Cynopsis 02/03/25: Chuck Todd exits NBC

Cynopsis
Monday February 3, 2025

   IN THE NEWS

NBC News anchor Chuck Todd has left the building. Todd joined NBC News as political director in 2007, and served as moderator on “Meet the Press” from 2014-23. “There’s never a perfect time to leave a place that’s been a professional home for so long, but I’m pretty excited about a few new projects that are on the cusp of going from ‘pie in the sky’ to ‘near reality,’” said Todd in a memo to staff on Friday, his last day at NBC. As for the public’s all-time low confidence in the media, Todd said the way to fix the information ecosystem is to “stop whining about the various ways the social media companies are manipulating things and instead roll up our collective sleeves and start with local. National media can’t win trust back without having a robust partner locally.”

Paramount Global is in discussions to settle a $10 billion lawsuit filed by then-candidate Trump over a “60 Minutes” interview with his opponent, Kamala Harris. Trump claimed the tape was deceptively edited to favor Harris, and sued CBS for $10 billion under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act. CBS, which has called the claim “completely without merit,” confirmed that the FCC sent the company a letter of inquiry asking for the unedited transcript and tapes and said it is “working to comply with that inquiry as we are legally compelled to do.” This comes as Paramount is in talks to sell Skydance Media, a deal that will require regulatory approval from the FCC. “That’s called a bribe,” posted Richard Painter, a former White House ethics lawyer for President George W. Bush, on X.

Democratic FCC commissioner Anna Gomez cried foul over the FCC’s inquiry into the “60 Minutes” interview with Harris. “Let’s be clear. This is a retaliatory move by the government against broadcasters whose content or coverage is perceived to be unfavorable,” she said in a statement on Friday. “It is designed to instill fear in broadcast stations and influence a network’s editorial decisions.”

Offices for NBC News, The New York Times, NPR and Politico are being removed from the Pentagon, on orders from the Trump administration. A memo on the “New Annual Media Rotation Program” calls for the offices to be vacated by February 14. In their place, dedicated office space will go to The New York Post, One America News Network, Breitbart News Network and HuffPost News. According to the memo, one outlet from print, online, television and radio will rotate out of the Pentagon each year “to allow a new outlet from the same medium that has not had the unique opportunity to report as a resident member of the Pentagon Press Corps,” the memo said. Responded an NBC News spokesperson, “We’re disappointed by the decision to deny us access to a broadcasting booth at the Pentagon that we’ve used for many decades. Despite the significant obstacles this presents to our ability to gather and report news in the national public interest, we will continue to report with the same integrity and rigor NBC News always has.”

Dentsu has partnered with Adobe to launch Adobe GenStudio dentsu+, integrating Adobe’s GenStudio with Dentsu’s proprietary services and audience intelligence, leveraging the Merkury data platform. The goal is to enable marketers to reach audiences in a highly scaled and personalized manner. “Adobe GenStudio dentsu+ is a direct response to CMOs demanding holistic marketing platforms to drive new growth and provides integrated marketing technology and services that can supercharge business transformation,” said Abbey Klaassen, Global Brand President, Dentsu creative & CEO, Dentsu Creative US.

Millennials are expected to lead Super Bowl viewership, accounting for 31% of the audience, with Gen Z close behind (27%), according to data from Nexxen. Fifty-one percent of viewers will stream via apps or vMVPDs, outpacing traditional cable and satellite, and nearly 50% of viewers will use mobile devices during the game, with Gen Z driving second-screen engagement. As for the impact of Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce’s girlfriend Taylor Swift cheering in the stands, thanks in large part to the singer’s presence, female audiences are 3.5x more likely to consume NFL-related content this year, compared to 2.8x last year, reports Nexxen. Female consumption of football content has risen by 22% year over year.

