 IN THE NEWS |
| Bill Maher will receive the Kennedy Center’s Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at a ceremony on the 28th, just ahead of the venue’s planned closure for renovations. The honor was announced one week after White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed The Atlantic’s report on Maher’s selection on X, writing, “This is fake news. Bill Maher will NOT be getting this award.” Roma Daravi, the Kennedy Center’s VP of Public Relations, confirmed the choice, noting, “For nearly three decades, the Mark Twain Prize has recognized some of comedy’s most influential voices. For even longer, Bill has shaped American discourse – one politically incorrect joke at a time.” The response from the “Real Time With Bill Maher” star? “Thank you to the Mark Twain people. I just had the award explained to me, and apparently, it’s like an Emmy – except I win.” The ceremony will stream on Netflix at a later date.
The White House walked back its earlier stance on Maher, with an official saying, “This was false reporting at the time of The Atlantic’s reporting, but the situation changed after further conversations took place between the Trump-Kennedy Center and event organizers over the past week.” Responded Jeffrey Goldberg, the magazine’s editor in chief: “The Atlantic reported first and accurately that Bill Maher was going to receive the Mark Twain Prize. The White House’s obfuscation strategy here is not effective.”
When breaking news hits, 36% of US adults say they turn first to their preferred news organization for information, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted with the Pew-Knight Initiative. Another 28% go to search engines, while 19% head to social media. That marks a notable shift from 2018, when 54% relied on preferred news outlets, compared with 15% who used search engines and 9% who turned to social platforms. |
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| Warner Bros. Discovery has set April 23 as the date for a shareholder vote on its proposed sale to Paramount Skydance, a deal already unanimously approved by both companies’ boards. Under the terms, Paramount would pay WBD shareholders $31 per share of common stock. The company expects the transaction to close in the third quarter, subject to regulatory and shareholder approval. If the deal is not finalized by September 30, WBD shareholders will receive a $0.25 per share quarterly “ticking fee” until closing.
NBCUniversal Local’s NBC- and Telemundo-owned stations launched Our 250 (Nuestros 250), a multiplatform campaign commemorating the 250th anniversary of US independence. The 100-day celebration culminates on July 4 with NBCUniversal News Group’s six hours of exclusive live coverage of Sail4th 250 events in New York Harbor.
Disney revealed the lineup for this year’s Disney Legends Awards. Among the chosen are former Chairman and CEO of Disney, Bob Iger; actors Dwayne Johnson and Anne Hathaway; and producer Jerry Bruckheimer. The ceremony takes place Sunday, August 16 at 4:30p and will stream on Disney+. |
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CYNOPSIS SPORTS AWARDS
Last Call — Entries Close Tonight
The Cynopsis Sports Awards celebrate the work redefining sports media and fan engagement. If your team delivered standout results, this is your final opportunity to be recognized.
Entries close tonight.
Submit before the final whistle.
SUBMIT YOUR ENTRY NOW |
| NEW & RETURNING SERIES |
| “Women in Blue” is back for season two on Wednesday, August 12. Apple TV’s Spanish-language crime drama features a Latin American cast led by Bárbara Mori (“Perdidos en La Noche”).
Season four of MGM+ sci-fi thriller “From” kicks off Sunday, April 19, with a new arrival that throws the town in chaos.
TLC’s “90 Day Fiancé” is back for season 12 on Sunday, May 10 at 8p, as a fresh cast of couples begin their K-1 visa journey.
CNN Original Series “K-Everything,” hosted and executive produced by actor, director, producer, and social advocate Daniel Dae Kim (“Hawaii Five-0”) debuts Saturday, May 9 at 8p on CNN International. The series exploring Korea’s explosive global influence will air weekly.
“Jeopardy! YouTube Edition,” a spinoff of the long-running syndicated game show, kicks off Tuesday, March 31. Sony Pictures Television collaborated with creative agency We Are Social and YouTube on the campaign and relaunch of the YouTube channel.
The sophomore run of “After the Flood” starts Thursday, April 23 on BritBox. The crime drama stars Jo Marshall (“Peaky Blinders”).
