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iHeartRadio is making its stance loud and clear when it comes to AI’s use on its platform. According to Billboard, Tom Poleman, iHeartRadio’s chief programming officer and president, said in a letter that the company will not be using AI-generated personalities or “play AI music that features synthetic vocalists pretending to be human.” Additionally, its podcasts published will follow this new program, “Guaranteed Human,” as well. “…iHeart is one of the last truly human entertainment sources and our listeners come to us for companionship, connection, and authenticity — something AI can’t replicate,” Poleman said. The announcement comes at a time when AI artists are making waves in the music industry, including Solomon Ray, an AI-generated “Mississippi-made soul singer,” with an EP called “A Soulful Christmas,” Christian Today reports. Christopher “Topher” Townsend, a conservative Hip-Hop artist, is the human behind Solomon Ray. The AI artist he created has garnered more than 324,000...
Louis Carr is the new president of BET. According to a press release shared with AFROTECH™, Paramount announced that Carr will step into the role after nearly four decades at the company. He is credited for his efforts in the multicultural advertising landscape and for bridging the gap between global corporations and Black and Brown communities. Under his leadership, BET has secured partnerships with Procter & Gamble, Walmart, Unilever, McDonald’s, Meta, and Toyota, among others. Carr’s impact at BET led to billions in advertising sales and investments in diverse communities. “Louis’ leadership has been integral to BET’s success for nearly four decades,” said Paramount TV Media Chair George Cheeks, to whom Carr will report in his newly appointed role, according to the release. “His vision for the future will drive innovation, deepen BET’s cultural impact, and position the brand for continued growth.” Carr will be tasked with carrying forward BET’s foundation of strengthening its...
Even successful entrepreneurs face investments that don’t work out. Kevin Hart, known for his comedy and film career, has shared one of his most difficult business experiences: investing in his friends’ ventures. Kevin Hart On His Worst Investment In a clip from an episode of “The Late Late Show with James Corden” in August 2022, Hart discussed his various business ventures and revealed, midway through the interview, that his worst business decision came from supporting friends’ ideas. “The worst business investment that I’m currently involved in is the business of investing in your friends,” he said to Corden at the time. “You never want your friends to feel like their ideas are not good ideas, but thus far, these ideas have been an endless pit of bankruptcy,” he also added on the show. On the 2022 episode, Hart highlighted one particular venture as the most regrettable: a friend’s company that designed headphones that could open up into speakers. The concept was intended to allow...
Tech company Bending Spoons is set to acquire one of the internet’s early pioneers, AOL. Based in Milan, Italy, Bending Spoons, known for apps such as Evernote, a note-taking platform, and Remini, a photo-enhancement application, is purchasing AOL from private-equity firm Apollo Global Management, The Wall Street Journal reports. The deal comes after Bending Spoons’ recent expansion, which included securing $2.8 billion in debt financing for AOL and other investments. As part of the deal, AOL could be valued at $1.5 billion. Bending Spoons said it plans to maintain and develop AOL’s operations over the long term, according to the outlet. The company also owns Brightcove, a video distribution and analytics platform, and recently announced plans to acquire video platform Vimeo for $1.38 billion, TechCrunch reports. In a statement, per The Wall Street Journal, Bending Spoons described AOL as an “important and beloved business with a brand that has stood the test of time.” The outlet...
Paramount has launched a new round of layoffs affecting staff across CBS Entertainment, MTV, BET, and other divisions, The Wrap reports. The cuts, which began Oct. 29, are part of the company’s restructuring under new CEO David Ellison following its merger with Skydance Media, which officially closed in August, according to a Paramount press release. The first phase will impact about 1,000 employees, with an additional 1,000 to 2,000 expected to be let go in the coming months, per The Wrap. Those affected include several longtime television executives, among them Paramount Global Content Distribution head of marketing Teri Fleming; CBS Entertainment senior vice presidents of current programming Pamela Soper and Amanda Palley; BET senior vice president of scripted programming and development Rose Catherine Pinkney; MTV head of music and celebrity talent Wendy Plaut; MTV/Paramount+ vice president of music program development and documentaries Amanda Culkowski; and CMT senior vice...
