Tessera

Two watchdog organizations have asked lawmakers to probe an arrangement between Paramount and officials at the FCC where tickets to the Kennedy Center Honors were gifted to them while transactions were pending before the agency. [ProPublica]

Watchdog groups seek probe into gifts accepted by FCC officials – TheDesk.net

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FIRST TO REPORT: Scripps to begin issuing pink slips at local TV stations this week, sources say.

Scripps preparing layoffs as local stations move toward automated systems

August 3, 2026 - The ZapperBox allows TV fans to watch ATSC and NextGen TV broadcast signals. (Photo via Zapperbox storefront, Graphic by The Desk) The E. W. Scripps Company is readying the issuance ...

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Former "60 Minutes" correspondents Scott Pelley and Sharyn Alfonsi will serve as journalists-in-residence at the Columbia Journalism School, where they will work with students and contribute to the Columbia Journalism Review, the school said on Monday.

Scott Pelley, Sharyn Alfonsi get Columbia Journalism School residencies

August 3, 2026 - Alfonsi and Pelley will work with students through lectures, workshops, special events and individual sessions; both will also work on the Columbia Journalism Review.

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Echostar, the parent company of Dish Network and Sling TV, generated a rare profit during the second quarter of the year despite seeing ongoing subscriber dips in their pay TV business.

Echostar swings to profit in Q2 as pay TV subscribers continue declining

August 3, 2026 - Despite a drop in revenue, Dish saw a boost in its operating profit during the second quarter of the year; pay TV customers continued to cut the cord on Dish.

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TheDesk.net @thedesk.net · 5d ago

If you have an LG smart TV, you can now select Bob Ross paintings to appear as your screen saver.

Bob Ross artwork comes to LG smart TVs through Cineverse deal

August 3, 2026 - You can now add Bob Ross paintings to your LG Art smart TV after the company struck a deal with Cineverse this week.

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CBS Sports has suspended Tony Romo from his broadcast duties following his arrest on suspicion of driving while intoxicated; he is the second NFL play-by-play personality to face criminal charges over the past year, after Fox's Mark Sanchez caught a case for battery.

CBS Sports suspends NFL analyst Tony Romo after arrest

July 31, 2026 - Romo was arrested and cited earlier in the week for driving while under the influence of alcohol and other alleged crimes.

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Matthew Keys @matthewkeys.net · 5d ago

The FCC will vote to eliminate a rule that restricts the number of broadcast TV and radio stations one company may own. The timing of the vote happens to coincide with the date that several broadcasters with pending business before the FCC will release their financial earnings.

FCC vote on ownership cap coincides with broadcast-related financial earnings releases

July 31, 2026 - Several companies with deals pending before or approved by the FCC will release their Q2 earnings on Thursday, the same day as a vote on the broadcast ownership cap.

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TheDesk.net @thedesk.net · 5d ago

In an interview with a former lobbyist turned conservative writer, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said the agency is investigating recent broadcast network affiliation swap announcements. The FCC cannot legally scrutinize those deals.

FCC reviewing recent affiliation swap announcement, Chairman Carr says

July 31, 2026 - The FCC generally cannot interfere in broadcast-related transactions involving network affiliation deals, but Carr is going to try anyway.

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SiriusXM is decreasing its use of retention discounts when customers call to cancel their plans, instead pointing price-sensitive radio listeners to lower-priced service tiers.

SiriusXM plots turnaround through more sports, fewer discounts

July 30, 2026 - SiriusXM is hoping sports fans will find its new plans attractive across programming and pricing; the company is easing off discounts to retain customers.

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AMC channels are coming soon to YouTube TV's lower-priced, genre-based packages.

AMC channels coming to lower-priced YouTube TV packages

July 30, 2026 - A new carriage deal with YouTube TV will allow the platform to offer AMC's channels in lower-priced packages and resell access to AMC Plus.

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Howard Stern's time at SiriusXM is almost fully done. The company is reorienting its business around live sports and related programming, and a new $5 per month sports-only plan is being dangled in front of new and existing customers.

SiriusXM plots turnaround through more sports, fewer discounts

July 30, 2026 - SiriusXM is hoping sports fans will find its new plans attractive across programming and pricing; the company is easing off discounts to retain customers.

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The Media and Democracy Project @mediaanddemocracy.bsky.social · 7d ago

Disney has urged the FCC to toss petitions made by national groups challenging its ABC broadcast licenses, calling their actions politically motivated.

