A lone gunman stormed a prominent Midtown Manhattan skyscraper at 345 Park Ave. Monday edvening, home to the NFL headquarters and major financial firms, during rush hour, fatally shooting at least four people, including an NYPD officer, before taking his own life, authorities reported. New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch stated that police received multiple active shooter reports. Surveillance footage captured the suspect exiting a vehicle and entering the building with an M4 rifle. He immediately fired at an NYPD officer on a paid security detail, then shot a woman hiding behind a pillar, continuing to fire throughout the lobby.
The shooter, identified as 27-year-old Shane Devon Tamura from Las Vegas, killed four people, including an NYPD officer, and critically injured at least one other before taking his own life.
Devon Tamura
The attack began around 6:30 p.m. during the evening rush. Tamura, armed with an M4 or AR-15-style rifle equipped with a silencer, scope, and strap, entered the building’s lobby and immediately opened fire. He killed NYPD Officer Didarul Islam, a 36-year-old immigrant from Bangladesh, who was working a private security detail for Rudin Management, the building’s owner. Tamura also shot a woman hiding behind a pillar and a security guard at the elevator bank. He allowed a woman to exit an elevator unharmed before taking it to the 33rd floor, where he killed another person and then shot himself in the chest.
Three civilians were killed, with their identities not immediately released. One additional victim was critically injured, and four others sustained minor injuries while fleeing.
An NFL employee was seriously injured but stable, as confirmed by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
Shooter’s Background: Tamura had a documented history of mental health issues and a concealed carry permit from Nevada, valid until 2027. He was a former high school football player and had recently been fired from a security guard position at a Las Vegas casino. Papers found on his body suggested grievances with the NFL, possibly related to its handling of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a brain disease linked to repeated head trauma, though his exact motives remain unclear.
Tamura drove cross-country from Las Vegas, with his BMW tracked through Colorado (July 26), Nebraska, Iowa, and Columbia, New Jersey (4:24 p.m. on Monday), before arriving in New York City.
Police found a rifle case, a loaded revolver, ammunition, magazines, a backpack, and medication prescribed to Tamura in his vehicle.
The shooting caused chaos in Midtown, with multiple 911 calls at 6:28 p.m. reporting an active shooter. NYPD locked down the area, evacuated workers (some with hands raised), and advised the public to avoid Park Avenue and 52nd Street.
🚨MANHATTAN Shooter in Midtown Manhattan has been NEUTRALIZED, NYPD confirms
HIGH TENSION in Park Avenue & is locked down. Cops are everywhere.
— U R B A N S E C R E T S 🤫 (@stiwari1510) July 29, 2025
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch confirmed the lone shooter was neutralized, and there was no ongoing threat. Mayor Eric Adams called the attack “senseless” and visited the injured.
Two individuals were arrested outside the building, including one shouting “Free Palestine, I’m not the shooter,” though their involvement, if any, is unclear.
There are internal concerns at CBS News regarding its persistently low ratings and the potential impact of the Skydance Media acquisition led by David Ellison.
According to Dylan Byers, a senior correspondent at Puck News, CBS News insiders are grappling with the network’s struggle to attract viewers, with one source bluntly stating, “It’s still a last-place network. No one watches Evening News. No one watches the morning show…”
This sentiment reflects the broader anxiety within the organization about its declining viewership, particularly for flagship programs like CBS Evening News and CBS Mornings, which trail competitors like ABC and NBC in ratings.
The context of these concerns is heightened by Skydance’s $8 billion merger with Paramount Global, CBS’s parent company, which was approved by the FCC in July 2025. David Ellison, Skydance’s CEO, has pledged to overhaul CBS News, promising “unbiased journalism” and “varied ideological perspectives” to address perceived bias, alongside commitments to eliminate DEI programs and appoint an ombudsman to review complaints of bias.
The changes, outlined in FCC filings, are seen as concessions to secure regulatory approval amid pressure from FCC Chairman Brendan Carr and the Trump administration, particularly following a $16 million settlement over a Trump lawsuit regarding a 60 Minutes interview.
Byers’ reporting highlights that while the media industry debates the editorial and free speech implications of these shifts—such as the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and potential ideological realignments—CBS News staff are more preoccupied with a practical question: how will the Skydance-Ellison regime address the network’s dwindling audience?
