Responded Comcast in a statement: “We have received an inquiry from the FCC and will cooperate with them to answer their questions. We are proud that for many decades we have supported local broadcast TV stations with world-class sports and entertainment, enabling them to drive viewership in a media environment that has grown increasingly competitive. Local stations are a critical part of Americans’ lives as a trusted source for news and life-saving weather information, and we will continue to invest heavily in this partnership to keep the broadcast business strong.” It’s not Comcast’s first tangle with the FCC this year – in February, Carr opened a probe into Comcast’s promotion of diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

X anticipates adding more defendants in its advertising boycott lawsuit. The platform filed papers with US District Court Judge Jane Boyle in Wichita Falls saying it “expects that further evidence obtained in discovery or through regulatory and other investigations will result in additional defendants.” In addition to the World Federation of Advertisers, X is suing energy companies Ørsted (based in Denmark), Shell, Mars, Nestle, Tyson, CVS, pharmaceutical firm Abbott, Colgate-Palmolive, Lego and Pinterest.

Interactive TV music channel ROXi and Sinclair announced a strategic partnership which brings ROXi’s music channel to 31 US TV markets, with additional US markets launching later this year. Pearl TV will assist with the rollout of ROXi in non-Sinclair markets. “ROXi is expanding what’s possible on broadcast television, and this partnership brings an interactive music experience to viewers in a simple, accessible way – no apps, logins, or subscriptions required. It’s a clear example of how NextGen TV enhances the broadcast experience,” said Skip Flenniken, VP & GM, Technology Business Development, Sinclair.

Spectrum is rolling out new digital self-service features designed to make it easier and more cost-effective for TV and Internet customers to use its Seamless Entertainment experience. TV customers whose plans include free access to streaming services can now upgrade to commercial-free streaming from the My Spectrum App or Spectrum.net by paying the retail price difference between the “with ads” and “without ads” versions. Internet-only customers can use the digital tools to add streaming apps to their Spectrum plan on an a la carte basis.

One-third of consumers have increased their internet usage in the last year, averaging more than ten hours a day online, according to a new national survey conducted on behalf of Optimum. The survey found that while nearly half of Americans are unsure of what internet speed they have, 80% think their current speed is sufficient. What do Americans want from their ISP when it comes to their internet service? No surprise here: affordability, value, and reliability.

ABC News Studios is debuting three new true crime docuseries for Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ or bundle subscribers. “Capturing Their Killer: The Girls on the High Bridge” premieres Tuesday, August 5; “Stalking Samantha: 13 Years of Terror” launches Tuesday, August 19; and “Ruby Red Handed: Stealing America’s Most Famous Pair of Shoes” arrives Tuesday, August 26.

Robert Carlyle (“Trainspotting”) will guest star as Sherlock Holmes on season two of CBS medical drama “Watson.” The updated version of the detective stories focuses on medical mysteries.

Meta beat analysts’ expectations with quarterly revenue of $47.5 billion, up 22%, and 3.48 billion daily active users. “We’ve had a strong quarter both in terms of our business and community,” said CEO Mark Zuckerberg. “I’m excited to build personal superintelligence for everyone in the world.”

SAG-AFTRA has renewed its agreement with Nielsen, again selecting the firm as its third-party provider of streaming content measurement, with the primary application being to inform the union’s forecasting and enforcement efforts around the new terms of the streaming bonus provisions of the 2023 TV/Theatrical Contract. “With the pace of change in our industry and the additional metrics we are now tracking, having the Nielsen streaming data to underpin the first-party data we receive has been both essential and highly effective, and as a result we will be continuing to rely on that data moving forward,” said SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland.

Digital Culture Group announced the official launch of its AI solution, the Audience Resonance Index. ARI is the first AI-platform engineered to predict not just who will engage, but to decode subconscious motivators and emotional intent. “The speed of culture has outpaced the digital advertising industry,” said Crystal Foote, Founder and Head of Partnerships at Digital Culture Group. “You can’t win tomorrow’s audience with yesterday’s data. ARI flips that model, replacing legacy guesswork with real-time AI infrastructure that decodes emotional, behavioral and transactional intent before trends even crest.”

MeTV Toons is celebrating the 65th anniversary of “The Flintstones” television debut. “The Flintstones: 65 Years & Still Rock’n!”, an all-day marathon event of the animated series on Sunday, August 31, begins at 6a.

MLB Network has lined up ten hours of live Trade Deadline coverage for today, including SiriusXM’s “The Leadoff Spot” (9a), “MLB Central” (10aT), “MLB Now” (12p) and 6 straight hours of “MLB Tonight” beginning at 1p.

Shannon Sharpe settled the $50 million lawsuit that accused him of rape – a lawyer representing his ex-girlfriend said in a statement that “both sides acknowledge a long-term consensual and tumultuous relationship” – but the former NFL star won’t be returning to his role as ESPN analyst. Sharpe, who had been on hiatus from the sports net since April, is officially off the roster, reports The New York Times.

Genius Sports Limited announced a strategic partnership with PMG aimed at driving innovation at the intersection of sports, media, and technology. Under the partnership, PMG will become a founding agency partner of FANHub, Genius Sports’ fan activation platform.

Red Bull Studios and IPR.VC announced a multi-year slate financing commitment focused on premium sports and sports-adjacent documentary projects. The collaboration aims to deliver premium sports documentaries with global appeal.

In celebration of National Soccer Day, Toyota and partner, For Soccer, recognized two young soccer players from the Houston area who exemplify the spirit of endurance, both on and off the pitch. Natalie Gómez and Dylan Emiliano Muñoz Garcia, two standout players from Houston Soccer Centro FC will receive a scholarship from Toyota to be used toward club or educational fees.

Zeta Global has hired Nate Yohannes as President of Zeta Data & AI Lab and Global Head of Research and Development. Most recently, Yohannes served as Product Management Lead for GenAI in Ads Ranking at Meta.

Vivian (Xiaowei) Yin, former CEO of FremantleMedia China, has launched Y+X Entertainment Group, dedicated to reshaping how stories come to life and how they resonate across cultures, formats, and experiences.

Today’s Trivia Question
What was the name of Ernestine’s boyfriend on “Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In” (1968-73)? (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.)