The past week on the media scene was marked by digital transformation and the relentless pressure of artificial intelligence, which is changing established orders across industries. We watched key personnel shifts, fascinating technological innovations, and also thrilling business disputes.
Media: Between Big Acquisitions and the Fight for Local News
- Sad news for CNN and the entire media world: CNN founder Ted Turner passed away at the age of 87. The man behind the birth of continuous television news left behind a legacy of innovator and generous philanthropist.
- James Murdoch on a shopping spree: Former 21st Century Fox chief, James Murdoch, is preparing for a grand return to the American media market. His investment group Lupa Systems is negotiating the acquisition of the iconic New York magazine and Vox Media's podcast division for a respectable $300 million.
- Australia seeks a fair model: Australia is trying to correct past mistakes and updating the payment system for news from tech giants. The new News Bargaining Initiative faces ambiguities but strives to support local media.
- ProPublica in a new guise: Investigative icon ProPublica unveiled a complete redesign, emphasizing mobile platforms and transparency, which is key for modern journalism.
- Free content for newsrooms: For newsrooms with limited resources, there's good news. We offer an overview of world titles allowing legal article syndication under Creative Commons licenses.
Television and Radio: Innovation, Protests, and Fifth Anniversary
- TN Live is five years with us: From an originally complementary channel for extraordinary events, TN Live has transformed into a full-format digital broadcast in five years, combining politics, lifestyle, and sports.
- Hradec Králové defends public service media: The City Council of Hradec Králové rejects government changes in ČT and ČRo funding, warning of threats to media independence and the demise of regional studios.
- Daniel Stach with a new show: A new discussion format "Na dosah" will soon appear on ČT24, hosted by Daniel Stach, focusing on science and broader societal issues.
- WorldRadio – voice of minorities: For five years, WorldRadio has served as a unique non-commercial platform, acting as a voice for national minorities and opening up taboo subjects. In our interview, Mayor of Prague 14 Jiří Zajac shared his plans for transforming the municipal district.
- New ENERGY TV in test operation: A new thematic station, ENERGY TV, appears in Czech digital broadcasting, focusing on energy and savings.
- Midnight in Hollywood off air: The radio show Midnight in Hollywood had to temporarily disappear from the air due to presenter Zuza's health indisposition.
Marketing and PR: Audience Simulation and Effective Recycling
- AI simulation for target audiences: The guide "How To: Audience Simulator" showed how to use AI to simulate audience reactions to content and better target messages.
- War over Kytky od Pepy escalates: Former business partners, the Twist group and gardener Josef Dušátko, are heading to court over a ten-million-crown dispute over the Kytky od Pepy brand. The dispute comes at a time of financial difficulties for Twist.
- Content recycling as key to success: Social media leader Azad Yakatally presented a strategy on how to effectively utilize existing content for multiple channels and avoid burnout.
- Trend Radar in action: The next part of the "How To: Trend Radar" series guided us through uncovering emerging topics using AI and transforming them into an editorial plan.
Digital and AI: From 5G to Growth Limits
- T-Mobile presented the future of 5G SA: At the Technology Innovations Day 2026 event, T-Mobile demonstrated practical use of 5G Standalone architecture, including robotic dogs and quantum communication.
- České Radiokomunikace strengthens AI infrastructure: A state-of-the-art AI server HGX B300 was launched in the Lužice data center, signaling a strengthening of the technological base for demanding computational operations.
- AI and podcasts on Spotify: The new command-line application "Save to Spotify" allows saving AI-generated podcasts directly to your Spotify library, once again connecting AI with the everyday user environment.
- Limits to AI economy growth: Leading architects of the AI economy point to physical limits that could hinder the technology boom – a shortage of chips, an energy crisis, and the need to change AI architecture.
- Free AI tools for journalists: An overview of seven effective AI tools for transcribing audio to text simplifies journalistic work and makes it more efficient.
- AI has taken over influencers: Generative artificial intelligence has become an indispensable tool in the ecosystem of digital creators. AI now controls everything from video production to business negotiations.
- Geospatial AI changes journalism: Environmental journalism gains a new dimension thanks to geospatial artificial intelligence, which allows the detection of illegal mining in the Amazon from satellite data.
- Threads on desktop: The social network Threads launches direct messages on desktop, significantly simplifying the work of network administrators.
People and Business: New Faces and Departures
- CETIN International has a new director: Jason Christos King takes on the position of CEO of CETIN International group, tasked with strengthening network infrastructure in the region.
- SIMAR with a new manager: The Association of Market Research and Public Opinion Agencies (SIMAR) is changing its management. Kateřina Straková becomes the manager, focusing on the media coverage of the research sector.
- Petr Pavlík leaves Albert: After a year in his role as CEO of Albert, Petr Pavlík decided to leave the company; Jesper Lauridsen temporarily takes over leadership.
What to watch next week:
- Further developments in the "War over Kytky od Pepy" lawsuit and its impact on the Twist group.
- Reactions to the Australian media funding model and potential adaptations in other countries.
- Progress in addressing the limits of AI economic growth and its impact on technological innovations.