Univision and Televisa have come to terms on a merger agreement, a long-awaited deal that will create a Spanish-language TV giant with broad reach in Mexico and the U.S. The deal calls for Televisa to contribute its media, content and production assets and a handful of networks to a new entity to be known as Televisa-Univision. Televisa’s assets are valued at $4.8 billion. The new company will be led by Univision CEO Wade Davis, who headed the investor group that acquired Univision in early 2020.
Dow Falls 68, Nasdaq Closes Up 146
Stocks closed mixed Tuesday as a drop in bond yields hurt bank stocks but helped big technology stocks. The S&P 500 rose 0.3% after briefly slipping into the red in the early going.
‘Dr. Phil’ Stands Alone In A Tough Week
Preemptions from news coverage of opening arguments in the Derek Chauvin trial and the attack at a U.S. Capitol checkpoint as well as the regional round of March Madness and a rain-delayed NASCAR race hampered strips, especially those cleared on network affiliates. Phil was as the only first-run strip to post a gain in the week ended April 4.
CBS News President Susan Zirinsky is nearing a deal to step down after just two years in the role and sign a wide-ranging production partnership with parent company ViacomCBS, according to people familiar with the matter. A search for a successor to Zirinsky has been ongoing for several months but a candidate has yet to be named. It is expected that she will remain as head of CBS News until then, the people said.
The CW’s All American returned from a five-week break to 706,000 total viewers (its second smallest audience of the season) and a 0.2 demo rating, down a tenth from its last fresh episode to match its series low. ABC's American Idol: Paula’s Return (5.2M/0.7) ticked up week-to-week, tying The Voice for the Monday demo win.
The former Fox and 20th Television exec will now oversee casting for Disney's entire television portfolio, adding animation, alternative, Hulu and Freeform to a purview that already included Disney TV Studios and FX.
The streaming giant has handed out a third and fourth season renewal for the period drama from executive producer Shonda Rhimes.
Co-general manager of Epix Laura Sher has been tapped to take on the additional role of executive vice president of MGM Scripted Television Operations, where she will work with MGM Chief Legal Officer Lesley Freeman, president of MGM scripted TV and Epix Michael Wright and President of TV Operations Brian Edwards to grow the studio’s scripted series business.
Nexstar's cable news channel NewsNation — formerly WGN America — has named Allison Harris to be a correspondent in its Washington, D.C., bureau, focusing on news coming out of the White House. Harris joins the network from KDFW Dallas-Fort Worth, where she had been a reporter.
NBC News ‘Nails The Voice’ On TikTok
As one of the few TV news players on TikTok, NBC News pairs professional polish with a “gut feeling” for native voice and trending elements. Meg Ludemann, its de facto anchor there, aims for the persona of “your smart friend who’s telling you what’s going on.” Note: This story is available to TVNewsCheck Premium members only. If you would like to upgrade your free TVNewsCheck membership to Premium now, you can visit your Member Home Page, available when you log in at the very top right corner of the site or in the Stay Connected Box that appears in the right column of virtually every page on the site. If you don’t see Member Home, you will need to click Log In or Subscribe.
Nielsen Must Restore Clients’ Confidence
The Video Advertising Bureau accuses Nielsen of a “systematic undercounting” of TV program viewership since last March. Nielsen needs to respond to the accusation with more than a white paper.
New owners shake up television in the Indiana capital.
A May 6 TVNewsCheck webinar featuring executives from WarnerMedia, Sinclair and Hearst will spotlight how companies are changing the way they manage their content and their archives and how AI and the cloud are figuring into their workflows or plans. Register here.
The advertising industry, plagued last year by pandemic-driven budget cuts, is poised to return stronger than ever in 2021 and beyond, according to several new forecasts.
The company was responding to a motion filed by Fox that argued that mentions of Smartmatic were part of its reporting on a newsworthy event.
TVN webinar to explore how broadcasters can diversify digital revenue streams
Station groups can capitalize on shifts in the mobile advertising landscape by building in a subscription revenue stream, according to executives from The Weather Company, who will appear on a TVNewsCheck webinar on April 27 at 3 p.m. ET. The event will examine how the Max Mobile white label app that many broadcasters offer their followers can use artificial intelligence to invite, at just the right time based on user behavior, an upgrade to premium. Join us by registering here.
Trevor Noah and Stephen Colbert criticized officers’ use of force against Black men, citing two cases in which traffic stops turned violent.
There are now nearly 340 million subscription contracts to OTT streaming services in the U.S., exceeding the country’s 330-million population, according to a new report from Ampere Analysis.
One of the world's oldest and most prestigious newsrooms will be led by a female editor for the first time. Alessandra Galloni will be the next editor of Reuters News, the company announced on Monday. Galloni will succeed Stephen Adler, who said in January that he planned to step down in April.
As part of an ongoing suit from three former employees who accuse Charlie Rose of gender discrimination and harassment, the ousted CBS Morning anchor will have to answer questions about other women in the workplace who made similar complaints — even though they're not involved in this litigation — a New York judge has ruled.
In a letter sent Sunday to the Anti-Defamation League civil rights group and shared with The Associated Press, Fox CEO Lachlan Murdoch said Carlson had “decried and rejected replacement theory" when he said during a Thursday evening segment, “White replacement theory? No, no, this is a voting rights question.” The ADL argued in a reply sent Monday to Murdoch that Carlson used white-supremacist language even if he claimed he didn't.
Promotions Manager And Producer Openings
New jobs listed on TVNewsCheck’s Media Job Center include openings for a promotion manager in Lincoln, Neb., and a promotions producer in Nashville.
April Ryan To Join Black-Owned Media Matters Webinar
The veteran television journalist will interview Byron Allen, owner of The Weather Channel, Entertainment Studios and Allen Media Group, about his progress at convincing major marketers to devote 2% of their annual advertising spend on Black-owned media. Allen’s efforts have convinced General Motors to commit to a long-term advertising investment and Verizon announced it is planning to partner with Allen in a summit in May. To join the webinar, register here.