So how about those rumors about a potential Charter/Comcast merger? Charter CEO Chris Winfrey didn’t exactly rule it out, but said during an earnings call that the company’s strategy “has never been dependent on M&A. In fact, it’s really been moving purely from an organic growth perspective, and how do we create value for shareholders from that perspective? You do that by being a great operator.” Winfrey also noted, “The rest of the cable industry, if you sit back and think about it, it’s all family-owned or family-controlled…So, it’s in the hands of these families or family-controlled businesses that get to decide when’s the time that they’d like to combine.”

The upcoming second season of Netflix’s “The Sandman” will be its last. While sexual assault and misconduct allegations have been levied against Neil Gaiman, who developed and executive produced the show (he has denied the charges), showrunner Allan Heinberg said of the series’ ending, “we knew we only had enough story for one more season.”

Lawmakers have proposed a bill that would require cable companies to compensate customers for blackouts due to carriage disputes. “It’s outrageous that millions of folks couldn’t watch the Knicks, ‘Judy Justice,’ or dozens of other programs for weeks because of blackouts — and, it’s even more ridiculous that we’re all still paying for the right to stare at black screens,” said Representative Pat Ryan in a statement on Friday. Added Senator Chris Murphy, “Our bill is simple: if cable companies can’t provide the service you’re paying for, they owe you a refund.”

The “Stop Sports Blackout Act” was inspired by the ongoing dispute between Optimum TV and MSG Networks. While the proposed bill got a thumbs up from MSG Networks – “We appreciate Senator Murphy and Congressman Ryan’s efforts to fight for sports fans who are stuck paying for content they aren’t receiving, while Altice pockets their money,” said the cable TV station – a statement from the American Television Alliance warned, “Requiring pay-tv providers to pay rebates will only encourage big broadcasters to further increase prices at a time when retransmission consent fees are at record highs.”

Meanwhile, MSG Networks is in talks to avoid bankruptcy, reports The New York Post. Lenders have extended the payment deadline for the $829 million they are owed a number of times, with the most recent extension ending January 31. The Post suggested Amazon, which has been expanding Prime Video’s regional sports streaming coverage, could step in to help refinance the debt.

CTV CONNECT 2025

Keynote Spotlight: Travis Freeman

Get ready to be inspired by Travis Freeman, Chief Media Officer at Inspire Brands, as he takes the stage at CTV Connect 2025. With a career spanning top roles at Uber, VaynerMedia, Twitter, and Dentsu, Travis now oversees full-funnel paid media and creative strategy for powerhouse brands like Arby’s, Dunkin’, and Sonic. Known for flipping tradition on its head, Travis uses data and technology to deliver groundbreaking, human-centered marketing strategies. Don’t miss his insights on shaping the future of media!

Register now to hear from one of the industry’s most innovative leaders.

   PRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT

“Married at First Sight” has made a surprise landing at Peacock. The series, produced by Kinetic Content, premiered on FYI and moved A+E sib Lifetime in 2017. The relationship reality show, based on a Danish format, joins Peacock unscripted hits “Love Island” and “The Traitors.”

A documentary about King Charles is headed to Prime Video – and it’s getting the royal treatment. “Filming has started for the Amazon production and the crew have had some time with the King,” a source told The Times of London. “More than any other documentary he has done before, the aim seems to be to tell the world what the King stands for and what he is all about.”

Timothy Olyphant (“Justified”) will star opposite Anya Taylor-Joy in Apple TV+ limited series “Lucky,” based on the best-selling novel by Marissa Stapley. Hello Sunshine and Tropper Ink are producing.

Maggie Barnes and Brett Stolnick (“The Kitchen”) announced the launch of Garden Slate Productions, focused on developing and producing unscripted programming. Joining the team as VP of Development is Christine Stirrat, formerly of Warm Springs Productions and Rock Shrimp Productions.

   NEW & RETURNING SERIES

Fox’s “The Simpsons” doesn’t return for the second half of season 36 until March 30, but the third Disney+ exclusive episode – titled “The Past and the Furious” – drops Wednesday, February 12. A two-part Christmas special, “Oh C’mon All Ye Faithful,” premiered on the streamer on December 17.

