| A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE FROM LOCALITY |
 IN THE NEWS |
| A lawsuit claiming Showtime and Entertainment One hit drama “Yellowjackets” pilfered the plot of 2015 film “Eden” has been dismissed. While both projects focus on soccer teams that crash in the woods and resort to cannibalism, “escape attempts by shipwrecked or stranded survivors are prevalent throughout fiction and history, from Odysseus, Robinson Crusoe and Gilligan to Shackleton and the Uruguayan rugby team,” wrote US District Judge Dean Pregerson. “Instances of competition, tribalism and factionalism in disaster scenarios or in response to resource scarcity are nearly as commonplace, from ‘The Tempest’ to ‘Survivor’ to much of the post-apocalyptic genre, such as the ‘Mad Max’ films or any of a number of zombie stories, to, most archetypically, ‘Lord of the Flies.’” The suit was filed by the owner of the rights to “Eden” in November 2024.
CBS reports it is on track to be the most-watched broadcast network for the 17th consecutive season, with the top seven shows on television. That beats broadcast television’s longest winning streak on record, also previously held by CBS, from 1955-1970, and is CBS’ 22nd win in the last 23 years. In broadcast alone with Nielsen “Most Current” ratings, CBS’ primetime viewership (excluding sports) averages 4.99 million viewers, up +14% year over year. |
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| Economic uncertainty is driving advertisers to prioritize performance and ad results, often at the expense of brand safety and support for quality journalism, according to Advertiser Perceptions’ “Trust in Advertising” report. Among the key findings: While a majority still believe that advertising in legitimate news environments is good for consumers, they are significantly less likely to prioritize these practices at their organizations. Advertisers have also pulled back on aligning their marketing content with several social-related issues, such as supporting quality content/journalism, gender parity and body autonomy. |
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| Charter Communications has launched an Employee Stock Purchase Plan, giving eligible employees the opportunity to purchase Charter stock through payroll deductions and receive matching Restricted Stock Units based on their years with Charter. “In my meetings with employees around the country, one of the most frequent topics of conversation is they want the opportunity to own stock and share in Charter’s success,” said Chris Winfrey, President and CEO of Charter Communications. “Ownership is a powerful concept. It drives accountability, fuels long-term growth, and aligns us for success. As shareholders in our Company, we are not just employees – we are owners. And that distinction makes an incredible difference in how we can better serve our customers.”
Consumers decreased their entertainment spending by nearly $20 year-over-year in the final quarter of 2024, with the average number of services used declining from 11.1 to 9.9 in the same period, found TiVo in its Q4 2024 Trends Report. This is the first time since before 2021 that the average monthly entertainment spend dropped below $160 – it had peaked in 2022 with an average monthly spend of $189.38. Among those who canceled a subscription SVOD within the last 6 months, 17.0% said they did so because they “weren’t using it enough” and 16.9% said it was because the service raised its prices. This decrease, paired with a plateau of hours spent watching video, indicates that consumers are spending the same amount of time consuming content but on fewer services across linear and streaming. “We are seeing a shift in consumer priorities as they look for ways to reduce the number of services they use without sacrificing access to quality content,” Geir Skaaden, Chief Product and Services Officer of TiVo parent Xperi. “As consumers face economic uncertainty there will be increased pressure on the entertainment industry to deliver quality content and keep users engaged for long periods of time.”
The Corporation for Public Television is suing members of the Trump administration for trying to unseat three members of its board. “Put simply, Congress conceived CPB as a vehicle for infusing federal money into public broadcasting without the introduction of government direction or control, with Congress reserving for itself the oversight responsibility for the CPB by, among other things, controlling the appropriations for CPB and public broadcasting,” wrote CPB attorneys. “Moreover, Congress protected the CPB from the executive branch by withholding from CPB any form, pure or quasi, of legislative, judicial, or regulatory power.” |
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CABLE & BROADBAND STANDOUTS
They’re Already Setting the Pace—Now It’s Time to Celebrate Their Momentum
Cable & Broadband Standouts is back, and we’re spotlighting the pros who didn’t just show up in Q1—they came to make an impact. Whether they’re steering high-profile projects or powering progress behind the scenes, these are the people redefining what it means to lead in our industry.
Got someone on your team who’s already making 2025 their year?
Nominate them now—their moment in the spotlight starts here. |
| PRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT |
| ABC is bringing back “Match Game,” again, this time with Martin Short as host. The game show premiered on NBC daytime in 1962, followed by runs on CBS, syndication, and ABC. The most recent revival, on ABC, was hosted by Alec Baldwin. FremantleMedia North America is producing with Short and Alycia Rossiter.
