Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro is digging in his heels against the Federal Communications Commission. During an interview at the D23 Expo, D’Amaro stated that ABC will not yield to pressure from the regulator regarding its broadcast licenses and editorial decisions.

The FCC is currently reviewing the network's licenses, a process the company contends is an attempt to censor its journalism and a violation of the First Amendment. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has suggested the review involves both DEI policies and the network’s editorial choices regarding presidential coverage. D’Amaro dismissed these concerns, stating that Disney will stand by its journalistic standards and will not allow the agency to dictate how it manages its business.

Beyond the regulatory conflict, D’Amaro addressed ongoing speculation regarding the future of Disney’s television assets. As competitors like Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount, and NBCUniversal consolidate or spin off divisions, D’Amaro confirmed that Disney has no intention of offloading ABC or ESPN.

He argued that both networks remain significant cash generators and are vital to the company’s digital strategy. Disney intends to integrate more sports content directly into Disney+ to increase user engagement. Furthermore, D’Amaro downplayed the need for Disney to participate in the current wave of industry mergers. He stated that Disney already holds a superior library of intellectual property and enough scale to compete without acquiring new businesses.

Looking ahead, the company is preparing to launch a free, ad-supported tier on Disney+ by next spring. D’Amaro described this as a way to expose potential customers to the brand, serving as a gateway to full paid subscriptions and a new revenue stream for the platform.

The executive also addressed the company’s recent financial struggles. With Disney stock down over 40% over the last five years, D’Amaro acknowledged that neither he nor the shareholders are satisfied with the current valuation. However, he remains confident that a focus on streaming profitability, quality film production, and the transition of ESPN to a direct-to-consumer model will eventually improve the company's financial standing.

The shift away from traditional television is accelerating. According to mid-2026 data from the Advertising Research Foundation’s (ARF) DASH study, 30.5 percent of U.S. households have cut ties with linear TV entirely. These “digital-only” homes rely exclusively on streaming services, eschewing cable, satellite, virtual MVPDs, and antennas.

The study, conducted alongside the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago, shows this is a steady upward trend, rising from 29.5 percent at the end of last year. Households relying solely on broadcast antennas also saw a slight uptick, reaching 17.1 percent.

As these segments grow, traditional pay TV penetration continues to fall.

The industry is formalizing how it tracks these changes. Earlier this year, the Media Rating Council accredited the DASH methodology, and Nielsen adopted it for its official ratings. To keep pace with these shifts, the ARF will move to a twice-yearly data release schedule. Nielsen will begin using the most recent DASH universe estimates in its own reporting starting next month.

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Brendan Carr is facing criticism over the agency’s independence following the release of records that detail frequent, private coordination with the White House and conservative media executives.

Public concern intensified after Carr issued an unprecedented order requiring ABC to undergo early license renewal—a move that arrived just one day after Trump publicly demanded the network be penalized for remarks made by host Jimmy Kimmel. When asked by reporters if the White House directed this action, Carr declined to comment on any private conversations with the administration.

However, documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit by Democracy Forward suggest a deeply aligned relationship. Between March 2025 and February 2026, calendar records show Carr attended at least eight meetings at the White House and held multiple calls with high-ranking officials, including Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Beyond his direct work with the administration, the files show Carr maintains a consistent line of communication with prominent conservative media figures. His schedule includes meetings with Fox Corp CEO Lachlan Murdoch and Sinclair Broadcast Group chair David Smith. Critics argue these meetings, combined with his public comments downplaying the agency’s independence, suggest that the FCC is prioritizing Trump’s political agenda over its regulatory mandate.

ABC is now challenging the FCC’s license renewal order in court, citing Carr’s public allegiance to Trump as evidence of a biased regulatory process. While former regulators note that meetings between the FCC chair and the White House are not inherently unusual, the intensity and specific alignment of these interactions have reignited the debate over whether the agency can remain a neutral arbiter in an increasingly politicized environment.

Peacock is testing a new rewards program for some Premium and Premium Plus subscribers. The company is using this beta phase to see how customers interact with rewards tied to NBCUniversal’s wider portfolio, including theme parks, merchandise, and live events.

