Reporters Jack Benjamin and Ella Sagar are back with a look at the stories that mattered most in media and advertising this week.

The duo discuss what the pre-election period means for held-up government adspend, recent M&A activity by MediaSense and Mediaplus, and why the Evening Standard has fallen on troubled times.

Highlights:

0:40: How much government adspend has been put on hold during the pre-election period

4:39: MediaSense acquires PwC's media advisory

6:36: Indie merger: Total Media and Mediaplus

9:50: Why the Evening Standard dropped its daily edition

12:28: Takeaways from IAB Engage

14:25: The AA's new report on trust

16:30: News round-up: Election debate overnights, new leadership at Ocean Outdoor, plus The Washington Post, X's adult content and Netflix's gaming additions