News wars, sports scores, haters and pontificaters

KIRO7 and FOX26/Houston, are two stations that have recently eliminated the sports department. Newsrooms shrink and expand. Reporters are pulling double-duty in anchor and weather positions, while KIRO7 fills with freelancers. Downsizing gives full-timers what they really want, more time with family.
KCPQ will increase news hours later this month, half of the evening schedule will be repeats of an earlier broadcast. One hour to watch, 6pm-7pm will be comprised of two shows, Washington News Wrap (statewide reporting) and Washington Sports Wrap. Kudos to KCPQ for taking Carly Henderson out of the mix. Henderson’s over-the-top emoting on Studio 13 (lifestyle/brokered programming) was simply ‘cringe’ tv.

ABC News has suspended senior national correspondent Terry Moran after he described Stephen Miller, a former White House deputy chief of staff, as a ‘world-class hater’ in a since-deleted post on social media. The incident has sparked discussions about media bias and the commitment to objectivity in news reporting.

Fubo is adding pay-per-view sports to their streaming platform. Live soccer and boxing matches will be available to purchase this month, starting at $25 per event.

Sports-ranter Stephen A. Smith returns to XM radio: “I’m coming back to SiriusXM,” Stephen A. revealed, explaining to Howard Stern last week that he’d signed a multi-year deal to host and executive produce two new, original shows on SiriusXM, beginning in September. “I’ll be on Mad Dog Sports Radio … and I’m also having my own political show.”
SiriusXM has faced ongoing subscriber losses in recent years, impacting its financial performance and prompting strategic shifts.
In Q1 2025, SiriusXM lost 303,000 self-pay subscribers, a slight improvement from the 359,000 lost in Q1 2024, bringing total subscribers to approximately 33 million.
Pandora, SiriusXM’s streaming subsidiary, also saw declines, losing 279,000 self-pay subscribers in 2023 and 41,000 in Q2 2024, ending with about 6 million subscribers.
Increased competition from streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music, and ad-supported platforms has drawn younger audiences away. SiriusXM is pivoting to digital platforms, enhancing its app and introducing a $9.99/month streaming-only plan to attract younger audiences. The company is expanding into podcasts, and securing deals with high-profile talents like Alex Cooper, Conan O’Brien, and Kevin Hart to bolster appeal.
PUTTING THE HAMMER DOWN —SiriusXM aims to save $200 million in 2025 through layoffs and operational efficiencies.

Wonder Woman “Lynda Carter” downed a red Solo cup of Maker’s Mark and then made this plea for PBS funding: