MD TV

Yeah, Curt probably couldn't handle the travel at his age. Strahan has been traveling back and forth for years but he's younger. And it played a factor in James Brown going back to CBS from Fox years ago, since commuting from DC (where he lives) to NYC isn't as strenuous as DC to LA.

Paramount has responded with a $108 billion hostile takeover bid for WBD: https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/paramount-hostile-takeover-bid-warner-bros-discovery-1236603175/

Among the announements made today, MS NOW will be offered as a paid streaming service this summer. Also, they've acquired Free TV Networks: https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/versant-plans-ms-now-streaming-launch-1236600147/

Well it's not like they're working on trying to improve their credibility:

All NBCUniversal channels were dropped from Fubo today. This includes the future Versant channels: https://support.fubo.tv/hc/en-us/articles/38725620590733-What-Happened-to-NBCUniversal-Networks-on-Fubo

And here are the press releases: https://www.nbcsports.com/pressbox/press-releases/major-league-baseball-returns-to-nbc-and-peacock-in-2026-with-three-year-media-rights-partnership-featuring-extensive-exclusivity https://espnpressroom.com/us/press-releases/2025/11/espn-major-league-baseball-reach-innovative-new-agreement-featuring-significant-collection-of-national-and-local-rights/ https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/mlb-netflix-opening-day-home-run-derby-field-of-dreams

NBCSN is up and running. Looking at the first 24 hours it's mostly shows that are on NBC Sports' FAST channel, with the only unique content tonight being the Milwaukee Bucks-Cleveland Cavaliers game.

The Disney-Youtube TV dispute is over: https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/youtube-tv-disney-blackout-deal-renewal-espn-abc-1236567658/ ESPN Unlimited will be available to subscribers, with no channels permanently removed.

As Versant is just about ready to go, the revived NBCSN starts Monday (gift link): https://www.wsj.com/business/media/nbcu-new-sports-channel-76ece6e7?st=BEJeQf&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

Gifted link here. The revived NBCSN launches Monday: https://www.wsj.com/business/media/nbcu-new-sports-channel-76ece6e7?st=BEJeQf&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink edit: As part of the press release, it says that it is expected to include MLB games in a soon to be announced contract (apparently the former ESPN package which includes Sunday Night and Wild Card games but not the Netflix-bound Home Run Derby): https://www.nbcuniversal.com/article/nbcuniversal-launch-new-nbc-sports-network-next-monday-november-17 And one more bit of news. USA Network has a deal with the new Pac-12, which includes 22 football games a year, 50 men's basketball games a year, the men's basketball tournament and 5-10 womens' basketball games a year: https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/versant-usa-sports-pac-12-rights-deal-1236580835/

The legendary Pierre Robert, who was with Philly's WMMR since 1981, has passed away at 70: https://radioinsight.com/headlines/316174/radio-remembers-pierre-robert/

John Dickerson is leaving CBS before the end of the year: https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/john-dickerson-exit-cbs-news-1236561995/

The name change to MS NOW will take effect on November 15th: https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/msnbc-switches-name-ms-now-november-15-1236561512/

And yesterday was Liz's first day: https://abc7.com/videoClip/18072369/

In DC they did indeed run the 11pm newscast live on their streaming channel and reran it after the late game. I wouldn't be surprised if the the other Eastern/Central time zone O&O's went that route too.

Considering where they were prior to the Alpha Media acquisition tthat is really rapid growth. Prior to that the only stations they had left were in Connecticut and on Long Island.

And I find the timing interesting since this week USA Network announced it's own deal for WNBA games, including some playoffs and finals games. I think they had a deal in place to begin with as part of NBC's WNBA contract before NBC announced their spinoff plans: https://deadline.com/2025/09/wnba-usa-network-versant-expanded-multi-year-rights-deal-1236566912/

Also, YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV dropped DC's Monumental Sports Network (home of the Caps, Wiz and Mystics). I'm not surprised since after NBC sold the channelto Ted Leonsis it was living on borrowed time on those services. Up next at the end of the month for YouTube TV is a renewal with Disney. And that's probably not gonna be pretty, with Disney demanding access to ESPN Unlimited and all.

Apparently this was how bad the Disney streaming cancellations were while Kimmel was off the air:

Meanwhile in mornings, Tony Cabrera has been joining in at 5am ever since Leslie Sykes' retirement, so I'm guessing he's the new third anchor. And it looks like Tim Caputo now has Tony's weekend morning anchor slot.

That reminds me, I'm wondering now how long New Jersey Public Radio has. When NJN radio shut down the North/Central Jersey stations were acquired by WNYC to create that network while the South Jersey stations became straight simulcasts of WHYY radio.

And they announced it:

Leslie Sykes' last newscast was today. Here are the final minutes: https://abc7.com/post/leslie-sykes-set-sign-off-abc7-final-newscast-tuesday/17866719/

Looks like Sinclair is still not playing nice: Also:

At last check, the special that was going to air Friday night only has ~27,000 views on YouTube. No wonder Sinclair reversed course at the last minute.