Journalism

Chuck Rosenberg is charting an unusual course for a TV news outlet. NBC News will be ecstatic in coming days if Rosenberg’s conversations with newsmakers are heard but not seen. There are new efforts ahead, says Steve Lickteig, executive producer of podcasts and audio for NBC News and MSNBC. Chuck Todd’s weekly podcast related to Meet the Press was recently revamped. The company plans to launch several new podcasts throughout 2019, including one that will eventually become a daily one focused on the 2020 election.

Hearst Television’s SVP of news says local newscasts don’t need a radical reinvention to stay relevant to younger audiences, but they must adhere to trust and transparency in a more relatable voice.

When advertisers rebelled at outrage anchors like Jeanine Pirro and Tucker Carlson, Trump called Lachlan’s daddy, Rupert Murdoch, to keep them on the air. Inside the battle for the future of the network.

The Obamas say they “couldn’t be more excited” about the projects they’re announcing Tuesday for their Netflix production company. The lineup includes a series about food aimed at preschoolers, a scripted drama about the post-World War II fashion world and a documentary film focused on American factories.

What’s left for the media empress and icon of inspiration? In a wide ranging interview, Winfrey explains her streaming strategy (including a possible interview series), who she’s eyeing for 2020 (“I’d like to see what’s up with Butta” — aka Pete Buttigieg) and the creative fire that fuels her now.

Altice USA has signed a deal to buy the youth-skewing business news startup Cheddar for $200 million in cash. The acquisition will bolster the broadband and cable giant’s Altice News service as Cheddar offers youth-skewing news content around business, technology, culture and politics. Altice USA last year began offering Cheddar via its Altice One platform and was an early investor in the digital-first company.

Quietly, NBC’s Andrew Lack, news chairman, has been the key person behind Mississippi Today, an online news site that has been operating for three years. It is one of several experimental approaches to journalism seeking traction during a painful time of retrenchment for local news.

For decades, AM radio has felt as commonplace as a utility, such a basic fact of life that it’s taken for granted. But that’s changing: Across America, AM radio stations are dwindling in number and profitability, as better-sounding FM signals become cheaper to broadcast and would-be listeners turn to the internet for entertainment. But even in decline, AM radio matters more than you might think.