“Agent Ratliff, ID No. 33712,” a popular YouTuber born Calimar White, has been sued in federal court by a Baton Rouge, LA, business over comedy sketches where he poses as a fake government agent. According to WBRZ News 2, Holmes Building Materials Inc. and supervisor Derek Jones filed a defamation suit against White, alleging that an Aug. 12, 2025, YouTube video with over 120,000 views damaged the company’s reputation. The lawsuit claims that White, joined by another comic and a cameraman, visited Holmes’ business on Aug. 1, 2025, and, implying they were acting under government authority, deliberately misled employees, WBRZ reports. White allegedly identified himself as a federal agent with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), claiming he and a colleague were investigating employee complaints at the business. He supposedly accused the supervisor of racial harassment, nepotism , and other misconduct. In the YouTube video, White refers to his agency as...
Warner Bros. Discovery is exploring the sale of its company in light of “unsolicited interest” from multiple parties, a press release confirms. A few months ago, the company had announced it would be splitting into two companies: Streaming & Studios and Global Networks. The purpose is to improve its shareholder value and improve its presence in entertainment, sports, and news, according to a press release shared by the company. The Streaming & Studios company would include Warner Bros., DC Studios, HBO, and HBO Max, as well as film and television libraries. Global Networks would consist of entities such as CNN, TNT Sports, and Discovery in the U.S., some European channels, and digital products including Discovery+ and Bleacher Report (B/R). “The cultural significance of this great company and the impactful stories it has brought to life for more than a century have touched countless people all over the world. It’s a treasured legacy we will proudly continue in this next chapter of...
After shaping the sound and style of generations, MTV is preparing to close a major chapter in its history. According to E! News, the network will shut down five of its music channels in the United Kingdom, including MTV Music, MTV 80s, MTV 90s, Club MTV, and MTV Live, on Dec. 31, 2025. While this has raised questions among fans wondering, “Is MTV shutting down?” its main channel, MTV HD, will continue broadcasting, focusing on reality programming, the outlet reports. The decision comes more than four decades after MTV revolutionized television by becoming the world’s first 24-hour music video channel. When it launched in the United States in 1981, it famously opened with The Buggles’ “Video Killed the Radio Star.” Six years later, MTV Europe expanded the brand’s reach, and by 1997, the U.K.’s MTV channel became a cultural staple for audiences. Why MTV Is Ending Its UK Music Channels As BBC News reports, the shutdown reflects the ongoing shift in how audiences consume music. Viewers...
NBC News has reportedly laid off journalists reporting on marginalized communities, according to the Advocate. Restructuring In August 2025, NBC News reported that Comcast announced its various cable television networks would be moved into a separate publicly traded company called Versant. This umbrella would include MSNBC, CNBC, USA Network, Oxygen, E!, SYFY, and the Golf Channel. Comcast will maintain NBCUniversal assets, such as the NBC broadcast network, NBC News, NBC Sports, Peacock, and Bravo, under its portfolio. Why It’s Happening Versant CEO Mark Lazarus said the spinoff is about “building our individual identity and vision for the future while laying a foundation for the continued growth and success of our businesses,” according to NBC News. “This gives us the opportunity to charge our own path forward, create distinct brand identities, and establish an independent news organization following the spin,” he added. Advocate reports that executives noted the restructuring...
Jaden and Willow Smith are taking their creativity into the world of anime. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the siblings have partnered with N LITE, a Black-owned media company and anime studio based in the U.S. and Tokyo, to executive produce and voice roles in two upcoming animated films. Jaden is set to executive produce and star in “Mfinda,” an epic fantasy inspired by Congolese folklore. The film is a collaboration between N LITE, the award-winning studio GKIDS, Viola Davis and Julius Tennon’s JuVee Productions, and renowned anime producer Masao Maruyama. According to N LITE Founder and CEO Christiano Terry, Jaden will voice Kozo, an ancient spirit warrior who protects both humans and forest spirits amidst conflict in the Kingdom of Kongo. “When I met Christiano, saw the artwork for ‘Mfinda’ and learned more about the story, I was blown away,” Jaden told The Hollywood Reporter. “A lot of people have asked when I’d get back into anime, I knew immediately this was it. I’m...