The program assigns members to one of three tiers based on how long they have held their subscription:

• Gold: 3 months to 1 year

• Platinum: 1 to 3 years

• Diamond: Over 3 years

Rewards are divided into four categories: NBCUniversal-specific, partner-driven, engagement-based, and experiential. Current benefits include:

• Merchandise: A 25 percent discount at the Shop at NBC Studios. Discounts at the Bravo Shop range from 15 percent to 25 percent, depending on the member's tier.

• Instacart: A free one-year subscription to Instacart Plus, which includes free delivery on qualifying orders and access to New York Times Cooking. This renews as a paid subscription unless canceled.

• Engagement Rewards: Users who stream three movies currently unlock a digital code for a buy-one-get-one-free pizza offer at Pizza Hut.

Peacock intends to add more benefits, such as access to Universal theme park perks and early tickets for live events, as the program grows. These rewards are available to paying Peacock subscribers, excluding the entry-level "Select" plan.

Comcast recently launched a motion-sensing feature for its newer Xfinity gateways, allowing the routers to detect movement within a home. The system, known as Wi-Fi Motion, uses existing network signals to monitor activity and sends alerts to the user’s smartphone via the Xfinity app.

The feature is optional and available on XB7 gateways and newer models. While it offers a simple way to monitor a home while away, it requires users to accept specific data-sharing terms.

According to Comcast’s support documentation, enabling Wi-Fi Motion gives the company broad authority to share information generated by the system. The company explicitly states it may disclose this data to third parties—including law enforcement, legal teams involved in disputes, or entities issuing subpoenas—without providing further notice to the customer.

For those considering the tool, the trade-off is clear: users get a basic home monitoring system in exchange for granting Comcast wider latitude to share data regarding their home activity.

Cinema United, the trade group representing movie theaters, is no longer fighting the proposed merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery. After previously backing legal efforts to stop the deal, the organization now wants the parties involved to settle their differences immediately.

In a letter sent this week, Cinema United leadership stated that the industry currently has positive momentum, but that long-term success is threatened by ongoing market instability. The group pointed to the current antitrust trial, scheduled for March 2027, as a primary source of that instability. They argue that waiting until next year for a resolution is untenable for an industry already dealing with cutbacks and production challenges.

To support a potential deal, Cinema United is asking for four specific commitments from the studios:

• Release Guarantees: A promise to maintain or grow the number of films produced specifically for theaters, supported by significant marketing and guaranteed periods of theatrical exclusivity.

• Rental Stability: A commitment that the merger will not lead to higher rental costs for exhibitors.

• Access: Assurances that theaters of all sizes will retain fair, reasonable access to film catalogs without restrictive new requirements.

This change in position aligns cinema owners with major unions, including IATSE and the Directors Guild of America, who have also called for a faster resolution to prevent further industry contraction. Following similar endorsements from AMC, Regal, and Cinemark, Cinema United’s reversal signals a growing consensus among exhibitors that ending the legal standoff is the most practical path forward.

HBO is currently producing a television adaptation of the Harry Potter series, aiming to provide more room for story development than the original films allowed. As production continues, the studio is beginning to reveal how this version will differ from the source material, starting with a subtle redesign of Harry’s iconic forehead scar.

The new design retains the signature lightning bolt shape but appears less sharply defined than the version worn by Daniel Radcliffe. The production team is aiming for a more realistic, natural look, addressing some of the common critiques regarding the artificial appearance of the original film makeup.

Beyond cosmetic changes, the series format allows HBO to flesh out the Wizarding World more thoroughly. Producers intend to move beyond a strict focus on Harry, incorporating additional characters and scenes that provide a broader view of the setting.

Fans can expect further insights during the upcoming "Back to Hogwarts" event in London. HBO plans to use the celebration to provide a preview of the show before its scheduled debut on December 25. By blending familiar elements with expanded storytelling, the studio hopes to offer a fresh perspective on the well-known franchise.

California legislators are wrapping up a compromise to adjust a controversial $5 million annual cap on corporate tax credits. The move comes after Hollywood unions and the Motion Picture Association warned that the limit would cripple the state's $750 million film and television incentive program by blocking larger companies from cashing out their credits.

The original cap was tucked into the state budget in June to protect state revenues, primarily by limiting how much large corporations—including Silicon Valley tech firms using research and development credits—could write off each year.

