In this episode of the MadTech Podcast, ExchangeWire head of marketing Grainne Reid is joined by CEO Rachel Smith and Ellie McDonough, programmatic director at Dentsu. 

They discuss how TikTok's US business could be impacted by investment from the Murdochs, how AI search is harming publishers, and UK broadcasters rejecting the idea that they should partner in order to take on the streaming giants. 

This week's stories:

Trump says Lachlan and Rupert Murdoch might invest in TikTok deal (TechCrunch) 

President Trump has suggested that the US has agreed a deal with Chinese-owned ByteDance to keep TikTok operating in the US. Trump told Fox News on Sunday that Rupert Murdoch and his son Lachlan are “probably” going to be involved, as well as Oracle executive chairman Larry Ellison and Dell Technologies CEO Michael Dell.

(Since this podcast was recorded, Trump has signed an executive order stating the terms of a deal to transfer TikTok's US business to a US owner. Rupert Murdoch's investment has also been confirmed.)

One-third of indie publishers could shut down by next year as AI search hits traffic (Media Leader)

A board member of the Independent Publishers Alliance has warned that one third of its publishers could be out of business by the end of next year if no regulatory intervention is made to protect publishers as AI search surges and becomes the new norm. If the situation remains as it is, it’s estimated that 100 of the 300 websites owned by Independent Publishers Alliance members are unlikely to survive in the next 15 months.

BBC, ITV, Paramount & Channel 4 chiefs reject merger talks (Deadline)

The bosses of the UK’s public service broadcasters, including the BBC, ITV and Channel 4, have rejected the idea that they would be better off if they merged to compete with streaming giants like YouTube and Netflix. In discussion at the Royal Television Society’s Cambridge Convention, they said that consolidation would harm the UK television industry, reducing choice for viewers and the number of content buyers in the market.