAN RESOURCES AND ADMINISTRATION >>
THE JIM HENSON COMPANY/HOLLYWOOD, CA: Responsible for all HR functions and oversight of administrative and management needs. This strategic role is charged with operating from a customer service driven viewpoint that prioritizes employee satisfaction as well as enforce legally compliant policies, increase efficiency by implementing administrative and record-keeping best practices. Full info HERE
SENIOR DESIGNER >>
REELZ CHANNEL/ALBUQUERQUE, NM: Responsible for the concept, design and execution of various motion graphics projects for on-air promo and sales presentations. Will be required to design and create graphics for social media, digital and print. Must be able to follow brand guidelines and expand and change the brand look when necessary. Full info HERE
EVP, COMMERCIAL & TECHNOLOGY TRANSACTIONS, LEGAL & BUSINESS AFFAIRS >>
A+E GLOBAL MEDIA/NY(HYBRID): Oversee the three major areas of commercial transactions (comprised of supporting the Distribution, Total Media Solutions and Global Content Sales divisions) and the adjacent areas supported by the attorney teams that principally support those divisions (including vendor management and privacy). Full info HERE
SR. DIRECTOR OF SALES, KSTU & KUPX >>
THE E.W. SCRIPPS COMPANY/SALT LAKE CITY: Leverage our suite of advertising solutions to unlock growth opportunities for local and national businesses. Play a role in driving the station’s revenue goals as well as serving as the home station for Utah’s new NHL team. Collaborate with our production team to create campaigns that connect our clients with their customers in meaningful ways. Full info HERE
DIGITAL MEDIA BUYER >>
FURMAN ROTH ADVERTISING/NY(HYBRID): Plan, launch, and optimize digital marketing campaigns across various paid media channels (including Display, Google products, Paid Social, CTV, and Programmatic, etc.) while managing budgets effectively. Support the execution of media plans across platforms, overseeing targeting, budget allocation, and performance tracking to drive campaign success. Full info HERE
ACCOUNT DIRECTOR; CTV BRAND PARTNERSHIPS – MID WEST/WEST COAST
FUTURE TODAY
REMOTE
Build, maintain and expand a pipeline of sales targets, contacts, and sales opportunities leveraging your relationships with a heavy focus on new business revenue. Build/nurture relationships with the investment, strategy, precision and digital agencies as well as clients. Also maintain an ongoing knowledge of the streaming media landscape. Full info HERE
DIRECTOR, AD MARKETING & SALES >>
THE SHADE ROOM/REMOTE: Develop and execute a revenue growth strategy to drive direct advertising, branded content, and sponsorship sales as well as lead the development of compelling advertising and branded content offerings tailored for TSR’s audience and cultivate and maintain strong relationships with key advertisers, media agencies, and brand partners. Full info HERE
PROFESSIONAL LECTURER OF COMMUNICATION/SPORTS BROADCASTING >>
MARIST UNIVERSITY/ POUGHKEEPSIE, NY: Teach studio and field broadcasting and new media courses in sports media and journalism as well as be able to teach a studio course on producing a newscast and help students live stream a podcast or produce short-form feature content suitable for social media streaming. Also demonstrate through their teaching, professional activity, and service. Full info HERE
SALES LEAD – AGENCY PARTNERSHIPS
UPWAVE
NEW YORK, NY
Build and manage relationships with our agency partners – mostly targeting media buyers and planners – and help them see the value of adding Upwave measurement to The Trade Desk campaigns. You will both leverage your existing network and open new doors to achieve aggressive but achievable sales targets. Full info HERE |
|
|
