- Is It Smart To Turn All Sports Fans Into Sports Bettors? in
Media Insider on
02/05/2026
Is growing gambling's share of after-tax dollars of Americans a good thing for them, their families or our society?
- TV Company Owners: R.I.P., Easy Money in
Media Insider on
01/29/2026
To drive predictable growing profits, TV companies will need to embrace shifts in their advertising business. For one: Kill old-school packaging.
- Celebrating Heroes In Media And Advertising in
Media Insider on
01/22/2026
I like that the media and advertising industry is good about supporting so many great causes, and finding ways to benefit those in need.
- My Take On Advertising, From Crackling Cold Ukraine in
Media Insider on
01/15/2026
Ukraine is the most digital country in the world. Its "Diia" app has everything people need on theirs phones, from ID to health records.
- What's On My Mind Entering 2026 in
Media Insider on
01/08/2026
So much is changing, particularly for those of us working in highly technology-driven industries. I can't wait to see what happens with AI.
- The U.S. Is Inviting A Broader European War in
Media Insider on
12/18/2025
Current events are not unlike those that triggered the Korean War in 1950.
- How Will 'Your' AI Agents Make Money? in
Media Insider on
12/11/2025
Just like web and app services have been making their money over the past decade or two: Selling you, the user, as the product.
- Appeasement For Profit Is No Way To Drive Foreign Policy in
Media Insider on
12/04/2025
In 1938, Chamberlain "appeased to avoid"; today, the U.S administration wants to "appease to profit."
- An Unjust Peace In Ukraine Will Not Be A True Peace in
Media Insider on
11/20/2025
History is full of "transactional" peace deals that didn't fare well. Look at the Munich Agreement of 1938 that appeased Hitler.
- Saluting Doug Weaver in
Media Insider on
11/13/2025
Now retiring, this pioneer of the digital ad industry helped set our first ad standards and was instrumental in talent development.
- TV Company Owners: R.I.P., Easy Money
by
Dave Morgan
(Media Insider on
01/29/2026)
Ed, CTV and streaming may only be a modest extension today for TV companies, but indepdent streamers and CTV platforms are becoming massive ad businesses. The TV ad business is no longer about the TV companies. Amazon, Google YouTube, Netflix, LG Ads, Roku etc are not directly accessing "TV budgets," not just winning from strategic reallocations of linear spend to permium digital video and streaming platforms. Linear TV has plenty of audience and there are plenty of tools, platforms and data that can "re-aggregate" their audienes in more efficient, more targetable packages that would dramatically improve thier ad revenue yield. But, time is running short. Not fully embracing this future will only accelerate falling profits and inability to meet debt service.
- TV Company Owners: R.I.P., Easy Money
by
Dave Morgan
(Media Insider on
01/29/2026)
Ed, I do believe that the TV companies can change how they sell, and I do think that packaging is easy to do (and will be hard to break) but dramatically undervalues the "low value" spots. Digital companies can sell audience segments at much higher CPM's than content alone commands. TV companies could too.
- My Take On Advertising, From Crackling Cold Ukraine
by
Dave Morgan
(Media Insider on
01/15/2026)
Dan, no question that my statement relative to media was a broad, over generalization and extreme. That was i's point. I personally work around linear TV advertising, and used to work in newspapers before entering the digital world, so I know well the power and resilience of older forms of media distribution. However, I don't think that anyone a few decades ago would have anticipated the develop;ment of trillion dollar value digital utility companies with profits fueled significantly or entirely by "commercial communication" (advertising) and every other media company in the world added up still pale in comparison to them. Thus, I call them obsolete because I don't know that they are survivable. I don't know how they will acquire customers, advertisers and the capital needed to serve them in this new media environment.
- The U.S. Is Inviting A Broader European War
by
Dave Morgan
(Media Insider on
12/18/2025)
Lou, thanks also for calling out Joe Mandese giving voice to opinion pieces like this in MediaPost. It is the only publication in our industry that supports opinion like this, which try to get folks outside of their day job thinking a bit to broader issues that shape our business and society significantly. I am so fortunate to have been able to write for MediaPost for almost 25 years. Also, I am very thankful for the amazing editing of Phyllis Fine, who brings her magic to my all-to-frequently jumbled writings.
- The U.S. Is Inviting A Broader European War
by
Dave Morgan
(Media Insider on
12/18/2025)
Thanks Lou. It means a lot coming from such a student of history as yourself.
- Appeasement For Profit Is No Way To Drive Foreign Policy
by
Dave Morgan
(Media Insider on
12/04/2025)
Great news Ed! You're such an important and relentless voice in our industry, just imagine what you can do in DC!
- Appeasement For Profit Is No Way To Drive Foreign Policy
by
Dave Morgan
(Media Insider on
12/04/2025)
My point is Ed that we can't always wait for leaders, or parties to lead us, but need to make our own imitative. Clearly, there are real problems on the Demcratic side, but the NJ and Va governor races were big steps. We can't wait for rumors or health issues or whatever to play out. I am a believer in Branch Rickey's saying that "luck is the residue of design." Our luck will need to be made; we can't just wait for it.
- Appeasement For Profit Is No Way To Drive Foreign Policy
by
Dave Morgan
(Media Insider on
12/04/2025)
Ed, I'm surprised by your passivity, or willful ignorance of what you can do. How about use your voice? Write letters? Support candidates? Work the polls?Is it really so hard for you to parse who and what are right in the issue of Ukraine right now?
- Appeasement For Profit Is No Way To Drive Foreign Policy
by
Dave Morgan
(Media Insider on
12/04/2025)
I totally agree Frank, and the loss of string, independent media at the local level is particularly problematic. They carried the reasoned voice with a local relevance into the home, day in and day out.
- An Unjust Peace In Ukraine Will Not Be A True Peace
by
Dave Morgan
(Media Insider on
11/20/2025)
The Coolidge speech link seems to have problems, but here is one of his relevant points:In 1926, in an address to the American Association of Advertising Agencies, then U.S. President Calvin Coolidge challenged ad industry leaders to accept responsibilities to society beyond the simple conduct of their businesses. “Advertising creates and changes [the] foundation of all popular action, public sentiment, or public opinion," he said. "It is the most potent influence in adopting and changing the habits and modes of life, affecting what we eat, what we wear, and the work and play of the whole Nation.”