Latest news with #SinclairBroadcastGroup
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Streamer Zeam Acquires NewsOn Platform From Sinclair Broadcast Group
Streamer Zeam has acquired the NewsOn local broadcast streaming platform from Sinclair Broadcast Group. The deal comes as Zeam is looking to expand its offerings and broaden the reach of its public-facing offerings. Zeam is a pioneering streaming tech firm launched in 2009 as a service designed to support local broadcasters as they first began to tip-toe into the streaming realm. Today, Zeam handles the backend technology to support the live streams of all CBS-owned stations and the live streams of CBS affiliates that are carried on the Paramount+ platform. More from Variety 'Destination Comedy Starring Mike Young and Bret Ernst:' Zeam Expands Into Comedy Specials With Five-Day Live Stream Event 'CSI' Creator Anthony Zuiker Pacts With Sinclair to Create Original Content for Stations and Outside Buyers Sinclair Taps Scott Ehrlich to Lead R&D on Next-Generation Broadcast Content (EXCLUSIVE) News of the NewsOn sale comes a day after Sinclair announced that it is exploring strategic alternatives for its sizable station group and possibly other assets. In recent years, Zeam has starting promoted its platform as a central hub for local TV news from TV stations around the around the country. It's also expanding as a consumer-focused entertainment platform albeit still with an emphasis on live local content. To demonstrate the power of Zeam's highly portable live stream tech, Zeam enlisted comedian podcasters Mike Young and Bret Ernst for the 'Destination Comedy' event that featured the two and their antics while on the road for five straight days from July 29-Aug. 2. 'We are pushing the boundaries of our technology to show the industry that we can go so granular as to capture live video in a van going down the road with two comedians,' says Jack Perry, CEO of Zeam, which is based in Marion, Iowa and New York. 'We're doing that to help inspire our broadcasters to invest in hyper-local content.' For local TV stations, Zeam offers a simple way to generate more advertising revenue out of live streams. The platform allows for dynamic ad insertion on a local level — giving stations much greater ability to target specific consumers — and it also allows the station to cume the streaming audience with its linear signal to sell the largest possible audience to advertisers. Zeam made a splash in 2024 two years ago with its first Super Bowl advertisement to generate interest in the company. (It also took a spot in this year's telecast.) Since then, Zeam has served up more than 4 billion dynamically inserted ads for partners. The acquisition of NewsOn will greatly expand Zeam's local TV footprint to include the entire country — all 201 designated market areas as defined by Nielsen. Sinclair had also invested in this area and recruited other stations to use the NewsOn platform. 'NewsOn has been an important resource for connecting viewers with trusted local news from across the country. We're confident that under Zeam's leadership, the platform will continue to support stations and strengthen the value of local journalism,' said Kevin Cotlove, Sinclair executive VP and chief digital officer. Zeam has two central poles of its business. Its B-to-B division supports live streams for a host of clients. On the consumer front, Zeam offers revenue-sharing deals with partners, with Zeam typically handling all of the streaming ad inventory sales. Perry pitches Zeam to prospective partners as an outlet that can generate incremental revenue from the moment a user downloads the app or clicks on a given channel's feed on the site. 'We are the infrastruture for all these local stations to drive digital revenue without having to do a lot of work,' Perry says. The Zeam team is also at work on cutting deals with Samsung, LG and other connected TV manufacturers to enhance the standing of the Zeam platform on the home-page hub of smart TVs. That device-based distribution is becoming a bigger factor for the distribution and revenue-generating potential of FAST channels. In Perry's view, the biggest benefit that Zeam can offer station partners is the ability to create original local content with moderate incremental costs. The live stream tech supports a range of live and on-demand production options. This kind of flexibility is becoming more important to broadcasters as the volume of syndicated programs offered for sale on a market-by-market basis — think talk shows, game shows, variety shows produced out of Los Angeles, Chicago and New York — has slowed significantly in recent years. 'Today stations are not thinking just about the network-affiliate model. They're also saying 'Hey wait a minute, we'd like to create our own content independent of what our network may be providing,' ' Perry says. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week What's Coming to Disney+ in August 2025 What's Coming to Netflix in August 2025
LeMonde
04-07-2025
- Politics
- LeMonde
'The ideological fusion between the American right and the media did not start with Trump, but he accelerated it'
The American radical right has always been ahead of its European counterparts when it comes to developing media ecosystems. What is happening today in the United States often signals, a little in advance, the major trends that will also emerge in Europe. It didn't all start with Donald Trump's arrival on the political scene, far from it. The right's conquest of the media can be traced back to radio: In the 1970s and 1980s, the AM band, which was then largely underused and faced few content restrictions, became the preferred platform for American conservatives. Rush Limbaugh embodied this trend with The Rush Limbaugh Show, which had an impressive run: Launched in 1984, the talk show continued until his death in 2021. Such programs were a success with the public and helped secure the victories of Ronald Reagan in 1980 and 1984, and later George W. Bush in 2000 and 2004. At the same time, there was a boom in televangelists – preachers hosting religious television programs – who came to dominate many local radio and television stations. It was also during this period that Reagan, in 1985, granted American citizenship to media magnate Rupert Murdoch, originally from Australia – allowing him to enter the US media market with the goal of shifting it to the right. Murdoch replicated in the US the successful strategies he had already employed in Australia and the United Kingdom. In 1996, he launched Fox News, which would revolutionize the American right and its communication methods. Murdoch was not alone. Other right-wing magnates also set out to conquer the media market: John Dickey bought a small Atlanta radio station and, in 1997, turned it into Cumulus Media – a conglomerate that is now the second-largest owner and operator of AM and FM radio stations in the US (nearly 500). During the Bush era, another competitor, Sinclair Broadcast Group, owned the most television stations in America, and Steve Bannon launched the website Breitbart, which became the spearhead for the nationalist and populist far right.