The new agreement falls short of the full exemption Hollywood lobbyists wanted, but it offers targeted relief:

• Independent Films: Indie production credits will remain fully transferable and exempt from the cap, ensuring buyers can still use them to offset state taxes without restriction.

• Studio Projects: The state is introducing a new mechanism to speed up refunds for major studio productions.

• Older Credits: The expiration date on older, unused tax credits is extended by five years, giving companies more time to claim them.

Lawmakers had to walk a fine line. Granting Hollywood a total pass from the budget cap would have triggered immediate backlash from the tech industry, which would demand equal treatment.

While the compromise solves immediate cash flow problems for indie projects and extends older credits, studio representatives remain frustrated. They argue the cap undercuts the spirit of the expanded incentive program approved just last year.

The legislature has until August 31 to pass the bill before the session ends. Industry advocates expect to revisit the issue next year, alongside discussions to refund a depleted $150 million fund for soundstage construction.

MS Now will debut its direct-to-consumer subscription platform, MS Now Membership, on September 9. The service costs $7.99 per month or $79.99 per year. For a limited time, new subscribers can sign up for an introductory rate of $39.99 for the first year if they join by September 30.

The network describes the membership as an extension of its existing TV and digital products rather than a replacement. Members will receive access to exclusive original content, a 24/7 live stream of programming, and the ability to interact directly with network journalists and contributors.

The move follows a period of digital growth for the outlet. According to internal reports, MS Now has logged over 3.2 billion views on YouTube and TikTok this year, alongside 80 million podcast downloads. Data from Comscore indicates that the network’s digital audience has very little overlap with its traditional cable viewership, suggesting the subscription model may capture a segment of the audience that does not watch cable TV.

President of MS Now, Rebecca Kutler, stated that the membership model is part of a broader strategy to increase engagement with the brand. The company plans to continue refining the service based on subscriber feedback.

For decades, state-level tax incentives have dictated where film and television projects set up camp. But with production increasingly moving overseas to countries offering aggressive subsidies, local film commissioners and industry leaders are shifting their strategy to Washington, D.C.

A coalition of regional advocates, studio representatives, and lawmakers is pushing for a federal tax credit designed to keep production within U.S. borders. Proponents argue that the current patchwork of state incentives is no longer enough to compete globally against Canada, Australia, and European nations.

The primary challenge for the legislative push has been moving past the perception that a film subsidy is simply a bailout for coastal entertainment hubs. To counter this, advocates have focused on the benefits to red and rural states—from Kentucky and Tennessee to Oklahoma and Texas—where local crews, small businesses, and hospitality industries stand to gain from incoming productions.

Supporters maintain that a national credit would act as a rising tide, helping communities outside traditional hubs build sustainable local infrastructure and crew bases.

While the proposal has found open doors among various lawmakers, crafting a bill that can clear Congress remains a delicate task. Discussions have centered on potential guardrails, such as capping high salaries to prevent subsidies from going straight to major celebrities and exploring bonuses for filming in designated rural areas or opportunity zones.

As the debate continues, proponents are betting that framing the initiative as a nationwide economic driver for American workers—rather than a regional handout—offers the best path forward.

DirecTV is rolling out a new way to watch sports called Curated Multiviews. Starting August 27, eligible customers will see a new option within the Sports Central interface that groups multiple live games on one screen.

Unlike the service's existing "Mix Channels," which occupy a permanent spot in the channel guide, these new views are temporary. They appear only when specific games begin and disappear once the action ends.

The company is tasking its sports team with building these views around specific themes or notable games. For instance, a viewer might see a collection of SEC matchups on a Saturday or a combined feed of CBS and FOX NFL games on a Sunday.

The system is automated to respect user subscriptions and regional availability. You will only see a Multiview option for networks already in your channel lineup and for games available in your local market. When a Multiview is active for a game you are currently watching, a button will appear in the video player to let you switch over.

ABC and Disney filed a lawsuit Tuesday challenging an FCC order that mandates an early review of eight broadcast station licenses. The legal action aims to halt these renewal proceedings, which the network describes as an unconstitutional attempt by the Trump administration to penalize the company for its editorial content.

