CNN may have found its hit roundtable show as NewsNight with Abby Phillip continues to shine for the network. The 10 p.m. newscast repeated as CNN's most-watched show in the Adults 25-54 demo and finished second place in total viewers. The success of the format has seen CNN experimenting Saturday morning shows also hosted by...
President Donald Trump referred to CNN and MSNBC "illegal" during a speech at the Department of Justice on Friday. It marked the latest escalation in his language about the news media and those two networks in particular since he returned to the Oval Office in January. In his remarks, Trump referred to MSNBC as MSDNC--an...
Independent creative agency Madwell, which employs over 100 staffers in New York and Denver, is facing mounting pressure as employees report delayed paychecks, missed vendor payments, a culture of fear akin to "a dictatorship," and increasingly aggressive messages from leadership in response to voicing their concerns. CEO Chris Sojka has attributed ongoing financial struggles to...
Happy Friday to all who celebrate. In this week's edition of stories we didn't write up for one reason or another, we see a local anchor gets memorialized in a painting and Federal Communications Commission commissioner Anna Gomez "expressed deep frustrations" with the FCC and the Trump administration's policy towards broadcasters and media companies. FCC:...
Walking around Austin, Texas, during South by Southwest this year, Rivian was nearly omnipresent. That's due to a two-year headlining sponsorship deal that Rivian inked with SXSW in December. The singular headline sponsor is a new model for SXSW, which has tiers of sponsorships for brands to choose from, and generally has several in the...
Phoenix Fox reporter Nicole Krasean found the creature it seems everyone's been looking for since, well, forever. Bigfoot or Sasquatch, as it is known, was in Flagstaff, Arizona during a winter snowstorm that shut down roads in the area. They told Krasean that their favorite thing to do in the snow was ski, snowboard or...
Top of the Ticker: A recent regulatory filing by Newsmax revealed that the network paid $40 million to settle its defamation lawsuit with Smartmatic. The case was settled in September with the terms initially remaining undisclosed, Newsmax's filing also revealed that Smartimatic would be able to purchase 2,000 shares of preferred stock of the cable...
A nationwide boycott aimed at major retailers like Walmart and Amazon over their diversity, equity, and inclusion policies was meant to send a financial message. However, data from three separate sources shows that the impact was negligible. On Feb. 28, a grassroots group organized by John Schwarz, a self-described "mindfulness and meditation facilitator" with more...
This post was created in partnership with Kantar AI is transforming marketing, pushing brands to rethink not just strategy but also how they engage consumers and balance automation with authenticity. As AI evolves from a behind-the-scenes tool to a driver of real-time decisions, marketers face a critical challenge: How do they harness its potential without...
The power of friendship pushed the Netflix drama series Sweet Magnolias to the top of the chart of the most-watched streaming title for the week of Feb. 10, according to Nielsen Streaming Content Ratings. Season 4 of Sweet Magnolias, which debuted in second place the week of Feb. 3, enjoyed 1.162 million viewing minutes, dethroning...
This post was created in partnership with IRCODE Television has long been a passive experience, but what if you could engage with your screen in real time? At the ADWEEK House Austin Fireside Chat, interactive technology took center stage as Matty Beckerman, founder of IRCODE, explored how AI-powered engagement is reshaping television. In conversation with...
Powerade is the official drink of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), and ahead of March Madness, the brand wants to land a slam dunk as the fans' bottle of choice. The Coca-Cola-owned label has rolled out "It Takes More to Get This Far," a two-ad campaign expanding on "It Takes More," which first debuted...
The CEO of Brooklyn-based creative shop Madwell, Christopher Sojka, is lashing out against distressed employees--according to internal communications obtained by ADWEEK--for pushing back against the agency's in-office policies after not being paid on time, and for speaking to the press about the company's financial woes. The indie shop, which has serviced major brands including Verizon...
This post was created in partnership with Brandwatch A brand's response to a crisis can define public perception for years. In an era where misinformation spreads in seconds and consumers demand swift, transparent action, companies must navigate high-pressure moments with precision to maintain trust. During an ADWEEK House Austin Group Chat, co-hosted with Brandwatch, a...
Sheila Shekar Pollak has joined hair care and color brand Madison Reed as chief marketing officer (CMO). Pollak was most recently chief brand experience officer at outdoor apparel and gear provider Orvis. Before she joined Orvis in 2022, she also held CMO roles at skincare brand Biossance and activewear business Athleta, spending nine-and-a-half years at...
This post was created in partnership with Adobe Generative AI has shifted from an experimental playground to a vital part of modern marketing. From hyper-personalized content to scaled creative production, brands are harnessing AI's power to deepen consumer engagement. But as AI takes center stage, new challenges emerge: How can brands ensure authenticity, protect intellectual...
Most every self-respecting Hollywood action flick contains the following scene: a few grizzled cops walk directly toward the camera--in dramatic slow motion--while the background lights up with explosions and fireballs. It's a trope for a reason. Apple pokes fun at that well-worn concept, reuniting a pair of law-enforcement characters who have appeared in previous commercials,...
Memphis anchor Richard Ransom is leaving local TV to work at Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare as director of strategic communications. "I'm excited to let y'all know that soon, I am leaving TV news to start a new chapter in my career --one that I couldn't be more thrilled about!" Ransom said in part in a...
The food and lifestyle publisher Food52 reduced its headcount by around 40% on Friday, a sweeping round of layoffs that are part of a broader restructuring afoot at the privately owned media outlet, according to chief executive Erika Badan. The cuts will shrink Food52's workforce from 140 to around 90, and they primarily affect staff...
Natalie McCain has been named morning anchor for Wichita Falls, Texas Fox affiliate KFDX. McCain will work alongside Jalen Wells on the morning and noon newscasts starting March 18. "What an honor it is to get to anchor alongside the incredible Jalen Wells," McCain said. "I can't wait to wake up with Texoma on the...