UPDATE: Circle City Broadcasting sheds employees after closing WRTV acquisition
The closure of the $83M deal appears to mean a major personnel shakeup at WRTV, with numerous people losing their jobs, possibly most of the staff, according to reports.
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Layoffs at WRTV exceed 50 staff members as new owner pledges more news
DuJuan McCoy, owner and CEO of Circle City Broadcasting, told IBJ that Tuesday’s personnel cuts did not affect all WRTV employees, but declined to say how many were retained.
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Tamika Catchings embraces new WNBA spotlight as USA Network commentator
The Indiana Fever great is looking forward to calling games for USA Network, which signed a multiyear deal with the WNBA that will run through 2036.
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Audio engineer works on Olympic telecasts without leaving Indianapolis studio
Brice Bowman adds the finishing touches to features that take viewers “up close and personal” to Olympic athletes.
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Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton grabs spotlight in new season of Netflix series ‘Starting 5’
The rollercoaster ride of Tyrese Haliburton’s 2024-25 season dominates the preview of Netflix’s “Starting 5,” the second season of which debuts later this month.
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Articles
DirecTV sues Nexstar, Tegna over their proposed $6.2B merger
DirecTV said the merger would create a triopoly in Indianapolis, affecting more than 1.2 million “TV homes.”
Looking for IU game commentator options? Alternate broadcasts feature Pat McAfee, sync Don Fischer with ESPN video.
If you have access to ESPN through cable or a streaming platform, you’ll have more than a dozen choices for how you watch and who brings you the game.
Paramount goes hostile in bid for Warner Bros., challenging $72B bid by Netflix
President Donald Trump said Sunday that the deal struck by Netflix to buy Warner Bros. Discovery “could be a problem” because of the size of the combined market share.
Netflix to acquire Warner Bros. studio and streaming business for $72B
The acquisition would bring two of the industry’s biggest players in film and TV under one roof and alter the entertainment industry landscape.
Fox Sports analyst Mark Sanchez’s trial date set in case over fight with truck driver
Sanchez has been off the air since the Oct. 4 incident at the Westin Hotel in downtown Indianapolis.
College-reform bill could generate extra billions by allowing conferences to pool their TV rights
Democratic senators introduced a bill Monday that would rewrite a 1961 law prohibiting college sports conferences from banding together to sell their media rights.
How IndyCar, Fox each win in deal that gives media giant minority ownership
Executives, team officials and industry experts told IBJ they believe the Fox investment will help IndyCar better compete for fans in an increasingly crowded sports landscape.
NFL, ESPN reach nonbinding agreement for sale of NFL Network, other media assets
The league and ESPN still have to negotiate a final agreement and get approval from NFL owners. The agreement will also have to undergo regulatory approvals.
NFL on the verge of selling media assets to ESPN for an equity stake in the network, sources say
The proposed move comes as ESPN is expected to soon launch its direct-to-consumer service, likely before the end of August.
FCC approves $8B Paramount-Skydance merger after lengthy review
The approval ends a more than 250-day-long review process marked by controversy and accusations of inappropriate political pressure.
Fever to wear ‘Stranger Things’-themed jerseys ahead of Netflix show’s final season
Ahead of the November debut of the fifth and final season of “Stranger Things,” the team will don black jerseys inspired by the hit Netflix show for seven games.
News team that provides content to Indiana public broadcasters to be dismantled
Indiana Public Broadcasting News is in peril after the Indiana Legislature removed millions of dollars earmarked to support public stations.
Game 7 between Pacers, Thunder draws largest NBA Finals audience in 6 years
The seven games of the series were the most-watched television broadcasts since the first week of May.
Surge in viewers leads ION TV to extend broadcasting deal with WNBA
The deal extends the network’s existing three-year deal reached in 2023 to broadcast regular-season games and host a weekly studio show.
Fox network plans to apply its ‘in your face’ attitude to 500 debut
Fox Sports, which launched in 1994 with an entertaining approach to broadcasting NFL games, will carry the race for the first time as part of a multiyear contract with the NTT IndyCar Series.
NY celebs like Timothee Chalamet vs Indy celebrities like … County Treasurer Barb Lawrence?
IBJ talked with Lawrence about her 15 minutes of fame after her mention in a comedy bit on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”
Indiana Fever’s new streaming service will let fans watch live games, replays
Fever Direct, a partnership between Pacers Sports & Entertainment and New York City-based Endeavor Media, will offer broadcasts of more than a dozen regular-season games, as well as replays and other Fever-produced content.
Fever, WTHR-TV owner announce deal to show games in 11 other markets
The plan from Tegna Inc. and Pacers Sports & Entertainment is expected to make the 18-game slate being carried by Channel 13 and its sister station, WALV-CD, available for free to 4.6 million households across five states, including Indiana.
Former IU football coach Corso to retire after 38 years on ESPN’s ‘College GameDay’
Lee Corso, 89, has been a mainstay on ESPN’s Saturday college football preview show since its inception in 1987.