Radio+Television Business Report

The FCC has formally unveiled the tentative selectees from 93 groups of mutually exclusive applications for new low-power FM station construction permits filed during a December 2023 window.

The entertainment and sports programming network within the ABC arm of The Walt Disney Company could be on the hook for thousands of dollars in fines payable to the FCC for its apparent misuse of emergency tones during a promotional segment for the start of the 2023-2024 NBA season.

The ABC affiliate serving Miami-Dade, Broward and Monroe Counties, the only television station licensed to the Warren Buffett-owned BH Media, is warning viewers that it could suddenly go dark on Dish within hours.

The NBA franchise owned by Miriam Adelson and family members has successfully secured eight DMAs that will transmit their games produced by TEGNA's North Texas operation on broadcast TV stations in the respective markets. Gray Media, Sinclair Inc. and Nexstar Media Group stations are all in the mix.

A Commission-hosted database featuring MVPD notifications of a broadcast TV station "blackout" due to a retransmission consent impasse goes beyond the agency's statutory authority. That's what the NAB's Deputy GC for Legal and Regulatory Affairs told an advisor to Nate Simington last week, arguing that the plan should be abandoned.

SiriusXM subscribers have until now enjoyed audio access to three NBCUniversal News Group channels. As of today, they are getting two more choices, thanks to an expanded agreement between the two companies.

In mid-August, Howard Greiner was named Metro President for iHeartMedia in Nashville, leaving Upstate N.Y. Bob Morgan was named its area leader. Now, the Market President for the company's Mid-Hudson Valley and Sussex County stations is adding New York's Capital District to his duties. 

Wondering what ratings may look like in the future for viewers that tune to NEXTGEN TV stations using ATSC 3.0 digital broadcast signals that have embraced the Run3TV platform designed to mimic a smart TV app? The first such data is on the way, thanks to a partnership with audience measurement firm TVision.

As September began, Tom Birch's Lakes Media filed a lengthy interference complaint with the FCC regarding his Class C3 FM licensed to Clarksville, Va., claiming a 150-watt FM translator designed to expressly serve the cities of Cary and Raleigh is creating problems. The Commission hasn't yet acted. He wants Jessica Rosenworcel to do something.

The CW Network confirmed late Wednesday that Dennis Miller will be departing as Network President, effective October 31. He will serve in an advisory role through the end of the calendar year, at which time he will no longer be associated with the Nexstar Media Group-controlled operation. Miller has been a member of Nexstar’s Board of Directors for a decade.

Tuesday was the final day of Washington, D.C.-based programming for Sputnik — with programs produced and made by journalists from stateside Sputnik studios coming to an end. Leased airtime on radio stations in Northern Virginia and in Kansas City is believed to be winding down by the end of the week.

Paperwork has been filed with the FCC that seeks its approval for a legal settlement that sees 50% ownership in a North Texas AM and FM translator serving Hindi-language audiences go to the other 50/50 partner.

Educational Media Foundation, the parent of the two biggest noncommercial Christian music networks in the U.S., is growing again with the proposed acquisition of a Class B facility offering coverage of populous northern San Diego County and the neighboring Temecula Valley.

RBR+TVBR has learned that a $4 million transaction struck at the start of 2023 has resulted in a non-consummation. As such, there's a new owner on the way — and it is an individual who already has a low-power TV facility in the market.  Serving as the seller's broker: Kalil & Co.

The broadcast television station group led by Rob Weisbord is teaming up with a group of PBS Member stations for the launch of what is being billed as the first no-cost broadcast-enabled streaming TV, or "BEST" channel, in Omaha. The offering is being hosted by the FOX affiliate in the market as "a free, virtual channel in addition to its other programming offerings."

In a move former News Initiative Audit Lead Dave Taylor calls one of "authenticity and transparency," The E.W. Scripps Co. President/CEO Adam Symson on Tuesday went to LinkedIn to share why the company he leads made the decisions to abandon Scripps News' 24/7 digital multicast channel and to sell Bounce TV, which serves Black consumers.

Despite the challenges and changes of a constantly evolving media environment, small and independently owned broadcast radio and TV stations consistently overdeliver. Want to know how they do it? Join us for Forecast 2025 at the Harvard Club in the City of New York on November 13 for the answers.

It's been an interesting seven months for Entravision Communications, which in March disclosed that Meta's wind-down of its Authorized Sales Partner (ASP) would likely reduce the company’s EBITDA and revenue in a significant way. CEO Michael Christenson has now confirmed a change that impacts the C-Suite role of Chief Revenue Officer.

The NAB has again addressed a FCC plan that would impose political AI disclosure rules on broadcasters by claiming the NPRM’s loudest supporters’ arguments are “inapposite or nonsensical.” The voice of radio and TV in Washington also has support from every state broadcasters association, and the top radio station ownership groups.

Cox Media Group, majority-owned by Apollo Global Management, is moving forward with a lender offer that would see it push out its debt by two years. Perhaps the biggest takeaway from the plan is that the interest rate will not go up, or down, if debtholders say yes.