Saturday’s Premieres
Nat Geo Wild: Rocky Rapids Vet 9-1-1 at 10:30p
Galavision: Viva la Comedy at 9:30p

Sunday’s Premieres
INSP: Into the Wild Frontier at 6p
Bravo: Summer House: Martha’s Vineyard at 9p

IN THE NEWS

The U.S. Dept. of Justice, 16 states and the District of Columbia filed an anti-trust suit against Apple Inc. on Thursday, alleging the iPhone maker engaged in practices aimed at keeping customers reliant on the company’s smartphones and less likely to switch to devices from competitors. According to the New York Times, the 88-page suit, filed in U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, claims that Apple’s actions “built and reinforced a moat around its smartphone monopoly,” prevented other companies from offering apps that competed with its products, and that its policies hurt consumers and its smaller competitors with “higher prices and less innovation.” The government is asking the court to cease from engaging in those current practices and an unspecified financial penalty.

According to the paper, an Apple spokeswoman said the suit would set a dangerous precedent and “threatens who we are and the principles that set Apple products apart in fiercely competitive markets.” If the suit were to succeed it “would hinder our ability to create the kind of technology people expect from Apple — where hardware, software, and services intersect,” she added.

Proxy advisor service ISS recommended that Disney name activist investor Nelson Peltz to its board of directors, a move with which the company immediately disagreed. Peltz has been a harsh critic of Disney, but ISS said the dissident shareholder could help with the company’s succession plans. CEO Bob Iger, who retired in 2021 but returned in November 2022 after his replacement Bob Chapek was ousted by the board, has agreed to stay on through 2026.

Beyoncé will receive the iHeart Radio Innovator Award at the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards. Hosted by Ludacris – who will also perform – the event airs live from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, April 1 at 8p on FOX and will also be heard on iHeartMedia radio stations nationwide and on the iHeartRadio app. Other performers include Justin Timberlake, Green Day, TLC, Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson, Tate McRae, plus a special musical tribute to the 2024 iHeartRadio Icon Award Recipient Cher.

MyBundle TV has reached an agreement with Consolidated Communications to provide the company and its Fidium Fiber customers with tools to help them select the right streaming alternatives. services. MyBundle will provide a suite of streaming tools and educational materials to help Consolidated’s customers determine how best to swap traditional TV for a streaming alternative based on the channels each their needs, offering personalized recommendations on a 1×1 basis. With the agreement, MyBundle has deals in place with nearly 220 U.S. broadband providers serving about 13 million customers.

Fred Rogers Productions will celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Be My Neighbor Day on March 23 in its hometown of Pittsburgh and throughout the country. Inspired by an episode of its own animated program “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood” (itself inspired by “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood”), Be My Neighbor Day includes a series of grassroots, family-centered events that encourage children and adults to get involved and help make a positive impact in their community. The activity-based celebrations are hosted by PBS member stations across the U.S. and are free and open-to-the-public.

NBC 4 New York/WNBC honors the golden anniversary of broadcast news anchor Chuck Scarborough with a series of special events around the city. Scarborough began his tenure at the station 50 years ago on March 25, 1974, anchoring the news from Studio 6B in 30 Rockefeller Center. The celebrations will kick off on March 25 at 10a, with Scarborough joining representatives from the Empire State Building and NBC 4 New York to “flip the switch” and light the Empire State Building in honor of his 50th anniversary. “Chuck Scarborough is a giant in American journalism and the face of television news for generations of viewers, including me. He is also the longest serving television anchor in the largest, most prestigious television market in America – making his 50-year anniversary even more remarkable.” said Eric Lerner, President and General Manager of NBC 4 New York.

Have you checked out our program at-a-glance? We’re working to book top speakers to tackle the industry’s most asked questions. From local TV to streaming, we’ve got it all covered. Stay tuned to find out who will be joining us in the room!

TAKE A LOOK

Sony Pictures Classics has acquired all rights worldwide to “The Choral.” Directed by Nicholas Hytner and written by BAFTA- and Tony-winning playwright and screenwriter Alan Bennett, the film will star Academy Award® nominee and BAFTA winner Ralph Fiennes, Academy Award® and BAFTA winner Jim Broadbent, and BAFTA winner Simon Russell Beale. Principal photography begins in Yorkshire this May.

