The new company will operate 265 stations, reaching 80% of U.S. TV households – well beyond the longstanding 39% cap. FCC Chair Brendan Carr has expressed support for eliminating the limit, a position also backed by Perry A. Sook, Nexstar’s Chairman and CEO. “The Trump administration’s initiatives give local broadcasters the chance to broaden their reach, create a level playing field, and better compete with Big Tech and legacy media giants that wield unchecked influence and vast financial resources,” said Sook. “We see Tegna as the ideal partner for Nexstar to seize this opportunity.”

Audiences spent a record 47.3% of TV viewing time in July on streaming platforms, according to Nielsen’s monthly The Gauge report. Netflix saw a monthly viewing increase of 5%, to achieve a platform record of 8.8%, with “Squid Game” the month’s most-watched title, delivering 5.4 billion viewing minutes. Peacock’s “Love Island USA” was second, with 5.3 billion minutes.

Trinity Broadcasting, distribution partner of Dr. Phil McGraw’s bankrupt Merit Street Media, is suing Merit Street for fraud and breach of contract. The Christian television network claims that despite a 10-year, $500 million deal, McGraw failed to deliver a single episode of his new talk show, and made misleading assurances about the show’s financial health and popularity. Meanwhile, Merit Street contends that Trinity Broadcasting failed to uphold its end of their joint venture, mainly by not securing national distribution.

The Ad Council’s Finish Your Diploma campaign released new PSAs to mark 15 years of empowering adults to complete their high school equivalency. Launched in 2010 by the Ad Council and the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, the campaign has connected more than 2 million people to free local adult education centers.

“Murder Before Evensong” premieres Monday, September 29 on Acorn TV. The six-part murder mystery stars Matthew Lewis (“All Creatures Great and Small”) as a rector entangled in a murder case when a dead body turns up in his church.

Cozy crime drama “The Sunshine Murders” launches Thursday, September 4 on UPtv, following half-sisters searching for their missing father.

Season two of PBS wildlife series “Big Cats” kicks off Wednesday, September 10 at 8p (check local listings). Over six episodes, a team of filmmakers return to Botswana’s Okavango Delta to follow the lives of its lions, leopards and cheetahs.

Two new docuseries exploring the dark undercurrents of digital deception are headed to Paramount+. “Thirst Trap: The Fame. The Fantasy. The Fallout.”, focused on overnight TikTok sensation William White, premieres Tuesday, September 9, while true crime tale “Don’t Date Brandon” debuts Tuesday, October 28.

Prime Video’s “Fallout,” based on the video game series, returns for season two on Wednesday, December 17. Unlike its freshman drop, episodes will roll out weekly.

Also back for a second season is Netflix’s “Wolf King” – but it will be the British series’ last. The beginning of the end of the animated adventure fantasy debuts Thursday, September 11.

Nat Geo docuseries “Top Guns: The Next Generation,” following a class of Navy and Marine Corps student pilots, kicks off Tuesday, September 16 at 9p.

“Riot Women,” centered on five menopausal women who form a punk rock band to take part in a local talent contest, premieres Wednesday, October 22 on BritBox with two episodes. Subsequent episodes drop weekly.

Telemundo’s “Dinastía Casillas,” a spinoff “El Señor de los Cielos,” the longest-running scripted franchise in Spanish-language television, will make its debut in October.

“Death Row Confidential: Secrets of a Serial Killer” premieres Saturday, September 13 at 9p on Oxygen. The true-crime series examines the story of convicted killer Joseph Naso, and how a fellow inmate connected him to many additional cold cases.

Matt and Ross Duffer (“Stranger Things”) and their Upside Down Pictures inked a four-year, exclusive deal with Paramount that includes writing, producing and directing feature films, TV, and original series for Paramount Pictures, Paramount Television, and Paramount Direct-to-Consumer. The new gig starts when their Netflix deal concludes in April 2026, although they will continue to collaborate on Netflix projects.

Actor Ron Perlman (“Sons of Anarchy”) has launched a creator-led finance and content development platform, Watrfall, with producer Michael Donovan (“Bowling for Columbine”), Dana Landry, founder of IoM, and Willie Morris. “We built Watrfall to realign the entertainment value chain – where creators are in control, where the people who make content actually benefit from its success, and where film and television lovers everywhere can have a real seat at the table,” said Perlman. “This is not only the beginning of a new model – one where power and participation are shared, but of a movement that empowers those who are in it for the love of culture.”

Globo has struck a new partnership with entertainment studio MFF & CO to adapt a slate of Brazilian daytime and primetime telenovelas for North American audiences. MFF & CO will work alongside US writers, reimagining each series in the traditional American format with multiple seasons.