Nielsen ratings data from 2024 showed CBS Evening News averaging around 4.8 million viewers, compared to ABC’s World News Tonight with 7.6 million and NBC’s Nightly News with 6.3 million. Similarly, CBS Mornings lagged behind ABC’s Good Morning America and NBC’s Today in both total viewers and the key 25-54 demographic.
Insiders’ concerns, as reported by Byers, center on whether Ellison’s leadership can revitalize these programs. Ellison’s focus has historically been on Skydance’s film and TV production.
Warner Bros. Discovery revealed the corporate names and leadership for its two future entities as it gears up for a mid-2026 split.
The streaming and studios division will be named “Warner Bros.,” encompassing DC Studios, HBO Max, and movie properties.
The global networks segment will be called “Discovery Global,” including CNN, TNT Sports, Discovery, Discovery+, and Bleacher Report.
WBD President and CEO David Zaslav highlighted the company’s progress in building a profitable global streaming service and revitalizing its studios. The split, announced last month, aims to adapt to shifting consumer preferences from cable to streaming, mirroring Comcast’s upcoming spinoff of cable assets like CNBC.
The move will create two publicly traded companies.
Nielsen, a dominant player in TV measurement, is sunsetting its legacy panel-only measurement system, forcing advertisers to adopt big data-based metrics for the upfront season.
This shift is critical as advertisers seek more granular, real-time data to track campaign performance across linear and CTV platforms.
According to eMarketer’s Ad Measurement Trends H1 2025 report, 85% of US brand and agency decision-makers who used alternative currencies in the 12 months prior to July 2024 found them at least as effective as Nielsen’s, signaling growing confidence in new measurement solutions.
Advertisers are exploring multiple currencies, as no single provider dominates. The transition to big data metrics allows for better tracking of cross-platform campaigns, addressing the fragmentation of audiences across linear TV, CTV, and digital video.
Focus on Unified Cross-Channel Measurement: As streaming captures nearly 44% of US TV time (mostly ad-supported), advertisers are prioritizing unified measurement across linear and CTV platforms. eMarketer notes that only 32% of global marketers currently measure spending across both channels, down from the previous year, highlighting a gap in holistic measurement.
Nielsen’s expansion of Ad Intel to cover 20 individual platforms, capturing 95% of the US CTV ad market, provides advertisers with transparency to analyze competitor strategies and optimize budgets. This is particularly relevant for consumer packaged goods and retail sectors, which are outspending linear TV on CTV in Q1 2025.
Emphasis on Outcome-Based and Attribution Metrics: Advertisers are increasingly focused on outcome-based measurements tied to conversions or sales, especially in CTV, where tracking from ad exposure to purchase is more feasible. eMarketer’s Guide to Connected TV report highlights that CTV’s measurement advantage lies in its ability to track consumer journeys, particularly for shoppable ads, which deliver measurable returns on ad spend.
AI is transforming TV measurement by enabling real-time optimization and predictive segmentation. eMarketer reports that platforms like Netflix and YouTube are using AI tools to deliver personalized, context-aware ads, improving engagement and measurement accuracy.
One of the most popular and highly rated morning show hosts in the country, Todd Pettengill -- one half of the multiple award-winning Scott & Todd in the Morning -- will host The Broadcasters Foundation of America (BFOA) Media Mixer at Morning Show Boot Camp (MSBC). The Media Mixer will take place on Thursday, August 7, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm CT, at Austin Marriott Downtown in the Waterloo Foyer, a kick-off to the three-day MSBC, which runs from August 7 to August 9. The BFOA is the only charity devoted exclusively to helping broadcasters in acute need from debilitating illness or tragedy.
Todd Pettengill
Scott & Todd In the Morning was co-hosted by legendary air personalities Scott Shannon and Pettengill and aired on WPLJ, New York. When Shannon announced his departure, the show was rebranded The Todd Show in the Morning.
“We are in the business of entertainment and having a morning show celebrity like Todd host our Media Mixer brings star-power to the event,” stated Tim McCarthy, President of the BFOA. “I want to thank Todd for giving his time to helping us create more awareness about the BFOA’s charitable purpose.”
