| Thursday May 21, 2026 |
| Good morning and welcome to Cynopsis — the media industry’s essential morning read. |
 IN THE NEWS |
| News chief Bari Weiss has the “full support of Paramount, studio says. Paramount pushed back on a report that its leadership is weighing a reduced role for CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss. · Puck’s Dylan Byers reported that senior executives have held informal discussions about giving Weiss less control over the linear product, including “60 Minutes,” “CBS Mornings,” and the “CBS Evening News,” shifting her focus instead to the news division’s digital growth. · Conversations reportedly stem from a belief that Weiss was given too broad a mandate for someone without prior television experience, as well as irritation over the persistent negative press surrounding her tenure. · Paramount has denied the framing. “Bari has the full support of Paramount and David Ellison as the editorial leader overseeing ‘CBS News’ and ‘60 Minutes,’” said a spokesperson. “Reports suggesting otherwise are inaccurate.” Not so FAST: A new study challenges long-held assumptions about brand safety in news programming on free ad-supported TV. In related brand safety news, Viant Technology is working with Ad Fontes Media to address the persistent gap in CTV advertising dollars going to news programming despite its highly engaged viewership. As a brand marketer, which types of news programming would you feel are safe advertising territory right now? Share your thoughts at [email protected] — for a new Reader Insights section. |
 Bravo is turning its most passionate fanbase into a business opportunity. Universal Products & Experiences (UP&E) launched a first-of-its-kind licensing program dedicated entirely to Bravo, uniting the network’s franchises under one global consumer products strategy for the first time. The move opens a new revenue stream for the network while giving Ramona wine-drinking, Bethenny skinny margarita-drinking fans a tangible way to connect with the pop culture moments and personalities they love. Franchises including “The Real Housewives,” “Vanderpump Rules,” “Top Chef” will spawn products spanning fashion, beauty, food, home, and gifting. The collection launches exclusively at select retailers later this year. |
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| NEW & RETURNING SERIES |
| “Mark vs. The Mountain” kicks off Thursday, June 11 on streamer Great American Pure Flix. The uplifting unscripted series stars meteorologist and former New Mexico gubernatorial candidate Mark Ronchetti, alongside his wife, interior designer Krysty Ronchetti, and daughters as they navigate the challenges and triumphs of building homes inspired by the natural world. Apple TV has renewed “Knife Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars” for a second season. The docuseries from Gordon Ramsay (“Next Level Chef”) explores the business of international dining. Also renewed for Season 2 is Hulu’s “The Testaments.” The “Handmaid’s Tale” sequel debuted on April 8. True crime series “Deadly Influence: The Social Media Murders” returns Monday, June 1 at 9 p.m. ID promises an “unsettling new season.” “Michael Jackson: The Verdict” dissects the child molestation case against Jackson from the perspectives of both the prosecution and the defense starting Wednesday, June 3 on Netflix. On a different note, the streamer’s “One Hundred Years of Solitude,” adapted from Gabriel García Márquez’s bestselling magical realist novel, returns for its second and final season in August. The concluding eight episodes will reveal the fate of Macondo and the Buendía family. Digital series “Chasers,” from Tom Brady’s Shadow Lion, has dropped on YouTube. Hosted by Kevin Bonner, each episode sees a different celebrity guest attempting to answer trivia questions to identify cards that are in some way related to their lives. Season 13 of History’s “Alone” debuts Wednesday, June 17 at 9 p.m. For the first time in franchise history, ten skilled survivalists from around the globe will compete in “Alone: World Championship,” with participants dropped inside Canada’s Arctic Circle with just ten survival tools, and enough camera gear to self-document their experiences. |
| Today’s Premieres Netflix: The Boroughs; James Paramount+: SkyMed A 16-year partnership between CBS’ “Survivor” and Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) surpassed $2 million raised for cancer research. The milestone was fueled in part by a Charitybuzz campaign giving fans the chance to win tickets to last night’s “Survivor” 50 finale, which generated $160,000 in donations. To mark the show’s landmark 50th season, Toyota is contributing an additional $50,000. |
| PRODUCTION |
 In a bid to expand its commitment to creator-driven, talent-led unscripted programming, FOX Entertainment Studios inked a first-look deal with JB Smoove (“Curb Your Enthusiasm”), along with his production company Alternate Side Productions (ASP), to collaborate on an unscripted slate spanning a range of formats and genres. And Smoove is all in. “Let me tell you something…unscripted is where the magic really happens,” said the actor, writer and producer. “You can’t plan it, you can’t fake it, you just gotta jump in and let it fly. That’s my lane!”Lifetime greenlit two movies set to premiere next month. Faith-based thriller “The Jealous Bride,” adapted from Liv Constantine’s bestseller My Sister’s Daughter, drops June 13 at 8 p.m. One week later, psychological drama “Don’t Trust the Girls Upstairs” debuts on June 20 at 8 p.m. |