Forbes
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Game Show ‘Scrambled Up,' Hosted By Michael Yo, To Launch On Stations September 8
New game show "Scrambled Up," hosted by Michael Yo, will debut on stations across the country on ... More September 8. Given the durability of syndication mainstays Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy! and Family Feud, it isn't all that common for a new first-run game show to snag station time period availabilities. But Playing Field Entertainment (Cutlers Court), Keller/Noll (Flip Side, America Says, Chopped), and Crazy Legs Productions have confirmed the official launch of Scrambled Up, which per the logline features 'brain-tickling clues in an easy-to-follow format.' It debuts on Monday, September 8. Specifically, Scrambled Up showcases four competitors who must solve puzzles featuring scrambled letters. As the letters correctly rearrange themselves, the clues the contestants receive will become easier. The first person who buzzes in with the correct answer will have a chance to win $10,000. A wrong answer means that player can no longer guess while the first player with the right answer wins the points. Hosted by actor comedian Michael Yo, Scrambled Up has been cleared in more than a reported 80 percent of the country. Included are stations in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Boston, and Miami. Launch partners include CBS Television Stations, Sinclair Broadcast Group, Nexstar Media Group, E.W. Scripps Company, Tegna Inc., Weigel Broadcasting Co., and Gray Television, among others. Playing Field Entertainment is handling distribution sales and CBS Media Ventures is handling advertising sales. Actor and comedian Miichael will host the upcoming syndication game show "Scrambled Up." Dave Noll, Cleve Keller, Ross Babbit, Dave Bulhack, Gary Apple, Tom Cappello, and Scott Thigpen will serve as executive producers. 'We are thrilled by the enthusiastic response from our station launch partners and know that audiences are going to equally embrace Scrambled Up', stated David Bulhack, Co-Founder, Playing Field Entertainment in a statement. 'Keller/Noll has again created a super fun and engaging game show that will have viewers eagerly playing along and wanting more,' noted Tom Cappello, CEO of Crazy Legs Productions. 'We're excited to bring another hit to the syndication marketplace, and Scrambled Up is sure to be it.' Scrambled Up! is the second new first-run syndicated game show for next season. The first is The Perfect Line from CBS Media Ventures, which features Inside Edition's Deborah Norville hosting this trivia game of questions about world events, pop culture, sports, science and other topics. Contestants are given a category and then arrange events, items or people to create 'the perfect line.' Anchored by CBS Stations Group, The Perfect Line is now sold to broadcast stations in a reported 90 percent of the country. Chances are it will be paired in many markets with season two of Flip Side, hosted by Jaleel White, which is also from CBS Media Ventures.
Broadcast Pro
16-04-2025
- Business
- Broadcast Pro
Imagine Communications unveils next-gen traffic and billing system
Sinclair Broadcast Group has become the first to adopt the new traffic platform, leveraging its browser-based interface, cloud-native architecture, advanced security features and comprehensive TIP compliance. Imagine Communications has launched OSI-X, the next-generation evolution of its widely adopted OSI Traffic and Billing platform. Designed for modern broadcasting demands, OSI-X features a browser-based user interface, cloud-native architecture and streamlined user experience, catering to the growing need for Total TV convergence in the North American broadcast market. The newly introduced platform has already secured a major client in Sinclair Broadcast Group, which will migrate all its over-the-air (OTA) television stations to OSI-X. The broadcaster cited enhanced security features, including single sign-on and compliance with the TV Interface Practices (TIP) standards, as key factors behind its decision. Rob Weisbord, COO and president of Local Media at Sinclair, said: 'We are excited to announce Sinclair's decision to migrate all OTA television stations onto the OSI-X Traffic and Billing system. This transition is driven by enhancements to security with single sign-on, browser-based access to OSI Traffic and Imagine Communications' full support of the TV Interface Practices standards set forth by the broadcaster consortium. These advancements will streamline our operations and further secure our broadcasting infrastructure.' As one of Imagine's core solutions, OSI Traffic and Billing has long been a critical tool for broadcasters navigating a rapidly changing media landscape. The OSI-X upgrade offers new capabilities that enable broadcasters to manage complex ad operations more efficiently while maximising revenue across linear, digital and connected TV (CTV) inventory. The system supports deployment both in private data centres and in the cloud, offering broadcasters flexibility in how they modernise. JW Linkenauger, SVP of AdTech at Sinclair Broadcast Group, commented: 'Imagine Communications is a proven partner that continually invests in the enhancement of their OSI-X television platform. Their strong support of TIP and ongoing technological advancements show their deep understanding of the complex ad delivery ecosystem.' The new OSI-X release builds on its proven predecessor with a redesigned user interface, SAML-compliant single sign-on, and support for cloud or on-prem deployment, giving broadcasters the flexibility to modernize in their own way and at their own pace. With OSI-X, users get the robust functionality they have come to rely on in a secure, scalable, and more accessible environment. Integrating readily with third-party tools and standards-based platforms, OSI-X provides the core inventory management, traffic, reconciliation and posting functions required to operate with TVB- and TIP-compliant order management systems, as well as numerous third-party CRM, ERP and general ledger applications. Imagine Communications CEO Steve Reynolds commented: 'OSI-X reflects Imagine's commitment to simplifying broadcasters' ad sales and management operations across linear and digital workflows. As the industry continues to evolve, we're giving broadcasters the tools to operate more efficiently, reduce cost and complexity, and prepare for whatever comes next.'