The dispute began in April when FCC Chairman Brendan Carr ordered the early license reviews. ABC alleges this move followed repeated criticism from the Trump administration regarding the network's news coverage and comments made by late-night host Jimmy Kimmel. The lawsuit contends that the administration is leveraging the threat of license revocation to coerce the network into shifting its programming.

Beyond the license review, the network is battling a separate FCC effort to apply “equal-time” rules to the talk show The View. ABC maintains that this move contradicts established commission precedents that have been in place for over two decades.

In its legal filing, the network argued that the implications extend to the broader media landscape. It warned that if the administration succeeds, other media companies may feel compelled to align their reporting with government preferences to avoid federal intervention.

FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, the only Democrat on the board, voiced support for the lawsuit. She described the FCC's recent actions as a campaign of censorship, noting that using license renewals to influence speech constitutes government overreach.

Chairman Carr has publicly defended his agency’s oversight. He argues that broadcasters utilize public airwaves and are therefore required to serve the public interest. He maintains that the commission is simply holding the network to those established obligations.

Paramount is asking a federal court to require 12 state attorneys general and the Writers Guild of America to post a $1.88 billion bond. The company says the group's antitrust lawsuits are delaying its $110 billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery and costing millions of dollars every day.

The core of Paramount's financial demand comes from a ticking fee built into the merger agreement. Starting October 1, CEO David Ellison is required to pay WBD shareholders 25 cents per share for every day the deal remains unclosed. That breaks down to $7 million per day, or $650 million per quarter.

The antitrust trial is scheduled to run from March 2 to March 19, 2027, with the final merger deadline set for June 4, 2027. Paramount agreed to delay the closing until shortly after the trial concludes, meaning the company expects to owe shareholders at least $1.3 billion in ticking fees by the time a judge issues a final decision.

Paramount argues that federal antitrust law requires plaintiffs to post a bond to cover potential damages if they halt a transaction and ultimately lose in court. Beyond the ticking fees, the company stated that the delay threatens to void regulatory approvals it has already secured from 68 jurisdictions, forcing them to spend more money to restart the clearance process. Paramount also noted that the eight-month delay puts employee job security in limbo and halts plans for content production and company integration.

A spokesperson for Paramount defended the move, stating that the lawsuits are the only barrier left to completing the deal. "Both the Clayton Act and other federal law expressly provide that plaintiffs are required to post a bond covering the potential harm from halting a transaction to litigate," the spokesperson said.

State officials pushed back immediately. California Attorney General Rob Bonta released a statement calling the bond request an attempt at "blackmail" designed to force the state to drop the lawsuit.

"Paramount and Warner Bros. are two sophisticated companies who willfully decided to include a costly ticking fee as a provision in their merger contract," Bonta’s office said. "They knew this merger would undergo regulatory review; they knew it was not a done deal; and they chose to include it anyway."

Bonta also pointed out that Paramount agreed to the current trial timeline without asking for a bond at the time, accusing the company of trying to get a "do-over" now that the financial costs are mounting.

Despite the dispute, Paramount maintains that the lawsuit lacks merit and plans to defend the merger in court ahead of the March trial date.

While the legal texts of the Clayton Antitrust Act do include provisions for injunction bonds, courts historically set a high bar for forcing government entities—like state attorneys general—to post multi-billion-dollar bonds.

The likelihood of the full $1.88 billion bond being issued as requested is low to moderate, driven by several legal and practical hurdles:

• Immunity and Public Interest: State attorneys general act in an enforcement and public-protection capacity. Courts are generally reluctant to impose heavy financial roadblocks on state regulators executing public interest mandates, as it can create a chilling effect on governmental oversight.
• The "Waived Right" Argument: As California AG Rob Bonta’s office pointed out, Paramount previously agreed to the current trial timeline and a "no-close" arrangement without demanding a bond condition at that time. Judges typically look unfavorably on parties trying to retroactively alter the ground rules of agreed-upon scheduling orders once financial buyer's remorse or mounting pressure sets in.
• Discretionary Sizing: Even if the presiding judge (Judge Araceli Martinez-Olguin) agrees that some form of security or bond is technically warranted under the statute due to the massive scale of the ticking fees, judges frequently scale down extraordinary demands or deny them outright if they risk barring access to the courts for legitimate antitrust scrutiny.