“Giving back to the industry that I love is an honor,” said Pettengill. “I’m looking forward to having fun with a room full of colleagues who love broadcasting as much as I do.”
BFOA Media Mixers celebrate the camaraderie and connection within the broadcasting community. Attendees mix and mingle with peers, on-air talent, and executives. It is the first Media Mixer to take place at MSBC, which attracts radio industry executives, program directors, morning show talent and producers.
“I want to thank Don Anthony for his support and for partnering with us to present our Media Mixer during Morning Show Boot Camp,” added McCarthy. “The BFOA Media Mixer is free to all in broadcasting, with special thanks to Benztown for sponsoring this event.”
Don Anthony, Founder of MSBC, commented, “For most of us, broadcasting is more than a way to earn a living, it’s part of our DNA. The BFOA Media Mixer is an opportunity for Boot Camp attendees, as well as broadcasters in the Austin area, to join us.”
The BFOA Media Mixer is free, although registration is required. Please click here. To register for Morning Show Bootcamp, please click here.
Previous Media Mixers have been held in New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago, with more planned for cities across the country.
Since launching Media Mixers in 2023, awareness of the Broadcasters Foundation and its charitable mission has increased among young professionals in radio and television.
For information about the Broadcasters Foundation, including how to make a donation or apply for aid, please visit www.broadcastersfoundation.org, or contact the BFOA at 212-373-8250, or info@thebfoa.org.
Podcaster Megyn Kelly has announced that Hope Hicks, a former White House communications director under President Donald Trump and ex-Fox Corp. executive, has been appointed as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Kelly’s media company, Devil May Care Media.
This hire marks a significant step in the expansion of Kelly’s independent media empire, which she launched in 2020 after leaving traditional cable and network news.
Hicks will oversee business development, manage day-to-day operations, and drive growth for Devil May Care Media. The company encompasses The Megyn Kelly Show (a top-ranking podcast and YouTube program with 3.7 million subscribers), AM Update with Megyn Kelly, the MK Media podcast network, and the upcoming MK True Crime channel. Hicks will report directly to Kelly and lead a team focused on expanding the company’s portfolio and partnerships.
Kelly praised Hicks as “strong, smart, strategic, and the embodiment of class and poise,” emphasizing her potential to elevate the company. Kelly noted, “She’s at the top of a growing media conglomerate, and there’s no limit to where she can take it.”
Hicks expressed enthusiasm for joining Kelly’s team, stating, “Megyn has used her talent, integrity, and unparalleled credibility to create content unlike anything else available today.” She highlighted Kelly’s “impeccable eye for talent” and the company’s “flourishing” trajectory, expressing excitement about future opportunities.
Hicks’ Background: Hicks, 36, brings extensive experience in media and politics. She served as press secretary for Trump’s 2016 campaign, White House communications director from 2017 to 2018, and counselor to the president in 2020.
Devil May Care Media has evolved from The Megyn Kelly Show, launched as an audio podcast in September 2020, into a multi-platform operation. The company now includes video content on YouTube, TikTok, and other platforms, with a reported hundreds of millions of monthly views. Recent expansions include the MK Media podcast network, featuring shows like The Nerve with Maureen Callahan, Next Up with Mark Halperin, Spot On with Link Lauren, and After Party with Emily Jashinsky, alongside plans for a true-crime venture.
Ad-supported audio listeners led all other media in purchases during Amazon’s July 8-11, 2025 four-day Prime Day event, according to a national study of 925 Americans by Quantilope. This week’s Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group® blog outlines findings from the study as well as multiple e-commerce studies released in the past few years.
Leading all media in Amazon Prime Day 2025 purchases were AM/FM radio listeners (53%), followed by ad-supported music streaming (47%) and podcast (44%) consumers: Ad-supported audio listeners were more likely to shop Amazon Prime Day than the online video audience, social media users, and linear TV viewers. Ad-supported audio listeners are more likely to be Amazon Prime members, spend more, and were more aware of Amazon Prime Day 2025.
Ad-supported audio (AM/FM radio, music streaming, and podcasts) are ideal media platforms for retailers and e-commerce brands: Heavy audio listeners are more likely to shop online. Heavy AM/FM radio and podcast listeners spend more online than TV viewers.
