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Welcome to The Brief by Kuro House, your daily dose of marketing and media insights that keep you ahead of the curve. Today, we’re diving into a lineup of stories that show just how dynamic the media landscape has become—from big podcast launches and cable news shakeups to vintage content making a comeback. Let’s get right into it.
First up, a headline from Adweek’s TVNewser that’s sure to catch the attention of both podcast and news junkies: Brian Williams is teaming up with Netflix for a brand new podcast series called “We’re Back! With Brian Williams.” Netflix describes the show as “unscripted, unhurried, and utterly himself,” a format that promises candid, wide-ranging conversations with actors, writers, musicians, athletes, journalists, and unexpected newsmakers. Williams, the former NBC News and MS NOW (that’s the new name for MSNBC) anchor, will dig into not just their work, but their lives and the times we’re living through. The show is produced by Jonathan Wald, a veteran who’s collaborated with Williams on everything from broadcast to cable to streaming, including his 2024 stint anchoring Prime Video’s Election Night special. But Williams isn’t the only one making waves on Netflix’s podcast slate. NBC News correspondent Ellison Barber is launching “Allegedly,” a new weekly video true crime podcast debuting April 29. Produced by NBC News Studios, Barber will break down the most talked-about cases with a trusted friend or someone central to each story, promising a fresh take on the true crime genre.
Staying with Adweek’s TVNewser, let’s talk ratings—because the numbers from the week of April 6 tell a fascinating story about the state of cable news. The big event was the return of Artemis II’s 10-day journey around the moon, along with ongoing coverage of the War with Iran. These stories fueled week-to-week gains for all three major cable news networks—Fox News, CNN, and MS NOW—especially in primetime and among adults 25-54, the demo advertisers covet most. CNN, in particular, saw a huge boost from its Artemis II coverage, becoming the most-watched cable network in the 25-54 demo between 7 and 11:30 p.m. on Friday night, pulling in 477,000 viewers in that age bracket. Fox News, meanwhile, was the second-most-watched network on television between 7:30 and 8:29 p.m., with 5 million total viewers, trailing only ABC News. In primetime, Fox News still led in total viewers, outpacing CNN and MS NOW combined.
The week’s Nielsen data shows Fox News averaging 3.05 million total viewers and 312,000 in the 25-54 demo during primetime, up 10% and 4% respectively from the previous week. MS NOW posted 1.28 million total viewers in primetime, up 2%, and saw an 11% jump in the demo. CNN, though, was the big mover—primetime viewership up by 46% and a whopping 60% leap in the demo compared to the week before. When you zoom out to year-over-year trends, CNN’s primetime audience has more than doubled, up 102% in total viewers and 91% in the demo. Fox News had 13 of the 15 most-watched cable news shows of the week, with Jesse Watters Primetime topping the charts at 8 p.m. with 4.1 million viewers. Meanwhile, The Rachel Maddow Show and Anderson Cooper 360 were the top representatives for MS NOW and CNN, respectively, with Maddow drawing 2.23 million and Cooper pulling in 1.86 million total viewers.
Back to the world of new content launches, NBC News Now is expanding its daytime lineup with a new two-hour mid-morning show hosted by Christine Romans, the network’s new chief business correspondent. The show, which will air at 10 a.m. ET starting this summer, is all about economic news and how it intersects with the daily news cycle and the global economy—a timely move as financial headlines increasingly drive the broader news agenda. NBC News Now is also moving into Studio 3A at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, which long served as MSNBC’s home base.
For those who love a dose of nostalgia, CNN is bringing back a curated collection of Larry King’s most memorable interviews from his iconic “Larry King Live” show. These vintage episodes will stream exclusively for CNN subscribers at CNN.com/Watch or via the CNN app, with new episodes dropping every Friday through June 19. It’s a smart play to tap into both the evergreen appeal of King’s interviewing style and the growing appetite for classic content in the streaming era.
Finally, a quick look at some moves and new faces in the media world. CNN has announced the addition of Chris Wiggins from The New York Times, who will lead its machine learning and AI science unit—a sign of just how important data and AI have become in newsrooms. NPR’s Ari Shapiro is joining as a contributor and will co-host a new video podcast, “Engagement Party,” premiering May 22 alongside Audie Cornish. He’ll also appear across CNN’s linear and digital programming. Meanwhile, Jay Gray is joining Scripps News as a senior national correspondent based in Dallas, and Newsmax has named Kyle Lowder and Kenzie Beach as the new co-hosts for its weekend morning program, “Wake Up America Weekend.”
That’s all for today’s edition of The Brief by Kuro House. From major podcast launches and sharp ratings battles to the return of classic interviews, it’s clear the media world is both evolving and looking back. Thanks for tuning in—keep your curiosity sharp, and we’ll catch you tomorrow with more stories shaping the marketing and media landscape.