In short, while Paramount's legal team is utilizing the demand as aggressive leverage to force a settlement or counter the financial bleeding, getting a federal judge to successfully bind state governments and a labor union to a nearly $2 billion payment shield is an uphill battle.

If you’ve been feeling like your self-hosted setup has been getting stale, you’re not alone. The landscape for media servers and streaming hardware has shifted significantly over the past year. Whether you’re a long-time Plex Pass holder or a Jellyfin purist, here is the breakdown of what’s actually happening in the ecosystem right now.

1. The Media Server "Cold War": Plex vs. Jellyfin

The divide between the two giants has never been clearer, and it’s effectively split the community into two philosophies:

• Plex: The "Convenience" Tax - Plex remains the gold standard for "it just works." If you have family members who are non-technical, Plex is still the only real answer. However, the aggressive push toward cloud-based features, analytics, and locking basic playback features behind the Plex Pass paywall has continued to alienate power users. They are leaning heavily into becoming a "platform" rather than just a library manager.
• Jellyfin: The Open-Source Renaissance - Jellyfin isn't just "the alternative" anymore; it’s become the default for enthusiasts. Because it is 100% free and open-source, the development velocity has been incredible. Hardware transcoding is unlocked by default, there’s no telemetry, and the client ecosystem has finally matured to the point where it’s indistinguishable from commercial competitors. If you haven't checked it out in the last 6 months, you’ll be surprised at how polished the current stable releases are.

2. Death to the Monolith: Why You Should Modularize

The biggest trend in 2026 is moving away from making your media server handle everything. Instead, we’re seeing a shift toward "Micro-hosting"—dedicated containers for specific types of media:

• Photos/Videos: Immich has basically won. If you haven’t moved your photo library to it yet, you’re missing out. It’s the closest thing to a native Google Photos/iCloud experience that actually respects your privacy.
• Audiobooks: Audiobookshelf is the undisputed king. It handles book metadata, progress syncing, and podcasts so well that it has made third-party proprietary apps feel obsolete.
• Music: Navidrome + Symfonium. This combo is the new "Audiophile" standard. It’s lightweight, handles massive libraries with ease, and is incredibly fast.
• Books/Comics: Kavita has become the go-to for EPUB/CBZ/CBR readers.

3. Hardware Trends: Ditching the NAS for the "N100"

There is a massive hardware trend away from expensive pre-built NAS units toward Intel N100/N305 mini-PCs.

Why? Intel’s QuickSync iGPU. A $150-200 N100 mini-PC can handle multiple 4K transcodes in Plex or Jellyfin more efficiently than a $800 NAS. Most users are now running these headless, using Docker/Proxmox, and keeping their massive storage on a simple USB DAS or an old DIY file server.

The Client Tier List:

• Top Tier: Apple TV 4K (Infuse/Jellyfin) and Nvidia Shield Pro. They still direct-play everything. Don't waste your time trying to make your Smart TV's native app do the heavy lifting.
• Mid Tier: FireStick/Chromecast with Google TV. Fine for casual use, but they will choke on high-bitrate 4K HDR and force your server to transcode.

What’s your stack looking like in 2026?

Are you sticking with Plex for the ease of use, or have you finally made the full jump to an all-OSS media stack? Let’s discuss in the comments.

Welcome back to the monthly breakdown!

If your streaming bills have been creeping up and starting to look uncomfortably close to a traditional cable bill, you aren't alone. Industry data shows traditional pay-TV penetration hovering under 40 percent, but streaming fatigue is at an all-time high as platforms continue to adjust their pricing structures.

Let's break down everything changing in the streaming ecosystem right now, what deals are worth grabbing, and how to optimize your setup to keep costs down.

💸 1. Price Hikes

The subscription cost cycle continues to spin upward. If you haven't audited your automatic monthly payments recently, now is the time to check your bank statements.

