Experiencing severe weather is my passion. Chase your passion!
That’s how Aaron James Jayjack, “Storm Chaser” and YouTuber/livestreamer, describes his vice — as seen in such Hollywood theatrical fare as the 2024 film Twisters. His footage has proven popular … and the focal point of a recent surge in litigation against broadcast radio and TV station ownership groups.
Jayjack, along with other storm chasers, have provided video footage to online consumers via Global Weather Productions LLC. In recent years, Global Weather has emerged as a recurring plaintiff in more than 100 copyright infringement lawsuits alleging unauthorized use of its extreme weather footage.
Two radio broadcasting companies are the latest to be sued by Global Weather.
With Nexstar Media Group, TEGNA, TelevisaUnivision, Townsquare Media and Reuters already company legal targets, with litigation still ongoing, this week saw Global Weather Productions on March 4 file a copyright suit against Actualidad Media Group, owner of the most listened-to Spanish-language spoken word radio station in North America — WURN-AM in Miami.
The case, filed in a Florida federal district court, focuses on alleged unauthorized use of storm and weather footage. The action was brought by SRipLaw on behalf of Global Weather Productions and two storm chasers, and it accuses Actualidad of copying and using four registered works, including footage of Hurricane Idalia’s landfall and tornado damage documentation, to promote its business activities on social media platforms.
One day earlier, Cumulus Media was sued in a Dallas federal district court over alleged copyright infringement of extreme weather videos on the website for KPLX “99.5 The Wolf” in Dallas.
Do Actualidad or Cumulus have a copyright troll and serial suer on their hands? Some would argue yes. In total, 114 lawsuits have been filed by Global Weather Productions in various federal courts since July 2023, when Newsmax became its first target. That litigation ended two months later. There was also a civil complained filed in November 2023 against iconic actor Leonardo DiCaprio, which concluded in October 2025 with a voluntary dismissal. In 2024, lawsuits were filed against the UK’s Channel 4 Television Corp.; and Joe Pags Media LLC, the entity led by conservative talk radio host Joe Pagliarulo. July 2025 brought the lawsuit against Townsquare Media.
As Cumulus and Actualidad prepare their respective defenses, concurrent lawsuits against “DeBroder,” “VIETV Network LLC,” “Wolfe,” “T&L of the Southtowns,” “Frederator Networks,” “McLaughlin Media Management,” “Starnes Media Group,” and “Rezcue Signaling LLC,” among several other concurrent cases, also remain ongoing.
How the cases against Cumulus Media and Actualidad go, along with the many others still ongoing in courtrooms across the U.S., could mirror that involving Reuters.
On September 18, 2025, New York Federal District Judge Arun Subramanian issued a ruling in the Reuters case, which focused on Buffalo blizzard footage produced by Michael Clement and owned by Global Weather. In short, Clement showed no actual damages for Reuters’ infringing use, yet claimed damages of $7.65 million. “A jury could not rationally award a full thousand dollars each for 1,275 customers—totaling $7,650,000,” based on the record presented in court, the judge ruled. “Global Weather is looking for a windfall, but that’s not what the law allows.”