BET has renewed “The Ms. Pat Show” for a sixth season. The series, which had been streaming on BET+, will migrate to Paramount+, the new streaming home for BET content starting in June. |
Today’s Premieres
Apple TV: For All Mankind
HBO Max: Privileges
Nat Geo Wild: Super Animal at 8p
Netflix: The Predators of Seville; The Parisian Agency: Exclusive Properties
PBS: Martha Graham Dance Company: We Are Our Time at 9p
Prime Video: House of David
Saturday’s Premiere
Crunchyroll: Agents of the Four Seasons: Dance of Spring
Sunday’s Premiere
ABC: Betrayal: Secrets & Lies at 10p |
| UPFRONTS/NEWFRONTS |
| Sony Pictures Television Advertiser Sales is approaching Upfront season highlighting premium advertising opportunities across its syndicated scripted portfolio, including dramas like “S.W.A.T.” and comedies such as “Seinfeld” and “The Goldbergs.” “We are doubling down on our investment in premium original content, offering advertisers the chance to collaborate with us either early on or later in the process,” said Stuart Zimmerman, EVP of Ad Sales at Sony Pictures Television. “Our advantage lies in the fact that audiences consistently show up and remain engaged.” Alongside returning series “America Says,” “Flip Side” and “The Perfect Line,” SPT also previewed a slate of new game shows in development. These include “Balderdash,” based on the Mattel game and hosted by Jane Lynch; “100 Choices,” adapted from a Japanese format; and the general knowledge series “The Fast and the Curious” (w/t).
LatiNation Media shared its content slate during an IAB NewFronts presentation. New series and partnerships include “Jenicka’s Journeys,” a travel and self-discovery docuseries starring Jenicka Lopez; comedy series “The Best of Jenny Lorenzo”; the global freestyle rap competition “Red Bull Batalla” and its companion recap show “Batalla Nation”; all-female entertainment talk show “Peligrosa HQ”; and sketch comedy franchise “EnChufe.TV.” The slate also includes exclusive English-language live Liga MX futbol matches, the weekly entertainment news show “Desmadre Live,” and the launch of LatiNation Microdrama Studios, a new initiative focused on short-form serialized storytelling. |
| PRODUCTION |
| Banijay Productions Germany is expanding its work in the development of microdrama formats and has produced its first project. The as-yet-untitled show consists of 28 episodes and features a cast of eight German creators, with a combined reach of more than 33 million followers. |
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| TECH |
| Cognitiv has launched AudienceGPT, an AI-powered tool designed to help marketers identify audiences based on real-time consumer journeys. By analyzing behavioral signals, AudienceGPT goes beyond past actions to predict whether a consumer is likely to act now. “ContextGPT understands the environment where an ad appears, while AudienceGPT understands the consumer behind the impression without outcome-based seed data,” said Jeremy Fain, CEO and Co-Founder of Cognitiv. “AudienceGPT gives marketers unified, predictive, scalable, adaptable targeting across all inventory including CTV, audio, and social.”
ViewLift and MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) announced the launch of ViewLift Conversational AI Search, a new AI-driven discovery tool that helps subscribers find outdoor content more quickly and intuitively. The feature supports natural language queries across the platform, with web availability now live and connected TV voice integration coming soon.
Despite representing a third of the US TV population, smaller markets are outperforming major markets, according to AdImpact’s Local CTV Ad Trends Report. Markets outside of the top 50 were found to deliver a 52.5% share of local CTV impressions, while accounting for 33% of the U.S. TV population. Additional data, analyzing over 51,000 local CTV advertisers, found:
· Q4 delivered 29.6% of local CTV impressions, the highest of any quarter, with October alone delivering 10.8%.
· Q1 carried more spending share (26.5%) than impression share (25.2%) where buyers paid a premium to start the year.
· Q4 inverted that as impressions outpaced spend, which was 28.1% of all spend in 2025, driving an estimated CPM decline of nearly 10% versus Q1.
· Q3 is the efficiency sweet spot, as spend and impression shares converged at 22.5%.
· Q2 was similarly balanced, as impressions were 22.7% and spend was 23%.
“As we enter Q2 and the rest of the year, events like the World Cup and midterm elections will reshape local CTV inventory,” noted Don Norton, General Manager, Data Solutions at AdImpact. “As demand and costs increase, local advertisers will have to shift their tactics to account for more competition.” |
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| SPORTS REPORT |
 Sports streamer DAZN is set to launch DAZN Inflight in 2027, opening access to audiences previously out of reach while traveling by air or sea. Aviv Giladi, President of DAZN Partnerships, will spearhead the effort, bringing live sports to fans who don’t want to miss a moment of the action on the go.
CBS Sports has signed a long-term media rights deal with the WNBA that includes up to 20 regular season games on CBS and Paramount+. “The WNBA’s growth and cultural impact have never been stronger,” said Dan Weinberg, Executive Vice President, Programming, CBS Sports. “With our entire schedule of games on broadcast television, we are broadening the league’s reach and amplifying the WNBA’s momentum with best‑in‑class coverage that reflects the excellence of its athletes and resonates with fans.”
FloSports is bringing its free FloRacing 24/7 Channel to The Roku Channel, starting today with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour from Martinsville Speedway.
VSiN is tapping into the prop betting boom with Opta Predictions for MLB, a Stats Perform product that delivers data-driven picks powered by Opta AI. Built on Opta’s deep data and predictive modeling, the tool pairs with sportsbook odds already available to subscribers, helping fans spot potential value in the market. |
| COMING UP |
| “The Testament of Ann Lee” begins streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ on Tuesday, March 31. The film, starring Amanda Seyfried as the leader of the Shakers, had its theatrical release on December 25.