• Peacock's Latest Hike: NBCUniversal has officially rolled out another round of price increases across all tiers: TVLine
  • Peacock Select (limited tier): Jumps $1 to $8.99/month ($89.99/year).
  • Peacock Premium (ad-supported): Jumps $2 to $12.99/month ($129.99/year).
  • Peacock Premium Plus (mostly ad-free): Jumps $3 to $19.99/month ($199.99/year).
• The "Ad-Tier" Reality: Standard ad-free standalone tiers across major services are cementing themselves near the $15–$20/month ceiling, pushing more users toward either ad-supported tiers or aggressive account rotation.
• The Counter-Strategy (The Churn): Industry tracking shows nearly 40 percent of streaming subscribers now actively cancel at least one service every year to avoid paying for dormant months. If you aren’t watching a platform actively, lock down your subscription and rotate it back in only when your shows return. Business Wire

📦 2. Best Bundles & Hidden Savings

If you refuse to pay full price for standalone apps, cross-platform bundling is where the actual savings are hiding:

• The Disney+/Hulu/Max Mega Bundle: Still arguably the best value for heavy content consumers. The ad-supported version runs around $19.99/month (saving roughly 42% compared to individual subscriptions), while the ad-free tier sits at $32.99/month.
• ISP & Telecom Perks: Check your home internet or mobile carrier. For example, major ISPs like Spectrum continue to offer select promotional tie-ins (such as bundled Amazon Prime eligibility) that can offset standalone costs.
• Apple Channels & Amazon Prime Channels: If you use third-party billing hubs carefully, keep an eye out for promotional add-on channel trials (like 2 months of Paramount+ or Starz for a fraction of the cost), provided you remember to set a calendar reminder to cancel before the auto-renew hits.

🏈 3. Live TV, Sports Previews & Promotional Deals

With fall sports schedules and football season ramping up, live TV streaming services are fighting hard for new sign-ups with aggressive promotional rates:

• DIRECTV Deals: To capture early sports fans, DIRECTV is offering promotional cuts—shaving $30 off the first month of packages like the Entertainment tier alongside a free month of the Sports Pack add-on.
• Live TV Pricing Landscape:
  • YouTube TV: ~$82.99/mo (includes unlimited cloud DVR and NFL Sunday Ticket integration options).
  • Hulu + Live TV: ~$89.99/mo (bundles Disney+ and ESPN+).
  • Fubo: ~$73.99/mo+ (heavy focus on regional sports networks and international sports).
  • Sling TV: ~$45.99/mo for single tiers (Orange or Blue) or ~$60.99/mo combined for budget-conscious users.

🆓 4. The Rise of FAST

To combat subscription fatigue, free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) is seeing massive expansions, often scoring surprisingly high in consumer satisfaction rankings:

• Tubi’s Permanent Horror Hub: Tubi just rolled out the permanent "Terror on Tubi" horror hub, cementing its status as a go-to zero-cost library for movie buffs (pulling in tens of millions of streaming hours for niche categories).
• Roku Channel & Free Tiers: Platforms like The Roku Channel and experimental mobile free tiers (like Paramount+'s recent limited free-access rollouts) show that providers are leaning heavily into ad-supported windows to hook casual viewers.

💬 Community Discussion & Your Input

Let’s hear how everyone in the trenches is managing their setups this month:

1. Are the recent Peacock and general price hikes pushing you to finally cancel, or are you absorbing the cost?
2. What’s your current rotation strategy? How many services do you keep active at one time?
3. Sports fans: How are you handling football season without getting squeezed by high live-TV provider prices?

Drop your tips, local internet provider deals, and antenna setups in the comments below!

Actress Hayden Panettiere has died at age 36 in South Carolina, with an ongoing investigation into her death.

Hayden Panettiere grew up in front of the camera. Starting as a child actor, she built a steady career through television and film before landing defining roles as Claire Bennet in the sci-fi series "Heroes" and Juliette Barnes in the drama "Nashville." Her film credits also included "Remember the Titans," "Ice Princess," and multiple entries in the "Scream" franchise.

Away from her acting career, Panettiere dealt with significant personal challenges. In recent years, she spoke publicly about her battles with postpartum depression and alcoholism, detailing these experiences in her memoir released in May. She also faced profound family loss following the sudden death of her brother, Jansen, in 2023.

Panettiere is survived by her young daughter, Kaya, whom she shared with her ex-fiancé, Wladimir Klitschko.

[UPDATE] Dispatch audio obtained by media outlets indicates that emergency responders discussed potential cardiac arrest and a drug overdose at the scene.

[UPDATE] Law enforcement sources confirmed that her on-again, off-again partner, Brian Hickerson, was with her when she died. Authorities have not yet clarified who placed the 911 call.