“Wisteria Lane,” a spinoff of 2004-12 dramedy “Desperate Housewives” from Kerry Washington’s Simpson Street and 20th Television, is in development at Onyx Collective. The darkly comic mystery series is being written by Natalie Chaidez (“The Flight Attendant”). |
 “1883” alum Sam Elliott has joined the cast of another Taylor Sheridan drama, Paramount+’s “Landman.” |
| NEW & RETURNING SERIES |
 “Dexter: Resurrection” premieres with two episodes for Paramount+ with Showtime subscribers on Friday, July 11, followed on Sunday, July 13 at 8p on Showtime. |
| A&E’s “Duck Dynasty: The Revival” has a new premiere date: Sunday, June 1 at 9p. The reality show was originally slated to debut on May 28.
“Murder Has Two Faces,” a three-part docuseries hosted by “Good Morning America” co-anchor Robin Roberts, hits Hulu Tuesday, May 6. Each episode follows a crime that shares similarities with a high-profile case. |
 Four late bloomers navigate love and intimacy in TLC reality show “Virgins,” premiering Monday, June 9 at 9p.
Season six of “Ugliest House in America” kicks off Monday, June 2 at 9:30p. Comedian and home design enthusiast Retta will travel the country to find 15 stunningly atrocious abodes. |
 “Call Her Alex” debuts Tuesday, June 10 on Hulu and Disney+. The two-part series offers a behind-the-scenes look at “Call Her Daddy” podcast creator, host and executive producer Alex Cooper. “I’ve shared my life with the Daddy Gang since I started ‘Call Her Daddy’ – but this documentary series takes it even deeper,” said Cooper.
Prime Video action series “Countdown” will premiere with three episodes on Wednesday, June 25. Jensen Ackles (“Supernatural”) stars as an LAPD detective drawn into a sinister plot.
Newsmax has launched a weekday news show on its N2 streaming platform.
“National Update,” anchored by Tracy Sobol, airs weekdays at 11a. |
Today’ Premieres
ABC: Celebrity Wheel of Fortune at 8p; Jeopardy! Masters at 9p
Apple TV+: Careme
IFC: In the Kitchen With Harry Hamlin at 11p
Hulu: Suspect: The Shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes
Netflix: The Eternaut; Turning Point: The Vietnam War |
| SCREENSHIFT: Built for What’s Next
Welcome to ScreenShift—where convergence meets action.
This is not your typical tech demo conference. It’s brand-first, marketing-led, and tailored for decision-makers navigating a media world in motion.
At ScreenShift, you’ll:
· Get hands-on in workshops and expert roundtables
· Join a curated community of senior leaders and disruptors
· Access bonus content like our AI-centric webinar this August
· Celebrate media innovation at our post-event reception
Ready to explore what tomorrow’s media stack looks like—and who’s building it?
Then you belong at ScreenShift.
SAVE YOUR SEAT |
| COMING UP |
| Comedy Central special “The Daily Show Presents: Jordan Klepper Fingers The Pulse: MAGA: The Next Generation” is set to premiere after “The Daily Show” on Monday, May 19 at 11:30p.
Comedians Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, co-hosts of the “Las Culturistas” podcast, will host the fourth annual Las Culturistas Culture Awards, airing Tuesday, Aug. 5 at 9pon Bravo. |
| TECH |
| Data platform Attain has partnered with Samba TV to expand Attain’s incrementality measurement platform to include linear television. The collaboration provides marketers with a cross-channel view of sales lift across all major media platforms. “Marketers have long struggled to quantify the real impact of linear TV on business outcomes,” said Attain CEO and Co-founder Brian Mandelbaum. “With our new integration with Samba TV and their unparalleled footprint of first-party data, we’re removing that blind spot and delivering a holistic view of performance that ties brand-building efforts directly to sales results.”
Amplified Intelligence announced a new brand identity, Amplified, reflecting “a more simplified and confident approach as the business continues to expand across markets.” Amplified is expanding its product portfolio offering, soon to include a closer look at attributes and behaviors such as human emotion and advertising context. “Coupling emotion and context along with attention allows our machine-learning models to have significantly more accurate and more refined predictions,” said CEO Anneliese Urquhart. “What this means for advertisers is more opportunities to make their advertising more effective and more efficient.”
LoopMe has partnered with Microsoft Advertising to integrate its real-time brand optimization PurchaseLoop solution into Microsoft Curate. With the integration, advertisers can access real-time optimization alongside brand measurement and custom data. Following a three year partnership, LoopMe has now joined the Microsoft Advertising Partner Program as a select partner. The program encourages partners to grow their businesses, access the larger Microsoft community and receive recognition for their work with Microsoft Advertising.
MyOutdoorTV unveiled an enhanced streaming platform with features designed to elevate the outdoor streaming experience. Developed in collaboration with ViewLift, features include an enhanced multi-channel guide; interactive previews; streamlined sign-up; and viewer personalization. |
| SPORTS REPORT |
| BIG3 has added the newly launched VICE Sports to their season eight media lineup. VICE Sports will receive 14 live hours of BIG3 games and join CBS as the distributors for the BIG3’s summer slate which tips off on June 14 in Chicago. Head of BIG3 Sponsorships and Sales Nikki Ambrifi had this to share about the deal: “We are thrilled to be one of the all-new live sports portfolios available on VICE TV’s recently launched VICE Sports. There is so much synergy between our brands and I’m looking forward to expanding our audience alongside them this summer.”