Lion Forge Entertainment has purchased rights to “Best Wishes,” the best-selling literary series by author Sarah Mlynowski, and plans to build a multi-picture, live-action franchise around the popular tween books. Founder and CEO David Steward II, Stephanie Sperber, President and Chief Creative Officer, and Jennilee Cummings, Senior Vice President, Live Action, will produce for Lion Forge Entertainment.

NEW & RETURNING SERIES

INSP will premiere Season 4 of series “Into the Wild Frontier” on Sunday, March 24 at 6p.

The first six episodes of “Ark: The Animated Series,” an original series based on the hit adventure video game “Ark: Survival Evolved,” are available to stream exclusively on Paramount+ in Canada and the U.S. The series will debut in all other Paramount+ international markets starting Friday, April 19. Part two of the season will debut with seven new episodes at a later date.

The eight-episode second season of the HBO Original drama series “House of the Dragon” debuts Sunday, June 16 at 9p on HBO.

Ana Ortiz is the latest addition to the cast for the second season of Disney+ anthology series “Goosebumps.” She joins previously named cast members David Schwimmer, Sam McCarthy (“Dead to Me”) and Jayden Bartels (“Side Hustle”) as fraternal twins Devin and Cece, respectively; Elijah Cooper (“That Girl Lay Lay”) as CJ; Galilea La Salvia (“Party Down”) as Frankie; and Francesca Noel (“R#J”) as Alex.

COMING UP

FOX Nation’s four-part docuseries “Menendez Brothers: Victims or Villains” – will debut Monday, March 25 and feature never-before-heard and exclusive sound from Lyle Menendez from prison, along with interviews with the Menendez brothers’ lawyer Mark Geragos, and the case prosecutor Pamela Bozanich. Comedian and actress Rosie O’Donnell, who conducted a 2023 interview with Lyle Menendez from prison, radio personality Adam Carolla and former “Saturday Night Live” cast member Darrell Hammond, who has advocated for the pair’s release, will also make contributions. In addition, “The Five” co-host and former Westchester County District Attorney Judge Jeanine Pirro will host key discussions breaking down the Menendez case with crucial figures on both sides of the trial.

Two documentaries from PBS’s “Independent Lens” will make their broadcast and/or streaming debut across the PBS platform on March 25. “If Dreams Were Lightning: Rural Healthcare Crisis” explores the lives of people living in the rural South with limited or no access to healthcare, and “Greener Pastures” follows four Midwestern farming families persevering through climate change, industrialization, and mental health crises.

“In the Kitchen with Harry Hamlin,” a five-episode cooking series executive produced and hosted by the actor, writer and entrepreneur Harry Hamlin and his niece and trained chef, Renee Guilbault will premiere on AMC Networks’ AMC+ and IFC on Wednesday, May 15 at 11p.

STREAMING

Streaming service FOX Weather will present around-the-clock coverage leading up to the solar eclipse on April 8. Entitled “America’s Total Eclipse,” FOX Weather will dispatch correspondents and meteorologists to cities from Texas to Vermont for the event, including meteorologists Stephen Morgan and Kendall Smith, who will anchor coverage live from Dallas and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway respectively when the eclipse occurs from 12p-4p. Other correspondents covering the event include FOX News senior meteorologist Janice Dean in Little Rock, Arkansas; FOX Weather’s Brandy Campbell in Rochester, New York and FOX Business’ Kelly Saberi in Bloomington, Indiana. FOX News multimedia reporters Joy Addison, Olivianna Calmes and Kailey Schuyler will report from Waco, Texas; Cape Girardeau, Missouri; and Burlington, Vermont respectively.

TECH TALK

Integral Ad Science said it has earned accreditation by the Media Rating Council (MRC), covering its third-party calculation and reporting of Google ADH-MP measurement data from the Google Ads, Display & Video 360, and YouTube Reserve services.

SPORTS UPDATE

Endeavor Streaming has teamed up with the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) on global streaming solution FIS TV. Launched in August, FIS TV has streamed more than 38,000 hours of free winter sports content, powered by Endeavor Streaming’s Vesper platform. FIS TV is available for free on the web at watch.fis-ski.com, and via the FIS app on Android and iOS mobile devices, as well as Apple TV and Android TV devices.