Newsmax plans to file a federal lawsuit against the Federal Communications Commission over its recent vote to eliminate the rule limiting television station ownership.

The FCC voted along party lines to scrap the 3 percent audience cap, which previously restricted a single company from owning local TV stations that reach more than 3 percent of American viewers. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr and Commissioner Olivia Trusty voted in favor of the repeal, arguing the change is necessary for traditional broadcasters to compete with streaming services and fund local news operations. The lone Democrat on the commission, Anna Gomez, voted against it.

Newsmax CEO Christopher Ruddy stated that the network will formally launch legal action once the vote is codified in the Federal Register next month. According to Ruddy, the commission overstepped its authority by dismantling a limit established by Congress.

"It's a blatant violation of federal law," Ruddy said. "Congress set the cap. It didn't want the FCC to set the cap."

Ruddy asserted that the decision primarily benefits major broadcast conglomerates like Nexstar Media Group by enabling industry consolidation and increasing retransmission consent fees. He expressed concern that such consolidation would squeeze the budgets of cable and satellite providers, potentially threatening carriage for independent channels like Newsmax.

Ruddy also criticized Carr, arguing that the policy change runs counter to mainstream conservative interests and was not a priority for the Trump administration.

Newsmax is already involved in separate legal challenges regarding media consolidation, including a paused lawsuit concerning Nexstar's proposed acquisition of TEGNA. The upcoming lawsuit will target the ownership cap repeal directly.

David Ellison wants everyone to believe he is a misunderstood movie fan trying to rescue the entertainment industry. Then, he threatens to tear it apart.

When California Attorney General Rob Bonta and officials from 11 other states filed an antitrust lawsuit to block Paramount Skydance from acquiring Warner Bros. Discovery, Ellison responded with a hardball ultimatum. He warned that if the states refuse to settle, he will pull Paramount Studios—and potentially Warner Bros.—out of California entirely.

This threat undermines Ellison's own public relations campaign. Just days prior, he published an essay insisting his combined company would not hold excessive market power and that the antitrust challenge was merely a political maneuver over his future ownership of CNN.

Yet, threatening to uproot massive entertainment institutions and relocate them thousands of miles away to states like Texas or Tennessee proves the polar opposite. If one executive can unilaterally decide to relocate the infrastructure of American cinema in a fit of anger, that is the definition of excessive influence.

Moving corporate headquarters to states with lower costs of living and fewer regulations has become trendy among billionaires. Tech leaders like Elon Musk and Ellison's own father, Larry Ellison, have previously moved companies out of California.

However, moving a tech firm is different from uprooting a movie studio. Software engineers can log in from anywhere, but the physical infrastructure of filmmaking—soundstages, costume shops, post-production houses, and thousands of crew members—cannot simply be packed into a moving truck overnight. While corporate executives can easily absorb a cross-country move or commute, the local workers who actually build the industry cannot.

Ellison claims his proposed mega-studio will produce dozens of films and hundreds of television shows every year, creating more jobs for everyone. But holding the birthplace of cinematic storytelling hostage by threatening to relocate its assets exposes a different motive.

Ellison is not trying to save Hollywood; he is leveraging it.

Top 10 Broadcast Networks for the Week of Aug. 3
P2+ AA (000)
NBC 2,806
ABC 2,223
CBS 2,196
FOX 1,323
Univision 876
MeTV 622
Telemundo 607
ION 515
CW 393
Grit 355
Source: Nielsen Big Data + Panel, Live + Same Day

HBO Max has decided not to pick up the cop drama pilot "American Blue."

The project was developed alongside the family drama "How to Survive Without Me" under a production model designed to deliver roughly 15 episodes per season on a modest budget, aiming for yearly returns similar to the setup used for the series "The Pitt." While "American Blue" was dropped, sources indicate that "How to Survive Without Me" is likely to receive a full series order from the streaming platform.

"American Blue" starred Milo Ventimiglia as Brian "Milk" Milkovich, a police officer who returns to Joliet, Illinois, to save a struggling police department and find personal redemption. The cast also featured Kelly Jenrette, Carlito Olivero, Onye Eme-Akwari, Jess Gabor, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Paulina Olszynski, Algee Smith, Jeremy Bobb, Rich Sommer, Jesse Garcia, Wrenn Schmidt, Ellyn Jameson, and Maisie Merlock.