AM/FM radio makes your TV better – “20 gets you 50”: A 20% shift of a TV media budget to AM/FM radio generates a +50% increase in campaign reach. Nielsen Media Impact campaign optimizations reveal shifting media weight to AM/FM radio generates significantly more reach, especially among younger 18-49 demographics. AM/FM radio does an extraordinary job in increasing campaign reach among light TV viewers who will not see retailer TV ads.
Audio holiday AM/FM radio campaigns work: Consumers exposed to an Amazon holiday AM/FM radio campaign have higher brand equity (awareness, ad recall, prior purchase, and purchase intent). Nielsen sales effect studies reveal AM/FM radio campaigns for retailers generate significant return on advertising spend: $15 dollars of incremental sales for every dollar of AM/FM radio advertising.
To read the full blog post by Pierre Bouvard, Chief Insights Officer, Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group®, click HERE
A protest against the cancellation of Stephen Colbert’s The Late Show drew a meager crowd of just 20 people outside the CBS Broadcast Center in New York City on Sunday.
The “We’re with Colbert” demonstration, calling for journalistic integrity, saw fewer than two dozen attendees rallying after CBS announced the end of Colbert’s decade-long run in May 2026. One protester told the New York Post, “This is a First Amendment attack. We can’t stand for it.”
Photos and video from the event captured the sparse turnout, with a handful of demonstrators holding “I’m with Colbert” signs and banners.
CBS attributed the cancellation to declining viewership and profits, but critics argue the decision stemmed from pressure by President Trump. Paramount, CBS’s parent company, recently settled a $16 million lawsuit from Trump over misleading edits in a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris. Colbert’s subsequent description of the settlement as a “big fat bribe” preceded the announcement of his show’s termination by two days.
FOX Business Network (FBN) has acquired the rights to air Marcus Lemonis’ new series, The Fixer. The series will make its debut tonight, July 29 and run at 8 PM/ET every Tuesday through September 16. The series will also be made available on FOX Nation, FOX News Media’s streaming service.
In commenting on the announcement, Lemonis said, “I’m proud to be a part of the FOX Business family where investors, business leaders and aspiring entrepreneurs turn for real time market data and a no-nonsense approach to all things money.”
FBN will present an encore episode each week after the program airs on FOX Entertainment. The Fixer features Lemonis as he works with small business owners from across the country spanning from gourmet popcorn to car accessories. The show follows Lemonis as he helps owners overcome obstacles and turnaround operations to achieve success.
On Monday, President Donald Trump requested a U.S. judge to order a prompt deposition of billionaire Rupert Murdoch in Trump’s defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal.
The suit, filed on July 18, targets the Journal, its owners including Murdoch, and reporters over a July 17 article claiming Trump’s name appeared on a 2003 birthday greeting for Jeffrey Epstein, featuring a suggestive drawing and a reference to shared secrets.
In a Miami federal court filing, Trump’s lawyers urged the court to compel the 94-year-old Murdoch to testify within 15 days, citing his age as a factor.
Dow Jones, the Journal’s publisher, did not immediately comment but has previously stated it stands by its reporting and will robustly defend against the lawsuit.
Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter” tour has become the highest-grossing country tour ever, generating over $400 million in revenue, Live Nation announced Monday, referencing a Reuters report.
The “Cuff It” star also set records as the highest-grossing Black artist and R&B artist of all time, according to Live Nation. Additionally, the 43-year-old made history as the first woman and American act with two tours surpassing $400 million.
Beyonce
Kicking off in late April in Los Angeles, the tour featured hits like “Texas Hold ‘Em” and included performances with Beyoncé’s daughters. It concluded Saturday in Las Vegas with guest appearances by Jay-Z, Destiny’s Child, and country artist Shaboozey. Throughout, Beyoncé honored Black contributions to country music, spotlighting artists featured on her “Cowboy Carter” album.
Despite her Texas roots and winning Best Country Album at the 2025 Grammys—the first Black woman to do so—Beyoncé faced resistance in the genre. Her 2016 CMA Awards performance drew racist backlash, with critics claiming her music wasn’t “real” country.
The tour’s 32 sold-out stadium shows across North America, the UK, and Europe drove its record-breaking revenue. For comparison, Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, spanning March 2023 to December 2024, earned over $2 billion, the highest-grossing tour ever.
