• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, January 2, 2024

Last year was one of transition, according to a Media Daily News analysis of our most-read stories of 2023.

Top stories included Amazon's decision to shutter its ad server, the sale of "un-holding company" Empower Media to new money management, Sasha Savic's abrupt departure as CEO of UM, and Horizon Media's launch of Neon, "the ChatGPT of media planning and buying."

But it was an investigative piece about the fits, false starts and intriguing financial backing of promising agency tech startup Hudson MX, that probably generated the most industry buzz, in part because of the high-profile industry figures involved in a succession of deals -- which still have not fully played out, including Omnicom's agreement to inexplicably participate in its sale early this year.

All 12 of MDN's coverage of the monthly U.S. Ad Tracker data, published in partnership with Guideline's Standard Media Index, ranked among the year's most closely followed stories, as did a series of stories about OpenAP's success in forming an industry "JIC" (joint industry committee) to certify new suppliers of advertising-market currencies, as well as its implications for self-regulatory industry ratings watchdog, the Media Rating Council.