Media News Daily: Top Stories for 01/06/2026

Corporation for Public Broadcasting Dissolves After Defunding

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), a key funder of public media including NPR and PBS, voted to dissolve itself after Congress rescinded $1.1 billion in federal funding. About 70% of CPB’s appropriations supported local TV and radio stations. The defunding, backed by President Trump and a GOP-controlled Congress, marks a culmination of long-standing conservative criticism of public media’s alleged liberal bias. CPB will now focus on distributing its remaining funds and preserving its archives at the University of Maryland. CPB President Patricia Harrison emphasized that the decision was made to protect public media’s integrity amid political attacks. Read More (Associated Press Rating)

Comcast Spins Off Versant Media Group

Comcast has finalized the separation of several of its cable network assets into a new company, Versant Media Group. Mark Lazarus will lead the entity as CEO. Versant is positioned to pursue partnerships and acquisitions in the media landscape, signaling Comcast’s strategic shift in managing its entertainment properties. Read More (MediaPost Rating)

“60 Minutes” Viewership Drops After Shelved CECOT Segment

CBS’s “60 Minutes” lost over 5 million viewers following the controversial decision to pull a segment investigating an El Salvadorian prison linked to the Trump administration. The episode, which was replaced on December 21 after internal editorial concerns about due diligence, had initially attracted 10.35 million viewers. Viewership plummeted to 4.89 million the following week, with a steep decline in the advertiser-coveted 18-49 demographic. The pulled segment had briefly streamed in Canada and featured detainee allegations of torture. Read More (The Desk Rating)