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| Friday September 19, 2025 |
 IN THE NEWS |
| “We will not be silent as our freedoms are threatened by corrupt schemes and threats. Anyone who is complicit will need to answer to us,” said Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA), a member of the House Oversight Committee, in response to ABC suspending “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” after the host’s remarks about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Kimmel accused MAGA supporters of “desperately trying to portray the young man who killed Charlie Kirk as anything but one of their own, using every angle possible to score political points.” FCC chair Brendan Carr cheered Nexstar Communications Group for dropping the show, while station owner Sinclair argued ABC’s move was “insufficient” and announced it would air a Charlie Kirk special in Kimmel’s timeslot. (Although the FCC doesn’t control networks directly, it can revoke licenses for individual local stations.) The timing is especially delicate for Disney and Nexstar: Disney is seeking approval for ESPN’s acquisition of the NFL Network, while Nexstar requires Trump administration approval to finalize its $6.2 billion deal for Tegna.
The Producers Guild of America also had a few words to say about Jimmy Kimmel’s ouster. “Late-night television has long been a space where satire and commentary contribute to our national dialogue,” stated the association. “We believe that artistic expression is essential, and that critical voices must not be silenced.” SAG-AFTRA condemned the suspension with the words, “The decision to suspend airing ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ is the type of suppression and retaliation that endangers everyone’s freedoms.” |
 A western-focused broadcast network from Weigel Broadcasting is set to debut Monday, September 29, featuring shows like “Gunsmoke,” “Bonanza,” “Maverick” and “Rawhide,” to name a few. At launch, WEST (Western Entertainment Series Television) will air in 46 TV markets nationwide covering 55.7% of the US. WEST will also be available on TDS cable systems and on DISH. WEST is Weigel’s tenth over-the-air national broadcast television network.
pocket.watch, the kids and family creator media company, has launched channels on the Zigazoo platform. The partnership introduces a dedicated pocket.watch channel featuring a mix of content from the company’s kids and family creators. |
CYNOPSIS SCREENSHIFT
Search isn’t the gateway anymore. Discovery is.
That’s just one of the insights from Tameka Kee (CIMM) and Albert Thompson (Walton Isaacson) in their session Rethinking Measurement for the AI Era. See them at ScreenShift, Oct. 14 in NYC. Register before fall pricing ends 9/26.
RESERVE MY SPOT |
| NEW & RETURNING SERIES |
| Two medical docuseries are headed to TLC next month. “Dangerously Obese” debuts Wednesday, October 22 at 9p, followed by “About Face,” spotlighting plastic surgeons, on Wednesday, October 29 at 10p.
New series “Lucky Dog Down Under” joins season 13 of Saturday morning programming block CBS Wknd, premiering October 4 at 9a. Also in the lineup are “Lucky Dog: Reunions,” “Mission Unstoppable,” “The Visioneers With Zay Harding,” “The Henry Ford’s Innovation Nation,” and “Hope in the Wild.”
Peacock comedy “The Paper” will start an NBC run on Monday, November 10, following “St. Denis Medical.”
Starz released the trailer for the eighth and final season of “Outlander,” arriving in 2016. You can check out the drama here.
Twenty-five years after its 2000-14 run, “106 & Sports,” a reimagining of the original countdown series, premieres Wednesday, October 15 on BET. CBS Sports’ Ashley Nicole Moss and former NFL star Cam Newton host.
“The Seduction” premieres Friday, November 14 on HBO Max. The limited series is adapted from the novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses. |
Today’s Premieres
Apple TV+: The Reluctant Traveler With Eugene Levy
Disney+: LEGOS Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy: Pieces of the Past
HGTV: Scariest House in America at 9p
Netflix: Billionaires’ Bunker; Haunted Hotel
The Roku Channel: Happy Mess Method
Starz: The Couple Next Door
Sunday’s Premieres
Food Network: Halloween Wars at 9p
Fox: 99 to Beat at 8p
Netflix: Inside: USA
Paramount+: Tulsa King |
| CYNOPSIS TOP WOMEN IN MEDIA
Meet the Powerhouses Defining Media’s Future.