Sinclair Broadcast Group and sports gamification and content provider GTG Network have partnered in a direct-to-consumer platform called Game Center, which will offer a personalized and interactive fan experience with gamification elements. Game Center is available on 79 of Sinclair’s station websites and offers 30 unique games across sport, word and number puzzles, trivia, cards + casino and more. In addition, GTG Network has embedded ‘quick play’ arcade games throughout the network of Sinclair websites designed to enhance the quality of the user experience and to create awareness of the new platform.

Multimedia sports platform OutKick said it finished February 2024 with 24 million total multiplatform views, an increase of 4% over February 2023. The platform also delivered 22 million total multiplatform minutes and 20.2 million total digital multiplatform unique visitors, according to Comscore.

BMX athlete Nigel Sylvester is the newly appointed creative advisor to sports and lifestyle brand New Era Cap LLC, and his first project will be a newly designed New York Mets cap, a nod to his Queens roots. Produced in both red and black, the Mets cap will be exclusively distributed to key partners, friends, and influential individuals this month to debut the partnership. Later this year Sylvester will shape the creative vision of New Era’s seasonal NFL apparel collection photoshoot, infusing his creativity into one of the brand’s largest licensed product campaigns.

Kubota Tractor Corp. is the new sponsor of FloSports’ High Limit Racing series. The multi-year partnership includes advertising on the platform and presenting sponsorship of the Castrol FloRacing Night in America series. The rebranded Kubota High Limit Racing series returns April 9 at Riverside International Speedway in West Memphis, Arkansas, the first of a seven-races in 12 nights stretch from Arkansas into Texas and concluding in Oklahoma on April 20.

Esports and gaming company FaZe Clan,said its energy drink FaZe Pop, was the No.1 best-selling new energy product for 7Eleven in 2023, and continues to build momentum in 2024, landing several partnerships and collaborative deals with major brands like Nike, Tostino’s, toy maker Zuru and gaming accessories company SteelSeries.

GSTV has formed a partnership with gaming content creator Super League which will bring the latter’s “Metaburst” gaming news segment to GSTV. GSTV and Super League are also collaborating on other integration opportunities to reach a broad base of consumers. The news show is currently airing on GSTV and brands will have the opportunity to sponsor the segment or produce custom segments together with Super League and GSTV.

GOING GLOBAL

Swedish scripted company Yellow Bird, said it has joined with Atre France and Viaplay Content Distribution on a new co-production of part of “A Life’s Worth,”
inspired by real events during the Bosnian conflict in the 1990s. Viaplay Content Distribution will serve as global sales partner for the drama.

BBC Studios launched a new version of its BBC mobile app, replacing the International BBC News app and mirroring the recently refreshed BBC.com, which rolled out first in North America last December and globally March 21. Together, the new BBC.com and BBC app allow for a more premium and sustainable commercial offering with ad tech enhancements that unlock new opportunities for advertisers.

ENJOY NYC IN THE SUMMERTIME?

Cynopsis is thrilled to announce the launch of its first ever, Top Women in Esports and Gaming, and we are calling on YOU to nominate those most deserving! From DEI, to research, to social media, and everything in between, there’s a category for every woman in esports. Honorees will be celebrated in NYC this July. Entries expire May 15th.

NOMINATE TODAY

Hyphenate Media Group, the media holding company and content studio formed by CEO Cris Abrego and co-founder, chief creative officer Eva Longoria, announced the formation of their executive leadership team on Thursday. Jada Miranda will serve as president of Television; Karla Pita Loor has been appointed chief strategy officer; and Alex Chang will serve as chief operating officer. All executives will report to Abrego and Longoria.

Friday Fun Fact
The original name for the search engine Google was Backrub.

Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
Which anthology series included an episode starring Steve McQueen and Peter Lorre? “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” (1955-65). Kudos to: Synda Kollman-Charter Marketing Group/Boca Raton, FL; David Rubinsohn-American Public Television/Boston; Jackie Howell-Nexstar/Columbus, OH; Gerry Bixenspan-TV Marketing Inc./NYC; Larry Hutchings/Pismo Beach, CA; David Westberg-SAG-AFTRA Credit Union/Burbank; David Garber-Loyola Marymount University/Playa Vista, CA; Kevin Moran-Blarney Productions/Pasadena, CA

Today’s Trivia Question
In “30 Rock” (2006-13), who does Liz Lemon always dress up as to get out of jury duty? (Email [email protected] with your answer and be sure to include your name, company, city and time zone. Unofficial rules: a limit of four answers per time zone.)