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| CYNOPSIS TOP WOMEN IN SPORTS Stand With the Women Shaping What’s Next The Top Women in Sports honorees represent the vision, leadership, and momentum moving sports media forward. Align your brand with this powerful group—and show up where influence is built. |
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| TECH |
| VideoAmp struck a deal with Family Entertainment Television (FETV) and its sister channel Family Movie Classics (FMC), becoming the first alternative currency provider for both networks. FETV and FMC will use VideoAmp’s infrastructure for measurement and ad sales. Vevo expanded its partnership with DISQO, designating the advertising intelligence firm as its preferred brand lift and outcomes partner in the U.S. Vevo was among the first to pilot DISQO’s Outcomes Lift solution, and has since broadened its measurement capabilities to gain a clearer picture of how ads drive messaging impact, seasonal trends, purchase intent, and conversion timing, moving beyond surface-level indicators like search activity and site visits. Viamedia.ai has upgraded its Geo-Graph™ advertising and marketing service with the integration of Uber’s H3 hexagonal grid system. The enhancement reframes geography as a dynamic planning, activation, and insight layer rather than a static filter, aimed at enabling neighborhood-level precision, consistent cross-channel execution, and privacy-conscious targeting at scale. Central to the updated Geo-Graph™ is pre-activation audience validation, which gives media planners and buyers a clear view of estimated reach, audience density, and the final LFID footprint before a campaign goes live. |
| COMING UP |
| Tony Award-winning actress Laura Benanti and Tituss Burgess (“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”) will host live pre-show “The Tony Awards: Act One,” streaming on Pluto beginning Sunday, June 7 at 6:35 p.m. MeTV kicks off month-long event “The Golden Girls of Summer” on Monday, June 8. Episodes of the classic sitcom “The Golden Girls” will air weeknights at 10 p.m. and 10:30 p.m., with each week spotlighting a different character. |
| SPORTS REPORT |
| The FIFA news cycle keeps rolling. FOX Sports, America’s English-language home for the World Cup 2026, has announced its studio analyst team: Thierry Henry (France), Zlatan Ibrahimović (Sweden), Clarence Seedorf (Netherlands), Javier “Chicharito” Hernández (Mexico), John Obi Mikel (Nigeria), Thiago Alcântara (Spain), Juan Pablo Ángel (Colombia) and Peter Schmeichel (Denmark). Honeywell and the NHL struck a new partnership that makes Honeywell the Official Building Automation and Energy Management Partner of the NHL. Honeywell provides advanced, scalable and AI-enabled building automation technologies. |
| DISTRIBUTION |
| Cineverse announced two new subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) channels available via Premium Subscriptions on The Roku Channel. The first, So … Real, is dedicated to lifestyle and reality content from All3Media International, while Cineverse, the company’s flagship streaming brand, features series and movies. |
| RATINGS |
| The Buffalo Sabres-Montreal Canadiens Stanley Cup Playoffs Game 6 delivered 2.7 million viewers, up 18% vs. ABC’s Second Round Game 6 last year and the second most-watched Game 6 on record. The two-game slate on FOX’s “Saturday Night Baseball” drew 2.5 million viewers, up 31% versus last year’s comparable game, and the second-most-watched Saturday baseball telecast of the season. Prime Video had the week’s most-watched sports telecast the week of May 11, drawing over 6.5 million viewers for Game 7 of the NBA Playoffs Eastern Conference semifinal on Sunday night, and topped Nielsen’s Weekly Sports Events report for the first time ever. Basic Cable Top 10 for the Week of May 11 Top 10 Broadcast Programs for the Week of May 11 Broadcast News Ratings for the Week of May 11 |
| EXECUTIVE MOVES |
| Mediaocean has named Ivan Markman as president and chief operating officer. Most recently, Markman led Yahoo’s B2B division, overseeing ad tech, search, and Edgecast. App marketing company SplitMetrics has appointed Hawley Shpiro as managing director of the Americas. Shpiro joins SplitMetrics after serving as Head of U.S. App Sales at Skai. |
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| Today’s Trivia Question Which sitcom began with one of the six main characters leaving another at the altar? (Email answers to [email protected] and include your name, company and city. Answers limited to four per time zone.) Answer to Our Last Trivia Question Which networks are part of Lifetime Entertainment Services? Lifetime, LMN, and Lifetime Real Women. Congrats to: Justin Pierce-JP Consulting Group/LA; Gerry Bixenspan-TV Marketing Inc./NYC; Susan Nessanbaum-Goldberg-M and S Entertainment/LA; Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/LA; Christina Colucci-Lockard & Wechsler Direct/Irvington, NY |
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