Two best friends journey through absurd adventures in the quarter-hour animated comedy “YOLO: Rainbow Trinity,” premiering Sunday, March 9 at midnight on Adult Swim.

Did you catch “Poochie & Pang Eat” on Saturday? NBCUniversal Local is offering the new culinary-comedy series on NBC-owned stations following “Saturday Night Live” this month. The three-part series is hosted by “Poochie,” from Chicago hot dog stand The Wiener’s Circle, and food writer Kevin Pang.

Today’s Premieres
Bravo: Below Deck Down Under at 8p
CW: All American at 8p
Discovery: Contraband: Seized at the Border at 9p
HGTV: Celebrity IOU at 9p
NBC: The Voice at 8p

   COMING UP

Two-part “Secrets of the Dead” doc “Plunderer: The Life and Times of a Nazi Art Thief” exposes the secret networks of curators and dealers who made fortunes on the back of Nazi-looted art. The show premieres Wednesday, February 19 at 10p on PBS (check local listings).

To honor Black History Month, Dabl is airing interstitial spots in commercial breaks throughout February. The spots will highlight inspirational African American leaders and luminaries, from Rosa Parks to Aretha Franklin, Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali and others, as well as important moments in history.

Cable & Broadband Standouts

Nominations Now Open for Q4 2024!

Do you know outstanding entry and mid-level media professionals on the rise? Nominate them for the Cable & Broadband Standout Awards! We’re honoring individuals who are making a difference in fields such as technology, team management, marketing, and beyond. This opportunity is also available for contractors and freelancers, so it’s the perfect time to highlight the next wave of media leaders.

SUBMIT NOW

   SPORTS REPORT

Consumers are 10x more likely to trust and have a more positive view of brands when they place their local ads in live sports programming, according to Locality’s Local Lift study. Additional findings include:
– 71% of Americans expect localized ads. For ages 18-34, that jumps to 81%, boosting brand trust and purchase consideration by 65%.
– With 40% of TV viewing now happening via streaming, combining locally targeted CTV/OTT + local broadcast TV ensures brands reach Big Game viewers across platforms in the right markets.
– Consumers who see localized ads are 6x more likely to believe a brand is part of their community and 4x more likely to trust it. 53% say local ads make them more likely to purchase, compared to 13% for national ads alone.

Calling the Daytona 500 for Fox Sports on Sunday, February 16 will be play-by-play announcer Mike Joy, alongside analysts Clint Bowyer, and 2014 NASCAR Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick.

Telemundo’s Super Bowl LIX Spanish-language coverage will include programming across the network’s news and entertainment shows and platforms, including daytime shows, streaming channels, and social media handles, leading up to broadcast on Sunday, February 9 at 6:30p.

“Wheel of Fortune’s” Maggie Sajak is returning as “Inside Edition’s” special correspondent for Super Bowl LIX. Sajak, the daughter of former “Wheel” host Pat Sajak, is the show’s first ever two-time correspondent in the role.

The National Hockey League Players’ Association and NHL announced the official 4 Nations Face-Off™ jersey patch sponsors. Rogers (Canada), Discover (USA), and SAP (Finland and Sweden) branded jersey patches will be prominently featured on the jerseys NHL players wear for all 4 Nations Face-Off games. The event runs from February 12-20.

This Day in History
1995 – Eileen Collins became the first woman to pilot a space shuttle, the Discovery.

Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
What short-lived NBC horror/sci-fi series featured Robert Englund and was produced by “Nightmare on Elm Street” director Wes Craven? “Nightmare Cafe” (1992). Kudos to: Robert E G Black-Lemming Drops Studio/LA; Andrew Goldman-Phanes Funding Group/NYC; Gerry Bixenspan-TV Marketing Inc./NYC; Maggie Takei-Moore Media Group/Sherman Oaks, CA; Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/LA; Susan Nessanbaum-Goldberg-M and S Entertainment/LA; Joel Dearing-Virtual News Center/Indianapolis

Today’s Trivia Question
Instant replay was first used in which televised football game? (Email [email protected] 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.)

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