The Top Women in Media Awards Gala is back Oct. 8 in NYC. Celebrate this year’s honorees from CBS Sports, Paramount, AMC Networks, and beyond. Reserve your spot now.
GET TICKETS |
| PRODUCTION |
| Jill Wagner (“A Christmas Miracle for Daisy”) and Trevor Donovan (“A Little Women’s Christmas”) are set to star in “Christmas By the Spoonful,” a new movie premiering as part of the 5th anniversary of the Great American event on Great American Family and GFAM+ on Friday, October 10. |
| COMING UP |
| Season 51 of NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” kicks off on October 4 with Bad Bunny as host and musical guest Doja Cat. The following week brings “SNL” alum Amy Poehler with musical guest Role Model. Sabrina Carpenter will do double duty on October 18, for her first turn as host and second as musical guest.
New special “Golden Eve,” honoring recipients of the Cecil B. DeMille Award and the Carol Burnett Award, will air Thursday, January 8 on CBS and Paramount+. That’s during Golden Week, a new week-long experience across Paramount platforms ahead of the Golden Globe Awards on January 11.
“Vicious,” a film starring Dakota Fanning as a woman who finds herself “trapped in a terrifying world where reality bends and memory betrays,” starts streaming Friday, October 10 on Paramount+.
FMC will “Fade to Black” in October, with film noirs like “The Maltese Falcon,” “The Big Sleep,” “Double Indemnity,” “Mildred Pierce,” and more.
Ho ho ho! Cynopsis is gearing up for our annual Holiday Programming Guide – dropping November 3 and delivered straight to all Cynopsis subscribers. If your network has holiday programming airing from November 3 through January 1, please send your listing to janetdilauro@gmail.com and Lynn@Cynopsis.com no later than October 22 with the subject line: “Holiday Guide”. To be included, programs must be listed by date, title of program, and start times, in the following format: “Thursday, November 19: Network Name: My One Christmas Wish at 9a, Paper Angels at 11a, 12 Days of Giving at 1p”. Holiday-related programs only! A confirmation email will be sent following each submission (if you don’t receive a confirmation email, please resubmit). |
| TECH |
| Amazon Ads has made Amazon Marketing Cloud available to all advertisers running sponsored ad campaigns. Count hair care brand Ecoslay a fan. “Amazon Marketing Cloud has the potential to completely change our approach to customer insights,” said Adria Marshall, CEO at Ecoslay. “The moment we logged in, we were immediately analyzing insights that previously would have required a specialized team and significant investment….It gives us access to the kind of market intelligence we thought was reserved for the largest brands.”
AI lab Luma introduced Ray3, which it says is the first video model built to think like a creative partner. Available in the Dream Machine platform, Ray3 empowers filmmakers, advertisers, and game developers to move from idea to final video faster, while meeting the technical standards of professional production. “Creative work is one of the most intellectually challenging things humans do, yet until now, many of the AI available to creatives has lagged far behind what’s possible in coding and analysis with language models,” said Amit Jain, CEO and co-founder of Luma AI. “Generative models have been more like slot machines – powerful but not intelligent. Ray3 changes that in a big way….This is the leap forward that filmmakers, advertisers, and game developers have been waiting for.” |
| DISTRIBUTION |
| Distributor Bomanbridge has secured a multi-year partnership with Doclights, a German producer of natural history films, to take over their wildlife catalogue. The deal will also see the companies collaborating on strategic digital goals and future productions. |
| THINK FAST |
| Zoo 55, Part of ITV Studios, is launching a World of Love Island FAST channel for US audiences on Prime Video. Programming includes full episodes from “Love Island UK” seasons three and five and “Love Island Australia” seasons one and two. |
| SPORTS REPORT |
| P&G is extending its HBCYOU program by serving as the title sponsor of HBCU Classic matchups. The partnership with Allen Media Group includes collaboration across the full HBCU GO football schedule with integrated support in live broadcasts, digital programming, and social media content.