Is there trouble ahead for Group Black? As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Group Black is a collective launched in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic with a mission to advance Black media conglomerates. Founding member companies include ESSENCE, Holler, PlayVS, Afropunk, and The Shade Room. Richelieu Dennis, Bonin Bough, and Travis Montaque founded the collective and, in 2021, announced a $75 million commitment from GroupM as part of a larger effort to deploy at least $500 million in Black-owned media. “Group Black is providing a real, tangible way for Black ownership to take root and thrive in an environment that has traditionally excluded or marginalized Black ownership,” Dennis said in a 2021 statement. “I’ve leveraged my career and businesses in the consumer products, finance, and media universe to champion equity, diversity, and wealth creation across industries,” Dennis said at the time. “For change to persist, we can’t make subtle modifications to the existing universe; we need...
The Root is Black-owned once again. Its History The Root is a news and media website that “provides an unflinching analysis of issues in the Black community and engages diverse viewpoints,” a description on its Instagram landing page reads, as it relates to social, cultural, and political topics. Donald Graham, former chairman of The Washington Post Co., and Henry Louis Gates Jr., director of the W.E.B. DuBois Institute for African and African American Research at Harvard University, founded The Root in 2008, Colombia Journalism Review reports. “The Root will be a 21st-century version of a national black newspaper,” The Post reported during its launch, according to CNN. In 2015, The Root was sold to Univision, which housed several online brands and content producers, including the Gizmodo Media Group and The Onion . Four years later, Univision sold these assets to private equity firm Great Hill Partners, which merged them under a new company G/O Media , according to information on...
Anthony Mackie has built his movie career through a mix of range, discipline and grit. He made his film debut opposite Eminem in “8 Mile” as the formidable battle rapper Papa Doc. He went on to act in both blockbuster and independent films like “Million Dollar Baby,” “She Hate Me,” “The Hurt Locker” and “Notorious”, according to IMDB. Years later, he joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) as Sam Wilson, a.k.a. Falcon, in “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”, which set him on a path to appear in “Avengers” sequels, then lead “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” on Disney+. Mackie’s Marvel appearances have boosted his profile. He now sees multi-million dollar contracts for his role as Falcon, according to FandomWire. In addition, Mackie has signed onto several projects with streaming services like “Seberg” backed by Amazon, according to IndieWire, affording him streaming bonuses. What Did The MCU Actor Go To Julliard For? Anthony Mackie went to The Juilliard School for acting,...
Joe Budden might have gone from chart-topping rapper to podcast host, but today, he’s building a business on his own terms. The 44-year-old podcaster recently gave The New York Times a rare look into the numbers behind his booming podcast network. According to Ian Schwartzman, CEO of the Joe Budden Network, the company is projected to generate more than $20 million in 2025, the outlet reports. When A Flex Turns Into A Teachable Moment In June, Budden posted a screenshot on Instagram showing his Patreon traffic — Patreon being the fan-funded platform where his most loyal supporters subscribe for exclusive content. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, the image accidentally revealed he made just over $900,000 in earnings that month, sparking headlines and internet buzz. The image showed more than 30 million visits in 30 days, per The New York Times. Budden confirmed to The New York Times that his podcast network brings in an average of $1.04 million per month through Patreon alone, based...
Don Lemon’s lawsuit against Elon Musk and his platform, X, is officially heading to trial. According to CNBC, a San Francisco judge ruled that the case accusing Musk and X of breach of contract and fraud can move forward. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Lemon filed the suit in 2024, claiming X pulled out of a $1.5 million content deal just hours after he recorded a tense, on-camera interview with Musk. That interview was meant to launch “The Don Lemon Show” exclusively on the platform. Lemon’s team had already started production, and both parties had publicly announced the show. The journalist had also reportedly “incurred hundreds of thousands of dollars in expenses” in preparation. But before the first episode could air, X canceled the deal, sparking allegations of retaliation and broken promises. Judge Backs Don Lemon Lawsuit In Court The courtroom developments mark a major step forward for Lemon’s legal claims. Judge Harold Kahn rejected Musk’s motion to dismiss the case or...