iHeartMedia

States Target 'Surveillance Pricing' for Subscriptions

U.S. lawmakers and regulators are moving to curb so‑called “surveillance pricing,” the practice of using personal data to set individualized subscription prices. A June 11 class action accuses The Washington Post of collecting reader data to offer renewal prices between $60 and $170 without disclosure. New York’s legislature passed the One Fair Price Act on June 4 — which, if signed by Governor Kathy Hochul, would broadly prohibit using personally identifiable data (first- or third-party) to set prices and require disclosures for frequent dynamic pricing — joining Maryland and Connecticut, which passed similar laws earlier in the year. The FTC has been targeting surveillance/algorithmic pricing since 2024. Industry lawyers, publishers and trade groups disagree on the impact and scope; the bill allows uniform bona fide discounts and category-based promotions but threatens civil penalties for violations.

Walmart acquires Vibe to scale self‑serve CTV

Digiday reports that Walmart has acquired self-serve CTV platform Vibe.co, a move described as strengthening Walmart Connect’s Connected TV (CTV) ambitions, particularly among small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). Financial terms were not publicly disclosed, but sources told Digiday the deal would value Vibe at roughly $1.4 billion. Vibe is a young company with reported funding and revenue metrics: $79.5 million total funding after a $50 million Series B in 2025 and approximately $100 million in accrued recurring revenue (ARR) as of 2025. The article frames the acquisition as Walmart buying both distribution and simplified, self-serve infrastructure to make CTV behave more like paid search or social, and suggests the deal highlights a broader industry opportunity in scaling advertising to the long tail of smaller advertisers.

iHeartMedia Cuts Over 1,800 Jobs Since 2019

iHeartMedia has reduced its workforce by more than 1,850 employees since the end of 2019, dropping headcount from 11,400 at the close of 2019 to 9,550 by the end of 2025. Additional layoffs occurred in 2026, including management and sales reductions in April and a larger, programming-focused round in June that affected on-air talent and production roles. The company still operates over 860 radio stations in 160 markets while investing in podcasting and digital audio. Management says the cuts and centralization efforts are part of multi-year cost-saving programs aimed at roughly $150 million in annualized savings (including a new $50 million second-half target), alongside technology upgrades and greater automation. Local programming and staffing levels have been notably impacted as iHeart aligns operations with shifting advertising revenue and digital growth.