➦In 1911...Florence Freeman born (Died at age 88 – April 25, 2000). She was an actress in old-time radio. She was known as a "soap opera queen" for her work in daytime serial dramas.
Freeman's initial job in radio came in 1933 as the result of a challenge. After a friend dared her "to make good as a radio actress", Freeman applied — and was hired — at WOKO in Albany, NY. She went on to become a member of the casts of a number of serials in old-time radio, including being "the heroine of not one but two serials that ran more than a decade."
In 1949, Freeman won the "Your Favorite Daytime Serial Actress" award from Radio Mirror magazine.
➦In 1914...Theodore Vail, the president of AT&T, succeeded in transmitting his voice across the continental U.S. in July 1914. It the first test phone conversation between New York and San Francisco.
Peter Jennings
➦In 1938...Peter Charles Archibald Ewart Jennings born (Died from cancer at age 67 – August 7, 2005). He was a Canadian-American journalist who served as the sole anchor of ABC World News Tonight from 1983 until his death from lung cancer in 2005. Despite dropping out of high school, he transformed himself into one of American television's most prominent journalists.
Jennings started his career early, hosting a Canadian radio show at the age of nine. He began his professional career with CJOH-TV in Ottawa during its early years, anchoring the local newscasts and hosting a teen dance show, Saturday Date, on Saturdays. In 1965, ABC News tapped him to anchor its flagship evening news program. His inexperience was attacked by critics and others in television news, making for a difficult first stint in the anchor chair. Jennings became a foreign correspondent in 1968, reporting from the Middle East.
He returned as one of World News Tonight's three anchors in 1978, and was promoted to sole anchor in 1983. Jennings was also known for his marathon coverage of breaking news stories, staying on the air for 15 or more hours straight to anchor the live broadcast of events such as the Gulf War in 1991, the O.J. Simpson phony phone call and subsequent trial in 1994, the Millennium celebrations in 2000, and the September 11 attacks in 2001. In addition to anchoring, he was the host of many ABC News special reports and moderated several American presidential debates. Jennings was always fascinated with the United States and became a naturalized United States citizen in 2003.
Along with Tom Brokaw of NBC and Dan Rather of CBS, Jennings formed part of the "Big Three" news anchors who dominated American evening network news from the early 1980s until his death in 2005, which closely followed the retirements of Brokaw in 2004 and Rather in 2005.
➦In 1940...the pilot for the radio comedy Duffy’s Tavern aired on CBS. Duffy’s won its own weekly slot the following March, and would continue as a radio staple into 1952.
The program often featured celebrity guest stars but always hooked them around the misadventures, get-rich-quick schemes and romantic missteps of the title establishment's malaprop-prone, metaphor-mixing manager, Archie, portrayed by Ed Gardner, the writer/actor who co-created the series. Gardner had performed the character of Archie, talking about Duffy's Tavern, as early as November 9, 1939, when he appeared on NBC's Good News of 1940
Clint Buehlmann
➦In 1977...Buffalo radio personality Clint Buehlmann aired his final show on WBEN 930 AM. He had been a highly-rated morning personality for about 40 years.
➦In 1995...bandleader Les Elgart died of heart failure at age 76. Elgart’s recording of Bandstand Boogie was adopted by Dick Clark as the theme for American Bandstand. Elgart also had two top-selling albums in the 50’s: The Elgart Touch and For Dancers Also. He often jointly led a band with his brother Larry in the 1950s and 60s.
Tom Snyder
➦In 2007...Talk Show Host and newscaster Tom Snyder died at age 71.
Snyder had loved radio since he was a child and at some point changed his field of study from pre-med to journalism. He once told Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter Tim Cuprisin that broadcasting became more important to him than attending classes, and he skipped a lot of them.
Snyder began his career as a radio reporter at WRIT (unrelated to the present-day FM station) in Milwaukee and at WKZO in Kalamazoo (where he was fired by John Fetzer) in the 1950s. For a time he worked at Savannah, Georgia, AM station WSAV (now WBMQ).
After moving to TV in the 1960s, he was a news anchor for KYW-TV in Cleveland (now WKYC-TV) and, after a 1965 station switch, Philadelphia, and WNBC-TV and WABC-TV in New York City.