BIG3 co-founders Ice Cube and Jeff Kwatinetz will among the game-changing speakers at the Cynopsis Power Play webinar on June 3, the day before the Sports Media Awards. To register, go here.
Playtomic, the community of racquet sport players and clubs, and racquet sports equipment company Babolat struck a strategic global partnership designed to accelerate the global growth of padel by combining Babolat’s technical expertise with Playtomic’s digital ecosystem. Playtomic and Babolat will launch brand activations in key markets, including the US, Spain, Italy, France, the UK and Germany, with a global reach through physical events and digital amplification. |
| DISTRIBUTION |
| Newsmax Inc., through its subsidiary Newsmax Broadcasting, has signed distribution agreements with Cellcom Israel and Telecom Armenia to make the Newsmax channel available to their customers. With these deals, Newsmax extends its content and distribution partnerships across five continents in more than 100 countries. |
| RATINGS |
| “World News Tonight with David Muir” ranked as the most-watched weekday program during the week of coverage on the death of Pope Francis in Total Viewers (7.43 million) on all of broadcast and cable and ranked as the number one newscast across the board in Total Viewers (7.432 million), Adults 25-54 (1.047 million) and Adults 18-49 (691,000).
FOX News Channel was the number two network in all of primetime television the week of April 21, based on Live+Same Day data from Nielsen. FNC also marked the highest-rated first 100 days in cable news history seeing gains over 2021 and 2017. FNC averaged 1.9 million viewers across total day during the first 100 days of the Trump administration (up 47% vs. 2021; up 12% vs. 2017) and 3 million viewers in primetime (up 25% vs. 2021; up 8% vs. 2017).
NewsNation finished the month of April with double-digit increases in weekday total day viewership, according to Nielsen. The audience was up 11% in total viewers and up 17% among Adults 25-54. “NewsNation Live” drew 44,000 in P2+, up +13%; “NewsNation Now with Connell McShane” delivered 55,000 in P2+, up +45%; and “The Hill” rose to 42,000, up +24%.
Fox Television Stations’ “LiveNOW” recorded its best quarter in history, delivering over 500 million video views on YouTube, according to Comscore, topping all national broadcast news outlets on YouTube.
The April 21 episode of HGTVs “Rock the Block” attracted more than 3.1 million viewers across linear and streaming, with a .89 Live+3 rating among Adults 25-54 and a 1.00 rating among Women 25-54, respective increases of 187 and 163 percent over the previous six weeks. |
| EXECUTIVE MOVES |
| IAB has appointed Caroline Giegerich as Vice President, AI to spearhead IAB’s strategic initiatives to incorporate artificial intelligence throughout the digital advertising landscape. Most recently, Giegerich served as Vice President of Global Marketing & Innovation at Warner Music Group.
Digital marketing agency ModOp has hired Gary Goodman and Matt Bretz as Executive Vice Presidents of Creative Innovation. Goodman and Bretz are longtime creative partners and former Co-Chief Creative Officers at Ayzenberg.
Taylor du Pont has been promoted to Head of Television Post-Production at Lionsgate Television Group. She succeeds Bobby Williams. “Taylor is a rising star within our Television Group, and she brings strong post-production experience and expertise to her new role,” said Lionsgate Television Group Chair & Chief Creative Officer Kevin Beggs and Vice Chairman Sandra Stern. “We want to extend our gratitude to Bobby for his 23 years of valuable and distinguished service to the company, shepherding our most iconic television series through post-production.”
Creative performance platform Hunch has appointed Gareth O’Neill to the newly created role of Chief Business Officer. O’Neill most recently served as EMEA Head of Partner Solutions at Meta.
Steve Lanzano, President and Chief Executive Officer of TVB, will retire at the end of 2025. Lanzano has served as the head of the trade association since January 2010. |
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This Day in History
1789 – George Washington was inaugurated as the first President of the United States of America, in NYC.
Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
Which 1965 special remained CBS’ highest-rated until 2009? “Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella.” Kudos to: Jackie Howell-Nexstar WCMH-TV/Columbus, OH; Mike Goiscia-NBCUniversal/NYC; Rev. Mark Wajda/Clermont, FL; Gerry Bixenspan-TV Marketing Inc./NYC; Ed Horwitz-Witz End Productions/LA; Susan Nessanbaum-Goldberg-M and S Entertainment/LA; Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/LA
Today’s Trivia Question
Who played Rabbi Raquel Fine on “Transparent” (2014-19)? (Email your answer to trivia@cynopsis.com 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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