Top of the Ticker: CNN and MS NOW are still reporting from the White House on Friday, despite President Donald Trump saying on social media that he will ban the two networks, as well as Politico, “effective immediately” from reporting within those grounds.

During a Q&A inside the Oval Office on Friday afternoon, the president, when asked why he was banning the three news outlets, said he had “no reason,” adding that it was due to cumulative stories “over the last two years.”

In a statement, CNN said that it stands fully behind its White House reporters and the network has a “right under the U.S. Constitution” to report without hindrance from the government.

“Should the ban which President Trump threatened go ahead, it would be an illegal assault on that fundamental and constitutionally-protected right,” the statement concluded.

Meanwhile, former WHCA president Weijia Jiang posted a portion of the First Amendment, which states that freedom of speech or the freedom of the press can’t be curtailed by the government. 

New crew: ABC News’ flagship morning program, Good Morning America, debuted new co-anchor teams for its Saturday and Sunday editions over the weekend.

The network’s senior political correspondent, Rachel Scott, joined Whit Johnson to co-anchor the broadcast on Saturdays. Scott will continue to host the streaming news program, What You Need to Know, on Disney+. Meanwhile, correspondent Rhiannon Ally has been paired with Gio Benitez to co-anchor the Sunday editions.

Also part of the weekend crew is Leslie Lopez, who was named GMA’s weekend meteorologist. She replaces Somara Theodore, who is moving to full-time on the weekday shift on ABC News Live. Lopez was previously a meteorologist for the ABC Los Angeles affiliate KABC.

In addition to their new GMA assignments, Johnson, Scott, Benitez, and Ally will, on a rotating basis, anchor ABC News Live Weekend at 10 a.m. ET on ABC News’ 24/7.

Sudden departure: NBC News is losing one of its veteran executives after Janelle Rodriguez announced she will leave the news outlet after 12 years. Rodriguez, who was the evp of NBC News programming, said in a note to staffers that it was “the right moment” for her to leave and move on to the next chapter in her life. 

Following Rodriguez’s departure, NBC News president of editorial Rebecca Blumenstein revealed the new leadership structure, with Catherine Kim becoming executive vice president, editorial and content. This includes oversight of NBC News Now and specials. Matt Carluccio will expand his responsibilities to oversee the network’s editorial units, including business, health, investigations, and climate. Finally, Matt Frucci, executive producer of NBC Nightly News, reports directly to Blumenstein.

Bureau closure: CNBC announced that it has wound down operations at its Hong Kong bureau. As a result of this shutdown, business-day programs such as Inside India, The China Connection, and Europe Early Edition have been canceled, while feature series including CNBC Meets and Built for Billions will wrap up once current broadcast runs conclude.

The network says “a small number of employees” have been affected by this closure and that it reached these “difficult decisions” after evaluating its international programming, commercial viability, and resource deployment over several months. CNBC is shifting resources in the region to its Singapore and Beijing offices, with the two bureaus, alongside its London and Abu Dhabi bureaus, remaining key operational hubs providing studio, editorial, and technical facilities.

New season: Sunday saw the return of CBS News’ Sunday newsmagazine 60 Minutes, now under the guidance of Bari Weiss and Nick Bilton, sticking to its tried-and-true formula. In a note to staffers, shared with CNN’s Brian Stelter, Weiss, Bilton, and CBS News president Tom Cibrowski called the first episode “a powerful start with three original, revelatory stories that showcase 60 at its best.” Prior to the debut of the new season, Bilton announced that Jordan Kronick and Wally Griffith are joining the show as producers. Kronick was previously with HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, and Griffith joins from CNBC, as part of its long-form and documentary unit.

Meanwhile, Guy Campanile, the former 60 Minutes managing editor, was the latest former employee to talk about alleged editorial interference during the production process. In a private Facebook post, obtained by The Guardian, Campanile said that as part of doing their jobs, they would not compromise their “principles or reputations by jamming unverifiable notions or White House talking points into our reporting.”

He said he and his former colleagues lost their jobs because they “refused to be accomplices in the destruction of the most prestigious news program on American television” under Weiss’ watch.

Membership dues: MS NOW debuted its direct-to-consumer offering, MS NOW Membership, on Wednesday, Sept. 9 with a new seven-day interactive lineup of live Q&As with the network’s reporters. The twice-a-day Q&As, available on ms.now and the MS NOW app, will have members participate in live discussions and, in some cases, speak directly with MS NOW hosts over live video.