Fan activation company Genius Sports has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Sports Innovation Lab. The combined platform will enable activation against live sports data, while also tapping into a deterministic fan graph. “We are strengthening our foundation and providing partners with a powerful new way to understand and engage fans at scale,” said Mark Locke, CEO of Genius Sports. “The Sports Innovation Lab acquisition transforms our media business, instantly extending our reach into an established customer network across multiple verticals.” |
| RATINGS |
| An audience of 17.4 million (ABC, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, and NFL+) watched the Buccaneers and Texans, making it ESPN’s most-watched “Monday Night Football” Week 2 game since 2008, and up 16% from ESPN’s single “MNF” Week 2 game last season. |
| EXECUTIVE MOVES |
| Peter McPhee has been appointed Chief Financial Officer of Cosm. McPhee most served as CFO at US Radiology Specialists. |
Friday Fun Fact
Mosquitoes are attracted to people who just ate bananas.
This Day in History
1994 – Medical drama “ER” premiered on NBC.
Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
The first season of which series featured Dustin Hoffman and Brian Cox in the cast? “Medici” (2016-19). Kudos to: Phyllis McQuillan-MSG Networks/NYC; Justin Pierce-JP Consulting Group/LA; Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/LA; Susan Nessanbaum-Goldberg-M and S Entertainment/LA; Gerry Bixenspan-TV Marketing Inc./NYC
Today’s Trivia Question
Which series aired for one season on NBC in 2009, then moved to TNT, where it aired for four more seasons? (Email trivia@cynopsis.com with your answer and be sure to include your name, company, city and time zone. Limit of four answers per time zone.) |
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
MANAGER, CONSUMER INSIGHTS & BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE>>
SESAME WORKSHOP/NEW YORK, NY:
Support the Research & Insights team in understanding the behaviors, motivations, and needs of children, educators, and caregivers—especially as they interact with TV shows, digital content and experiences. This role will help execute research initiatives that inform content strategy, digital product development, marketing, and audience engagement. 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
INTEGRATED MEDIA PLANNER >>
VLADIMIR JONES/DENVER, CO:
Responsible for preparing and implementing client media plans of all types for existing and prospective clients. This includes audience identification, research, development, presentation and purchasing of media plans & buys as well as an expert at understanding emerging trends and best practices across the omni-channel media world. Full info HERE
MOTION DESIGNER (FREELANCE) >>
LONG STORY SHORT/WASHINGTON, DC: Collaborate closely with our creative team to develop high-quality motion graphics for a variety of projects. Deliverables could include lower thirds, kinetic text, full-screen visuals, logo animations, infographic animations, bumper/intro sequences, social media graphics, and event or presentation graphics. 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
RIGHTS AND CLEARANCE SPECIALIST (FREELANCE) >>
HEARST MEDIA PRODUCTION GROUP/GLENDALE, CA: Spearhead rights management for all contracts, including but not limited to network, distribution, acquisitions, production partner, sponsorship, and talent agreements, maintaining a system that streamlines the process of identifying terms, rights, avails, participations, holdbacks, and territories. Input rights information into our software. Full info HERE
SENIOR DESIGNER >>
REELZ CHANNEL/ALBUQUERQUE, NM: Responsible for the concept, design and execution of various motion graphics projects for on-air promo and sales presentations. Will be required to design and create graphics for social media, digital and print. Must be able to follow brand guidelines and expand and change the brand look when necessary. Full info HERE
EVP, COMMERCIAL & TECHNOLOGY TRANSACTIONS, LEGAL & BUSINESS AFFAIRS >>
A+E GLOBAL MEDIA/NY(HYBRID): Oversee the three major areas of commercial transactions (comprised of supporting the Distribution, Total Media Solutions and Global Content Sales divisions) and the adjacent areas supported by the attorney teams that principally support those divisions (including vendor management and privacy). 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
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE DIRECT RESPONSE >>
OPPORTUNITY MEDIA/NY(REMOTE/HYBRID): Seeking an energetic achiever with excellent written & organizational skills for role to assist in growing revenue for dynamic Direct Response Team: required: BA Degree, Min 5 yrs DR Experience. Wide Orbit Exp a +. 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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