Disney urges FCC to toss petitions challenging ABC broadcast licenses

July 30, 2026 - In a letter submitted to the FCC, Disney said some national advocacy groups have targeted its ABC broadcast network for purely political reasons.

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We’re proud to represent our members in joining this effort. Chairman Carr’s weaponization of the FCC is an attack on the First Amendment. It is critical that individuals and orgs - like Disney - standing up to fascism have your/our support. Courage is contagious.

TheDesk.net@thedesk.net · 7d ago

Nearly two dozen groups, including @mediaanddemocracy.bsky.social @penamerica.bsky.social @publicknowledge.bsky.social @aclu.org @eff.org sent a letter to Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro supporting the company's ongoing fight against the FCC's politically-motivated investigations.

A former Nexstar news director is backing a fired colleague who was dismissed three years ago for writing and circulating a memo critical of her station's Pride Month coverage.

Former Nexstar news director defends colleague who wrote controversial Pride Month memo

July 24, 2026 - The ex-news director, Ted Linn, said former WOOD-TV News Director Amy Fox was following Nexstar's editorial policies when she penned a controversial memo on Pride Month coverage.

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Free speech groups back Disney in ongoing fight with FCC

July 29, 2026 - The letter says Disney should continue defending its First Amendment rights as it challenges the FCC’s early license renewal order for eight ABC-owned stations.

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A decision by the FCC will likely make it harder to find robot vacuums like the Roomba in the near future. [9to5]

Almost all future robot vacuums were just banned by the US government - 9to5Mac

Almost all future robot vacuums were just banned by the US government, though no one is coming for current models. Here are the details.

9to5mac.com

TheDesk.net@thedesk.net · 7d ago

"The Five" and "Jesse Watters Primetime" were the most-watched shows on cable TV.

"ABC World News Tonight" was the most-watched program in America last week, attracting an average audience of 7.66 million viewers, per Nielsen data. "NBC Nightly News" was in second place with an average audience of 6.14 million viewers.

Almost every cable news outlet in America posted audience gains in July as Americans watched Supreme Court coverage, sought information on developments heading into the midterm election and tuned in to America 250 celebrations.

Fox News remains top in cable ratings during July; NewsNation, MS NOW log growth milestones

July 29, 2026 - Fox News Channel led cable news in July, averaging 2.33 million Monday-Sunday primetime viewers and nearly 1.5 million total-day viewers.

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A killer of local newspapers is likely to emerge as one of the key owners of Cumulus Media in its post-bankruptcy era, according to FCC filings.

Filings: Alden Global exec likely to emerge as major Cumulus Media stakeholder

July 29, 2026 - Alden Global has been criticized over the years for cutting jobs and reducing local news investments at newspapers under its ownership, causing concern among radio industry watchers a...

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Now you can watch "Power" from Starz and "Chainsaw Man" from Crunchyroll through a special discount bundle on Prime Video.

Prime Video debuts Starz-Crunchyroll bundle

July 29, 2026 - Starz and Crunchyroll have launched a new U.S. streaming bundle through Prime Video, giving customers access to both services for $17 per month.

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A former Comcast retail worker is suing the company after he claims employees were subjected to the humiliating ritual of being pied in the face over low sales performances.

Employees pied in face over low sales goals, ex-Comcast worker says in lawsuit

Store employees who missed performance goals were tied to a chair and hit in the face with a cream pie by higher-performing co-workers, the lawsuit claims.

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A conservative columnist from the New York Times is one of several new hires at CBS News to contribute to its news magazine program "60 Minutes."

CBS adds new correspondents to "60 Minutes" ahead of fall premiere

July 28, 2026 - Sebastian Junger, Gianna Toboni and CBS Senior Global Affairs Correspondent Trevor Phillips will serve as contributors.

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Live sports from the CW Network is coming to the ESPN app on Monday.

CW Sports to stream live on ESPN App starting August 4

July 28, 2026 - The launch will see the debut of "WWE NXT" from the CW Network on the ESPN app, with a two-hour program running that week.

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NewsNation is hosting a town hall event focused on the topic of artificial intelligence, with the special airing tonight

NewsNation to host town hall on artificial intelligence on Tuesday

“The Future is Now: A NewsNation Town Hall” will be moderated by Chris Cuomo from the network’s New York studio.

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