Debate season: CNN announced that it will host the California Governor Debate moderated by anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash on Wednesday, September 30, at 9 p.m. ET. The one-hour debate, which will air live from CNN’s Los Angeles studios, will feature Xavier Becerra and Steve Hilton and air on CNN, CNN International, CNN en Español, and stream for subscribers. 

NBC News’ Today continued to be the most-watched morning show in America in total viewers and the Adults 25-54 demo despite being the only broadcast to lose viewers in both measured categories for the week of September 7. 

As a result, Today’s loss shrank the viewership gap between it and ABC News’ Good Morning America in total viewers to under 100,000. GMA was the sole program to finish the week following the Labor Day holiday weekend up in both measurements.

Meanwhile, some curious viewers were interested in the return of Norah O’Donnell to CBS News’ CBS Mornings, which registered an uptick in total viewers for the just-concluded week.

NOTE: All three morning shows were retitled as specials on Monday (09/07/26). In addition, the three broadcasts were coded as a breakout of Friday (09/11/2026). These specialed and breakout telecasts are excluded from the weekly and season averages. ABC News, NBC News, and CBS News’ weekly averages are based on three days (Tuesday to Thursday). 

According to Nielsen’s national live+same-day big data plus program ratings, GMA averaged 2.742 million total viewers and 488,000 viewers in the A25-54 demo for the week of Sept. 7. Compared to the previous week, ABC News’ morning show was up +1% in total viewers and +7% in the demo. When looking at how it performed in the same week in 2025, GMA grew +2% in total viewers and was flat in the demo.

Today finished in the No. 1 spot in total viewers and the demo with 2.834 million and 598,000 viewers, respectively, for the week that just ended. Today was down -1% in total viewers and -5% in the A25-54 demo compared to the previous week. Its lead over GMA shrank to 92,000 total viewers. When put up against the same week in 2025, Today was up +11% in total viewers and +4% in the demo.

CBS Mornings had 1.64 million total viewers and 247,000 viewers in the demo for the week of Sept. 7. Compared with the previous week, CBS News’ morning show grew by +2% in total viewers but declined by -9% in the demo. Versus the same week in 2025, CBS Mornings was down -10% in total viewers and -21% in the demo.

*Please note that year-over-year comparisons are based on Nielsen Big Data+Panel (2026) vs. Panel (2025) measurements.

September 7, 2026 (Nielsen Big Data + Panel):

Source: Nielsen, NTI Total Viewers, Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49 National Live+Same Day Big Data Plus Panel Program Ratings Current Week (w/o 9/7/26), Previous Week (w/o 8/31/26) and Year-Ago Week (w/o 9/8/25). Season to date: Most Current Data Stream: 2025-2026 Season (9/22/25–9/13/26) and 2024-2025 Season (9/23/24–9/14/25). Season averages based on Big Data Plus Panel ratings start with the 2023-2024 season.

In the 2,000-plus episodes of Stuff They Don’t Want You To Know, hosts Ben Bowlin, Noel Brown, and Matt Frederick have lured perennially suspicious Americans with topics like the Illuminati, AI psychosis, the Ticketmaster conspiracy, and a segment called “Could fermented cabbage save humans from microplastics?”

Say what you will, the three hosts have landed their show in the country’s top 100 podcasts—no mean feat, considering that the world offers a choice of over 4.7 million of them.

The show’s roots date to the 1998 debut of website How Stuff Works, which branched into podcasting and eventually led to the creation of Stuff Media LLC. iHeartMedia snapped it up in 2018 for a reported $55 million.

Today, having steered their program across multiple formats and platforms, Bowlin, Brown, and Frederick have plenty to say about the evolution of content. Joining iHeart CEO Conal Byrne on stage at Brandweek, they shared some of the most important lessons they’ve learned. We’ve selected five of them here.

All ideas deserve consideration

Bowlin credited much of the show’s popularity to his colleagues’ willingness to consider almost any topic, a practice that dates back to the early days of podcasting, when there was no real formula for anyone.

“When we first started off in this new frontier, there were no bad ideas,” Bowlin said. “Luckily, we were able to have the agency, and a team behind us, that said: ‘We should try everything.’”

Your audience is also your content

While “listener mail” has been a regular feature of the program, the hosts rely on their adherents to bolster the episodes with their own experiences and expertise. Bowlin referred to it as an “interactive and reciprocal” relationship.

