NPR draws from CNN’s dirty pool; MSNBC takes out the trash; Hank kicks butt

Ratings (Nielsen) came out earlier this week. SHOCKER: HANK topped THE WOLF for Country music’s share of the pie. KPLZ 101.5 plays Classic Country and finally showed better audience acceptance than modern Country KKWF 100.7 FM. NOT SO SURPRISING: KIRO AM, moved up in the pack, owing to Mariners coverage. KINGPIN: KUOW tops the chart with NPR news and we remind you, these are ratings for Lefty Liberal Seattle.

Following the assassination of Charlie Kirk on Wednesday afternoon, Salem Radio Network has announced plans for a memorial show to honor the host’s memory.

MSNBC has dismissed Analyst Matthew Dowd who offended viewers with inappropriate, insensitive, and unacceptable remarks concerning the assassination of Charlie Kirk. “We apologize for his statements, as has he. There is no place for violence in America, political or otherwise.”

Ryan Seacrest has been hosting TV’s American Idol for 24 years. While some measure time by family photos or the clothing on the rack in their bedroom closet, we offer that morsel for celebrity worshippers.

NPR names former CNN executive Thomas Evans to editor-in-chief role. Evans joined CNN in 2001 as an associate producer shortly after the September 11 attacks, working on Anderson Cooper’s AC360 program. His early roles involved investigative reporting, field producing, and script editing. He opened CNN’s bureau in Istanbul and managed operations in volatile regions, including running the network’s bureaus in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Nigeria. By the mid-2010s, Evans had risen to senior leadership positions. He served as Senior Director of Coverage for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), and in 2017, he became Vice President of International Newsgathering and London Bureau Chief. In September 2024, Evans was named NPR’s Managing Editor for Editorial Review, based in Washington, D.C.

Reports have emerged that Paramount Skydance (the newly merged entity of Paramount Global and Skydance Media) is preparing a majority cash bid to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) in its entirety. This potential deal, backed by the Ellison family (including Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison and his son David Ellison, CEO of Skydance), would create one of the largest media conglomerates in the world by combining iconic Hollywood studios, streaming services, news networks, and cable assets. The news, first reported by The Wall Street Journal, caused WBD shares to surge as much as 33% intraday, closing up 29% at $16.17 per share, boosting its market capitalization to approximately $40 billion. Paramount Skydance shares also rose about 15%. The bid has not been formally submitted and remains exploratory, with sources indicating it could come as early as next week. It targets WBD before its planned split into two separate companies by mid-2026: Warner Bros. (studios, streaming like Max, and film production) and Discovery Global (cable networks like CNN, TNT Sports, Discovery Channel, and Discovery+). Acquiring WBD now would allow Paramount to avoid a potential bidding war for the more valuable studio/streaming unit, which could attract tech giants like Amazon or Apple.