In the latest Beyond the Numbers episode, Madhive CEO Spencer Potts is joined by longtime partner and industry pioneer Scott Cunningham for a conversation that cuts to the core of Madhive’s mission: bringing transparency and trust to local media through strong standards and fraud prevention.
With a background that spans both journalism and ad tech, Cunningham has long understood the unique challenges facing local media. From launching one of the first local news sites in the ’90s to co-founding the IAB Tech Lab, his work has helped shape the standards that enable safe, scalable advertising.
“Standards unlock markets,” Cunningham explains. “But they also introduce healthy friction—guidelines that protect quality and transparency.”
That balance is especially critical in the local space, where fragmentation and inconsistent categorization often make it harder for advertisers to find premium, brand-safe inventory. That’s why Cunningham led the development of a local-specific content taxonomy through the Local Media Consortium—ensuring categories like high school sports and community news are no longer overlooked.
He also played a key role in shaping TAG certification and IVT (invalid traffic) standards that now underpin the industry’s fraud prevention efforts.
“You have to know who you’re working with. Without that transparency, dollars don’t flow—and local suffers the most.”
It’s this shared belief that helped Madhive launch its Fraud-Free Guarantee—a promise built on years of partnership, certification, and system-level trust.
Cunningham also emphasized the importance of initiatives like NewsPass ID, which aggregates and authenticates local audiences without relying on third-party cookies. As the open web evolves, identity and integrity are more intertwined than ever.
“Local is complex,” he says. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t hold it to the same standards the rest of the industry expects.”
From standards to certification, Madhive’s collaboration with leaders like Scott Cunningham ensures that local advertising isn’t just possible—it’s provable.
Watch the full episode below:
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