On a recent episode about nuclear weapons, Brown said, they heard “from a guy who is literally the guy that launches nuclear weapons, and he told us what that world is like,” he said. “And it’s not a big red button, it turns out.”

Metrics can include your gut feeling

Byrne keeps his eye on every measurement of how the show is performing—”from cost to sales to downloads, the gross margin, the bottom line margin, all that stuff,” he said. But even in the era of data analytics, it’s still okay to use “squishy” metrics.

When he listens to episodes, Frederick asks himself: “Did I feel good listening? Did the conversation move, and did it go in interesting directions?” For Bowlin, the big measurement is the question: “Are we excited to do this again tomorrow?”

Evolution equals survival

Byrne said the show’s 13-year run (and counting) is a product of its adaptability. “It’s not a mistake that Stuff They Don’t Want You to Know started out as a video podcast before we were even using the word podcast, [then] evolved into an audio podcast, had a honeymoon as a YouTube channel, and is now a major video podcast on Netflix,” he said. “That willingness to evolve is a really important metric for digital creators.”

Humans want human content 

Recent iHeart research has shown that while 60% of people routinely use AI tools, over 90% of listeners have made clear that they don’t want content created by AI. “You would think that AI would take over everything,” Byrne said.

Just a few years ago, his own team was wondering if they should “hang it up” and make way for the machines. But “that’s not the case,” he said. Audiences have made clear they “definitely still need human beings having a messy, organic, human conversation.”

Atlanta is rapidly emerging as one of America’s most influential entertainment and creative hubs. The city is creating new opportunities for brands willing to rethink how they approach storytelling and partnerships. 

On Adspeak by ADWEEK, host Bashel Lewis moderates a Brandweek panel with three media and creative leaders: Blondel Aidoo, co-founder at Rabbit Hole Technologies; Eddy Moretti, executive producer at Laugh Cry Wow; and Asante Bradford, senior industry engagement manager at the Georgia Department of Economic Development.

Together, they explore how Atlanta is evolving from a production destination into a sustainable creative powerhouse with a thriving talent ecosystem, production infrastructure, and attractive incentives. 

The conversation examines how brands can build authentic partnerships with creators, production companies, sports franchises, and music properties while moving beyond traditional studio models. 

They also discuss the growing importance of emerging talent, HBCUs, and local creative pipelines, and the democratization of storytelling. 

For brands looking to invest in culture, entertainment, and next-generation content, Atlanta offers an increasingly compelling opportunity to build meaningful partnerships and connect with audiences in new ways. 

[embedded content]

What you’ll learn:

• Why Atlanta Offers a Competitive Edge Over Traditional Production Hubs
• Building Relationships with Atlanta-Based Creators and Production Companies
• Why The Brand Partnership Model is Replacing Traditional Studio Financing
• How to Tap into HBCUs and Local Talent Pipelines for Long-Term Brand Building
• The Democratization of Content Creation Means Story Quality Matters More 
• Why Sports, Music, and True Crime Content Create Immediate Brand Partnership Opportunities

About the guests:

Blondel Aidoo is co-founder of Rabbit Hole Technologies, a next-generation animation studio blending art, AI, and innovation to transform storytelling. With 35+ years of experience as a visual effects producer, his credits include Minority Report, X-Men, Spider-Man, Night at the Museum, and Red Notice, films that have collectively grossed more than $8 billion worldwide. Blondel is building an AI-driven production ecosystem that helps filmmakers and brands create, iterate, and bring ambitious stories to life faster.

Award-winning producer and creative director Eddy Moretti is the executive producer at Laugh Cry Wow and has developed and produced more than 200 films and television series, alongside thousands of hours of cable and digital content. Previously chief creative officer at Vice Media for two decades, he led content across its flagship properties and branded partnerships. Moretti also launched Viceland, an award-winning global cable channel, and his work has earned multiple Emmys, Peabody Awards, Cannes Lions, and other honors.

Asante Bradford is the senior industry engagement manager at the Georgia Department of Economic Development, where he helps strengthen Georgia’s position as a leader in creative technology and innovation. With experience spanning entertainment, education, and government, he builds strategic partnerships and drives initiatives across gaming, film, and interactive media. Asante has helped attract high-impact projects to the state and serves as a trusted resource on Georgia’s entertainment incentives and the growth of its creative economy.