Colman Domingo (“Euphoria”) will make his “Saturday Night Live” hosting debut on April 11. Joining him on the NBC sketch comedy show is Brazilian pop star Anitta as musical guest. |
| DISTRIBUTION |
| PBS and ITVS are partnering to launch a new PBS Documentaries YouTube channel, with plans to release over 100 new videos yearly. Content will include docs from Independent Lens, POV, BBC Studios, Reel South and VOCES, science and history specials created for the PBS National Programming Schedule, as well as digital-first content from PBS Digital Studios. |
| RATINGS |
| The launch of Paramount+ drama “The Madison” was the most watched first season launch for any Taylor Sheridan series, with 8 million views globally in its first ten days since debuting on March 14.
Last week’s Men’s and Women’s NCAA Tournament games drove over 27 billion viewing minutes in total, with March Madness games representing 23 of the top 25 sports telecasts of the week (the World Baseball Classic took the other two spots), according to Nielsen Big Data + Panel rating. The most watched telecast of the week was St. John’s victory over Kansas on Sunday, drawing 10.58 million viewers on CBS. The top non-sports broadcast shows were CBS’ “60 Minutes” and “Marshals” at #8 and #9.
Bridgerton topped Nielsen’s streaming chart the week of February 23 with 3.37 billion minutes. The final four episodes of the latest season hit Netflix on February 26, and accounted for 76% of its total viewing that week. While “The Night Agent” dropped back to the #2 spot this week, the show added 300 million minutes versus the week prior. |
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| EXECUTIVE MOVES |
| Locality has appointed Kouros Esfahany as Chief Technology Officer. Esfahany previously served as Chief Technology Officer at XR Extreme Reach and eBay.
Andrew Double has joined marketing platform Adora as Vice President of Revenue. Double was most recently Vice President of Commercial for North America at Quantcast. |
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This Day in History
1915 – Irish-born cook Mary Mallon, better known as Typhoid Mary and believed to have infected up to fifty-seven people with the bacteria that cause typhoid fever, was placed under a quarantine on North Brother Island, NYC, that lasted until her death in 1938.
Friday Fun Fact
Winnie the Pooh was once banned from a Polish playground because of his “dubious sexuality” and “inappropriate” outfit.
Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
Which spy drama featured recurring characters played by Angela Bassett, Isabella Rossellini and Amy Irving? “Alias” (2001-06). Kudos to: Justin Pierce-JP Consulting Group/LA; Phyllis McQuillan-MSG Networks/NYC; Ed Horwitz-Witz End Productions/Hollywood, CA; Dan Whitford-WTW/Chicago; Gerry Bixenspan-TV Marketing Inc./NYC; Rev. Mark Wajda/Clermont, FL; John Kukla-KDFW Fox 4/Dallas; Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/LA; Susan Nessanbaum-Goldberg-M and S Entertainment/LA
Today’s Trivia Question
Which sci-fi series included creatures called “Skitters”? (Email your answer to trivia@cynopsis.com and be sure to include your name, company, city and time zone – a limit of four answers per time zone.) |
EXECUTIVE >>
TBS INTERNATIONAL/LOS ANGELES, CA: Draft, review, and negotiate a broad range of entertainment and media agreements, with a primary focus on unscripted television, format licensing, and intellectual property distribution. Handle development, production, and co-production agreements, including situations where TBS is designated as the production entity providing production services. More info HERE
PRINT TRAFFICKER AND TECHNICAL COORDINATOR >>
FILM FEST DC/WASHINGTON, DC: Coordinate direct communication between print sources and the festival to ensure the on-time inbound and outbound delivery of all film materials and work with venue staff to deliver and test each film and KDM. Request and collect KDMs for all encrypted DCPs and maintain a spreadsheet that contains all the aspects of the film. Full info HERE
MANAGER, MEMBER ENGAGEMENT AND ANALYTICS >>
TELEVISION ACADEMY/NORTH HOLLYWOOD, CA:
Lead the execution of initiatives such as the Peer Circle program and Your Voice Matters, reviewing data to enhance program participation and ensure metrics are achieved; collaborate with the Senior Director of Engagement and Retention and stakeholders across marketing to manage delivery and optimization of the Member Benefits Perks newsletter. Full info HERE
BROADCAST ENGINEER >>
HIGH POINT UNIVERSITY/HIGH POINT, NC: Ensure high-quality production environments and provide technical leadership to faculty, staff, and students in live and recorded productions and play a role in supporting the school’s mission to provide industry-standard production experiences for students and will have opportunities to contribute to the development of emerging media technologies. More info HERE
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
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
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 |
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