 IN THE NEWS |
| Ted Turner, the media maverick who founded CNN and built a cable empire that reshaped how the world consumes news, died Wednesday. He was 87. “Ted was an intensely involved and committed leader, intrepid, fearless and always willing to back a hunch and trust his own judgment,” said Mark Thompson, Chairman and CEO of CNN Worldwide, in a statement. “He was and always will be the presiding spirit of CNN. Ted is the giant on whose shoulders we stand, and we will all take a moment today to recognize him and his impact on our lives and the world.” Turner had been fighting Lewy body dementia, a progressive brain disorder he disclosed publicly in 2018.
Josh D’Amaro’s debut as Disney CEO may have been overshadowed by some unwanted Jimmy Kimmel headlines, but the company’s second-quarter results tell a much brighter story. Total revenue climbed 7% year-over-year to surpass $25 billion, ahead of analyst expectations, while operating income for the streaming business surged 88% to $582 million — driven by subscriber growth, price hikes, and stronger ad performance at Disney+ and Hulu. “Disney is uniquely positioned in the entertainment industry. No other company reaches consumers to the same degree across both digital and physical environments,” said D’Amaro during the company’s earnings call. “Our goal is to leverage that position to extend our reach, deepen engagement and generate greater value from our world class intellectual property. To fully capture this opportunity, we’ll embrace technology more aggressively and build a more connected consumer experience with Disney+ right at the center.”
HBO has greenlit a second season of its “Harry Potter” series, which will begin production this fall and draw from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. The first season is set to debut around the holidays.
Hallmark+ has renewed “Hope Valley: 1874” for a second season. The “When Calls the Heart” prequel will return in 2027. |
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| NEW & RETURNING SERIES |
| Ken Burns’ docuseries “The American Revolution,” which premiered in November 2025, will stream for free on all PBS platforms from Memorial Day, May 25 through Sunday, July 12. The six-part series — PBS’ first show ever to make Nielsen’s Top Ten Streaming list — will also be available on PBS stations Friday, July 3 at 9 p.m. and Saturday, July 4 starting at 9:30 a.m.
The fifth and final season of “The Bear” kicks off Thursday, June 25 at 9 p.m. on FX and Hulu. The story picks up the morning after Sydney (Ayo Edebiri), Richie and Natalie “Sugar” (Abby Elliott) discover that Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) has quit the food industry, leaving the restaurant to them.
“Super Why Comic Book Adventures” debuts Monday, October 5 on PBS KIDS. The animated series supports early literacy skills.
NewsNation announced “American Made,” a multi-platform series of stories that will air on “Elizabeth Vargas Reports.” The goal: honor the companies, brands, and corporate executives that define the entrepreneurial spirit of America, in celebration of the country’s 250th birthday. The show will launch this spring.
“This Is Poly,” a reality show exploring polyamorous relationships, premieres Friday, May 29 at 9:30 p.m. on We TV and streaming on All Reality. |
Today’s Premieres
ALLBLK: Jupiter Jones
AMC+/Shudder: The Terror: Devil in Silver
MTV: Jersey Shore Family Vacation at 8p
Netflix: Legends; The Chestnut Man: Hide and Seek
Peacock: M.I.A. |
| PRODUCTION |
| Sisters Nora and Lilly Zuckerman (“Poker Face”) have joined season three of ABC’s “High Potential” as executive producers and showrunners. They succeed Todd Harthan, who left to focus on his hew Disney+ series, “Eragon.”
Kismet Media has signed an exclusive overall deal with Wheelhouse, joining the talent and production company’s expertise in casting and producing with Wheelhouse’s capabilities in production, investment, and brand development. Under the agreement, Kismet will collaborate closely with Spoke Studios and Wheelhouse Entertainment’s other creative labels.
Warner Bros. International Television Production Spain and Atresmedia have begun filming a new season of game show “The Wheel,” three years after the global format’s Spanish debut, and brought in Arturo Valls as its new host. Originally launched in Spain on Atres in 2023 as “El círculo de los famosos,” the first season became the most-watched program of the night, delivering an 11.8% share and over 3.1 million unique viewers. |
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| COMING UP |
| The HBO Original comedy special “Josh Johnson: Symphony” debuts Friday, May 22 at 8 p.m. on HBO. Johnson, a rotating host of “The Daily Show,” reflects on strange childhood experiences, the perils of being labeled “nice,” challenging family dynamics, and navigating life’s most awkward moments. ‘
Documentary “Bobby Rahal: True American Racer,” celebrating the life and legacy of the motorsports champion, premieres Friday, May 8 at 7:30 p.m. on FS1. |
| TECH |
| Outcomes platform Teads is scaling its attention measurement capabilities into CTV through an expanded partnership with Lumen Research. The agreement gives Teads exclusive access to Lumen’s CTV attention measurement for the HomeScreen placement across the US, EMEA, APAC, and LATAM, building on existing attention tools within Teads Ad Manager.
IAB Tech Lab has rolled out updated technical specifications designed to standardize how CTV ad formats are signaled programmatically. The release covers the organization’s CTV Ad Portfolio — including newer formats like Pause and Menu Ads — with the goal of streamlining transactions, reducing manual workflows, and bringing greater consistency to the buying and selling process. “Standard formats are only part of the equation. You need a clear way to signal what is actually being bought and sold,” said Anthony Katsur, CEO, IAB Tech Lab. “This work helps the market move faster with more confidence, especially as new CTV formats gain traction. The CTV Ad Portfolio provides new real estate, which promises to help accelerate growth in the streaming ecosystem and provide high-profile consumer engagement opportunities for brands.” |
| SPORTS REPORT |
| Scripps Sports and ION unveiled their broadcast plans for the 2026 Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) season, including new host Zena Keita, who will team up with returning analysts Autumn Johnson, the NCAA’s women’s basketball personality, and Meghan McKeown. Nicole Denne continues as executive producer of the WNBA on ION Studio Show, with Jay Hoover serving as producer.
For the eighth year, the National Hockey League (NHL®) will accept applications for NHL Power Players™, a youth advisory board for hockey fans ages 13-17, to advise the league on hockey-related issues relevant to their generation. Fans may apply here to be considered for participation in the program.
MECENAS, the mobile-first Latin lifestyle destination, is expanding into sports media with the launch of Sideline Sports. The new platform debuts with flagship vodcast series “Nine Innings In,” hosted by Vincent Samperio. “Sports generates more culture than almost any other force in modern life, and media has mostly covered the scoreboard,” said Sarah North, Chief Content Officer at MECENAS. “The fan who studies what the athlete eats, who watches what they wear, who carries the ritual home, that fan hasn’t had a real editorial home. Sideline Sports is built for them.” |
| RATINGS |
| Hallmark Channel movie “Kentucky Roses,” created in partnership with Churchill Downs, was the #1 most-watched cable entertainment program on Saturday and of the week among key demographics, propelling Hallmark Channel to rank as the #2 most-watched cable entertainment network in Weekend Primetime among Women 18+. The film reached 1.7 million Unduplicated Total Viewers, according to Nielsen Big Data + Panel.
The NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Race from Texas delivered 1.11 million viewers for The CW, making it the most-watched Texas spring race in eight years. The audience grew +11% in total viewers compared to last year’s Texas same-weekend race.
Basic Cable Top 10 for the Week of April 27
P2+ AA (000)
Primetime
Fox News 254
ESPN 2046
MS NOW 1038
TNT 1018
HGTV 727
CNN 633
TLC 501
TBS 497
Hallmark Channel 489
History 471
Total Day
Fox News 1635
ESPN 780
MS NOW 642
CNN 48
HGTV 366
TNT 317
Hallmark Channel 272
GSN 263
TBS 263
Food Network 260
Source: Nielsen |
| EXECUTIVE MOVES |
| Blue Ant Media is expanding its Kids, Family & YA division, uniting its studios and leadership under a single, integrated model. The division is led by Jennifer Twiner McCarron, President, Kids, Family & YA, and sits within Blue Ant Studios.
AdImpact has appointed Rachel Blank as Head of Partnerships. Most recently, Blank served as Senior Account Manager of Digital Platforms at VideoAmp. |
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This Day in History
1789 – The first presidential ball was held, for George Washington.
Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
Which late-night host had a piano built into his desk? Two hosts had pianos: Steve Allen of “The Tonight Show” and Chevy Chase, on “The Chevy Chase Show.” Kudos to: Kevin McDonough-Apex Exchange/Honolulu; Michael Cosia/LA; Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/LA; Susan Nessanbaum-Goldberg-M and S Entertainment/LA.
Rosemary Cunningham-MeTV/Chicago; Glen Freyer/NYC; Joel Dearing-Virtual News Center/Indianapolis; Anne Thompson-Canvas Worldwide/Atlanta; Cindy O’Connor-Locality/NYC; Rik Dascher-Kennesaw State Univ./Atlanta; Mark Selby-Melbar Entertainment Group/Toronto; Kyle Krebs-NewsChannel 5/Nashville; John Kukla-KDFW Fox 4/Dallas
Today’s Trivia Question
Which short-lived game show was modified to become “Tattletales” (1974-84)? (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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