Q&A: Talking politics, history and business with Robert Vane
In 2019, Republican Robert Vane launched a podcast called “Leaders and Legends” as a way to help promote his media relations and communications business.
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Greg Morris to retire as publisher of IBJ, Indiana Lawyer
The change comes as IBJ has experienced a surge in readership—despite challenges in the newspaper industry overall—breaking a record this month for subscriptions that had been set in 2001.
Local podcast software firm beating growth projections during pandemic
The Indianapolis-based company, which was founded in early 2019, has grown its staff from seven to 20 full-time employees over the past year.
In seismic shift, Warner Bros. Pictures to stream all 2021 films
Among the myriad release plan changes wrought by the pandemic, no studio has so fully embraced streaming as a lifeline.
$2.8M Lilly Endowment grant to help region catch eye of potential residents
The Indy Chamber said the effort will create a digital first step for potential residents to “see themselves” in the Indianapolis region.
Penguin to buy Simon & Schuster for $2.17B, create publishing giant
The purchase of Simon & Schuster would reduce the so-called Big Five of American publishing—which also includes HarperCollins, Hachette Book Group and Macmillan—to four.
Q&A with Paul Mendenhall: ‘I can’t believe anybody actually hired me’
Hoosiers have been hearing Paul Mendenhall’s your-buddy-next-door voice for more than 40 years over a long string of radio frequencies. Now he’s retiring after nearly 20 years at WTTS-FM 92.3.
WISH-TV owner to launch national news network from Indianapolis
Multicultural News Network will launch in the second half of 2021, and founder DuJuan McCoy said 150 people will be hired to work out of WISH-TV’s Indianapolis headquarters to make it happen.
Six veteran journalists at Indianapolis Star taking buyouts
Among those leaving is the investigations editor who oversaw the newspaper’s expose of USA Gymnastics that led the arrest of the team doctor who molested more than 100 girls.
Q&A: In Gen Z lingo, ‘electric’ is cool and ‘fire’ is good
Kelly King, a brand strategist who founded a Bloomington ad firm, is so fascinated by Generation Z and its values that she published a dictionary to decode its dialect.
Former Indiana lieutenant governor donates $2M to Northwestern journalism school
John Mutz made the donation to establish a newly endowed chair at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism that will study and support innovation in local news at the school.
Q&A: Business owner, author thinking big with new podcast
Carmel resident Scott Abbott runs two businesses and is the author of three books, including the award-winning “Level-Up to Professional: Elevate Your Success at Business, Work & Life.”
Political polls fall way short again in 2020, raising red flags for future contests
The vast underestimation of President Trump’s turnout and support in many places, after similar issues in 2016, has raised again questions about the reliance of campaigns, the press and the public on surveys to shape the race.
Digital media company ZergNet moving from Noblesville to Fishers
A digital-media company that includes billionaire Mark Cuban as one of its early investors is planning to relocate its 53 Indiana-based employees to Fishers’ Meyer-Najem building.
Supreme Court allows antitrust suit against NFL to proceed
A lower court ruled that the NFL’s contract with DirecTV may limit competition in violation of federal law. The arrangement has been in place for more than 25 years.
Google ad costs, not its dominance, irking small businesses
Google controls about 90% of global internet searches, but what’s unfair, many small business owners say, is the way it gives the greatest prominence in search results to the companies that spend the most on advertising.
Myers launches TV ad for final days of gubernatorial campaign
Democratic candidate Woody Myers will debut his campaign’s first TV ad on Friday after struggling to raise funds throughout the election season.
TV spending adds up to nearly $12M in tight 5th District race
According to a report of media buys obtained by the IBJ, nearly $7 million has been spent collectively by Democrat Christina Hale’s campaign and organizations trying to get her elected over Republican candidate Victoria Spartz since August. About $4.9 million has collectively been spent by Spartz’s campaign and organizations hoping to elect her to the seat.
Vibenomics on roll, lands another $6.5M in venture capital
The most recent round of funding for the Fishers-based audio-marketing firm will be used to support the launch of additional national networks in convenience stores and grocery retailers.
Short-video app Quibi shutting down just months after launch
Quibi, short for “quick bites,” raised $1.75 billion from investors including Disney, NBCUniversal and Viacom and its leadership included entertainment industry heavyweight Jeffrey Katzenberg and former Hewlett-Packard CEO Meg Whitman.