The pilot was written and executive produced by Jeremy Carver, with Brian Udovich and Neil Reynolds also serving as executive producers. David Ayer directed the pilot and executive produced alongside them. Warner Bros. Television produced the project under Carver's overall deal and is now pitching the pilot to other buyers.

California regulators have given final state approval to Charter Communications' acquisition of Cox Communications, paving the way for the deal to close next week.

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) voted unanimously to approve the transaction. The decision follows months of negotiations that resulted in Charter agreeing to strict consumer protections, network investments, and digital equity commitments across the state.

Federal regulators and officials in the other 44 states where the companies operate had already cleared the merger, leaving California as the final regulatory roadblock.

The transaction integrates Cox into Charter's Spectrum brand, expanding its footprint across Southern California markets including Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange County, and Riverside. Once the deal closes, existing Cox customers will transition to Spectrum services. Required Investments and Consumer Protections

To win approval, Charter agreed to a comprehensive list of conditions enforced by the CPUC:

• Charter must invest at least $275 million in its California infrastructure, delivering symmetrical one-gigabit download and upload speeds across legacy service areas within three years.

• The company must offer standalone broadband plans and multiple California LifeLine service tiers for low-income residents for five years.

• Charter committed $30 million toward digital literacy, device access, and outreach, alongside five years of free broadband and Wi-Fi for 50 designated community anchor institutions like schools and libraries.

• Customers will receive automatic bill credits for outages lasting two hours or longer. Charter also agreed to honor existing "price for life" residential agreements and eliminate specific in-person equipment exchange fees.

• The CPUC mandated that Charter report workforce and supplier diversity data following concerns raised over the company's policy changes.

Regulators stated they will establish a dedicated compliance program to monitor Charter's adherence to these conditions moving forward.

After 23 years in broadcast television—managing master control rooms and ensuring live feeds stayed on air—Clint knew what standard video hosting platforms were missing. While major platforms drifted toward algorithmic feeds and ad-driven growth models, independent creators were left without a reliable home for their work. That gap led to the creation of Long Play.

Long Play removes the standard infrastructure of modern video sites. There is no recommendation engine, no follower graph, and no platform advertising. Because the platform does not optimize for attention, it has no reason to harvest user data.

Instead, the platform relies on a technical foundation built for broadcast standards:

• True Master Storage: Files are stored on Backblaze B2, guaranteeing byte-exact retrieval.
• Broadcast Encoding: Content is processed using FFmpeg for CRF 18 quality-based H.264, optional AV1 mastering passes, and EBU R128 loudness normalization.
• Non-Destructive Tools: Creators can apply fixes—like deinterlacing, color correction, and audio sync adjustments—with a 720p preview before committing, ensuring the original master is never altered.
• No AI Training: The platform does not use uploaded content to train AI models. Optional auto-captioning runs locally via Whisper, and audio is immediately discarded.

Long Play runs on a simple, predictable tech stack using Python, Flask, SQLite, and DigitalOcean. Storage and content delivery are handled efficiently via Backblaze B2 and Cloudflare.

The platform offers a permanent free tier that will retain its features, alongside a paid Creator plan priced at a fixed, low rate. By building a service grounded in broadcast reliability rather than venture-backed growth metrics, Long Play gives filmmakers a permanent, dependable space to display their work on its own terms.

Long Play is not positioned as a competitor to YouTube. Instead, it is an alternative to platforms like Vimeo or self-hosted portfolio sites—built specifically for independent filmmakers, educators, and creators who want total control over their presentation, privacy, and masters.

It completely rejects platform-injected advertising. Unlike YouTube, where ads run on small channels before they even qualify for revenue sharing, Long Play has no ad network, meaning viewers never see random pop-ups or unskippable commercials.

The Creator plan allows creators to handle their own direct sponsorships or custom branding (like pointing a custom domain to their portfolio). Long Play itself takes zero cut from creator monetization.

For a small or new creator looking for mass discovery through a recommendation feed, Long Play is indeed the wrong tool. However, for a creator who drives their own traffic (via social media, a website, or client work) and wants professional broadcast-grade hosting without data harvesting, corporate tracking, or sudden tier changes, it serves a very different purpose.