IAB Tech Lab announced the formation of the AI Content Monetization Protocols (CoMP) Working Group (formerly called the LLM Content Ingest API). The group will define new standards that allow publishers and content creators to sustainably monetize in an AI-first digital ecosystem. Its framework will focus on three key components:
· Blocking bot traffic – effectively giving publishers a “door with a lock” to control unwanted scraping
· LLM-friendly discovery – helping publishers participate in AI experiences in a way that builds a viable marketplace
· LLM Ingest API – a standardized mechanism for content ingestion that allows AI systems to monetize through opt-in participation

“The rise of generative AI created the Wild West for content usage. What we’re building now is the zoning map,” said Shailley Singh, EVP, Product and Chief Operating Officer, IAB Tech Lab. “This initiative gives publishers the tools to protect their IP and unlock new value – not just plug holes.”

Viant Technology announced a new integration with Wurl to become the first DSP to deliver scene-level contextual intelligence across CTV, enabling advertisers to align messaging with on-screen context in real time. “We are powering a new generation of privacy-safe, contextually relevant advertising that benefits the entire ecosystem,” said Tom Wolfe, SVP of Business Development at Viant. “The partnership with Wurl helps fulfill our mission to drive meaningful outcomes for our advertisers, and across the CTV landscape by addressing persistent challenges like fragmented targeting, limited measurement and lack of content transparency.”

OpenX Technologies has integrated with S&P Global Mobility’s Polk Automotive Solutions portfolio, bringing Polk’s measurement to the supply side for the first time. “Our mission is to deliver the industry’s best automotive insights and data that empowers our users to connect more effectively with their customers,” said Joe Kyriakoza, VP and General Manager Polk Automotive Solutions at S&P Global Mobility. “Integrating Polk’s automotive intelligence into OpenXSelect extends the reach and performance of Polk solutions, giving marketers the insights and scale needed to drive better business outcomes while streamlining campaign setup.”

A shift in growth rates is signaling an acceleration of broadband consumption, according to the latest edition of the OpenVault Broadband Insights (OVBI) report. Data collected by OpenVault’s SaaS network management and monitoring solutions showed that average per-subscriber usage for the second quarter of 2025 was 664.2 GB, an increase of 1.0 GB over the 663.2 GB recorded in 1Q25 and a significant indicator given historical seasonal decline from the first quarter to the second in a given year. The year-over-year growth rate in 2Q25 was higher than any seen in the second quarter in the past three years. “The unprecedented increase in usage from Q1 to Q2, the resurgence of downstream consumption, and the continued growth of upstream traffic all signal that broadband is entering a new phase in expansion,” the report notes. “In this evolving environment, agility is essential – providers must leverage detailed insights and advanced tools like PMA to build resilient networks capable of supporting rising and increasingly dynamic consumer usage.”

AdOmni, the AI-powered programmatic DOOH and video advertising platform, announced enhancements to its platform that enable self-service DOOH campaigns to be planned and bought as easily as Facebook or Instagram ad campaigns. The new features, powered by its proprietary AI assistant, Jeen AI, are specifically designed to empower small businesses and mid-market advertisers to launch and manage professional-grade DOOH campaigns with ease and speed. “For too long, planning a DOOH campaign has been perceived as a complex, expensive process reserved for large brands with big budgets,” said Jonathan Gudai, CEO of AdOmni. “We’re changing that. Just as Google and Meta made digital ad buying accessible to every business, AdOmni is democratizing real-world media like DOOH and CTV.”

Me TV is celebrating the 70th anniversary of “Gunsmoke” with a month-long marathon from August 30-September 27. The network will feature curated theme weeks of the series, plus the five made-for-TV movies that aired following the show’s CBS run 1955-1975.

Additionally, a Locals Mix (ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC) will be available where DirecTV has the rights to stream local stations, and a Sunday Sports Mix (CBS, Fox, ESPN and FS1) will be available beginning September 7. The new mixes allow Signature Package and Genre Pack customers to watch up to four live programs at the same time, on a single screen. “DirecTV has innovation in our DNA and is proud to have pioneered multi-channel viewing nearly two decades ago,” said Vikash Sharma, head of product at DirecTV. “Now we’re bringing the next generation of multiview to streaming with new mix channels to give consumers more flexibility and control over how they watch and discover their favorite programming.”

ESPN has re-signed Field Yates to a multi-year agreement, continuing his role as one of the company’s lead NFL Draft, Fantasy Football and overall NFL analysts.

The season premiere of the “HBCU GO Sports Kickoff Show” airs Saturday, August 23 at noon on the streaming platform. Hosted by Tolly Carr and Nicole Hutchison, the two-hour special features interviews with NFL coach Sean Payton and HBCU rising star Carson Vinson.

Basic Cable Top 10 for the week of August 11
P2+ 000 (AA)
Primetime
Fox News 2342
ESPN 837
MSNBC 797
NFL Network 650
HGTV 584
USA 560
CNN 467
TBS 438
INSP 397
History 36
Total Day
Fox News 1491
MSNBC 497
ESPN 448
CNN 353
NFL Network 323
HGTV 308
USA 254
Hallmark Mystery 251
GSN 237
TBS 235
Source: Nielsen

Today’s Trivia Question
On “Cybill” (1995-98), what was Maryann’s (Christine Baranski) real name? (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.)