Tuesday, May 12, 2026

Summer Stall? Media’s Ad Trends Against Continued Headwinds

As we conclude the first half of 2026, broadcast media’s sales leaders had plenty of challenges. Two key analysts chimed in with their thoughts as Omnicom Media Intelligence offered fresh insights on the matter, and the details are included in RBR+TVBR's just-released Summer 2026 magazine.
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 12: Byron Allen at Byron Allen's Oscar Gala at the Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel on March 12, 2023 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Michael Bezjian/Getty Images for Allen Media Group / Byron Allen)

What’s The Buzz? Byron Allen To Buy a Viral Content Hub

Less than two weeks after Allen Media Group closed on the sale of a group of broadcast television stations to Gray Media for $171 million, Byron Allen's Allen Family Digital LLC has reached an agreement to acquire the parent of internet content hubs HuffPost and Tasty — BuzzFeed Inc.

FCC Fights Back In D.C. Circuit Court Fight Over Nexstar OK

A writ of mandamus is defined as an order from a court to an inferior government official ordering the government official to properly fulfill their official duties. That's what the appellants in Free Press v. FCC want the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to issue, so Nexstar Media Group's approved merger with TEGNA gets unwound.

In Unprecedented Move, FCC’s Gomez Tells Disney To Fight Commission

FCC Commissioner Anna M. Gómez, in a letter to the CEO of The Walt Disney Company, has all but told the company under FCC scrutiny to fight what she calls "censorship" as its ABC Owned Stations face an early license renewal. Gómez also took the opportunity to unveil a "double standard" in Commission "targeting."
FOX

In Fiscal Q3, FOX TV Results See ‘Super’ Impact

When it comes to the National Football League's championship telecast, there clearly is a super year-over-year difference when it comes to Super Bowl-related revenue. That's the key reason why advertising revenue experienced a double-digit decline during the fiscal third quarter of 2026 for FOX Corporation.

ABC To FCC: ‘The View’ Is A Bona Fide News Show

Is the longtime daytime TV chat show airing on the ABC Television Network a program that shouldn't be exempt from equal time rules because it is a news offering? The Walt Disney Co. emphatically says it is, in a Petition for Declaratory Ruling filed with the FCC that has Anna Gómez's stamp of approval.

Chapter 7 Liquidation Comes To Global One Media

It has operated six radio stations in Elko, Nev., and four audio brands serving Clovis, N. Mex., in addition to the Ruby Want Ads and Your News NM websites. There's also the "Radio Santa" streaming audio offering. All are being sold off, as the company behind these offerings has entered Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection.

Connoisseur Wants FCC OK To Surpass Foreign Ownership Cap

Connoisseur Media is asking the FCC to approve up to 100% indirect foreign ownership of its broadcast radio licenses in a structure that would place majority equity in the hands of Cayman Islands-registered entities while CEO Jeff Warshaw retains full voting control.

Adjusted EBITDA Dips On Revenue Growth For iHeartMedia

Another $50 million in cost-cutting is coming in the second half of 2026, as the nation's largest audio content creation and distribution company continues to tackle its outstanding debt and move past a first quarter in which revenue improved by nearly 10% overall yet saw adjusted EBITDA decline by 11.4%.
Gavel

Coming In 2027: An FM Radio Auction

The FCC on Monday announced plans that would make available for bidding Construction Permits for vacant FM radio channels. It marks the first auction of FM radio CPs since auction authority was restored, and would start in February 2027.
Bill WIlson

Digital Advertising Eclipses Broadcast Ad Revenue For ‘TSQ’

The first quarter 2026 earnings report is out for Townsquare Media, and nearly six in 10 dollars can be attributed to Digital when it comes to the NYSE-traded company's revenue for the first three months of this year. In fact, Digital Advertising climbed ahead of Broadcast Advertising as its largest dollar generator.
Mary Berner

Joyful Disposal: Cumulus Spins In Three SE Cities

It's a transaction hinted at by Cumulus Media in an announcement pertaining to two audio brands serving Atlanta radio listeners. What that news didn't note was that an asset sale has been agreed to by the company that recently attained U.S. Bankruptcy Court approval of its second restructuring plan in a decade.
John Catsimatidis

Big Apple Buys A Beantown AM

It's a Class B AM with a directional 50kw signal that covers eastern Massachusetts; northern Rhode Island; and southern New Hampshire. Today, it is "your live & local talk radio station." How local it stays will soon be up to Chad López and his boss, John Catsimatidis.

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Loam Lets Go Of Lumpkin FM Translator

It's a small city along U.S. Highway 27 not far from Providence Canyon State Park and home to an FM translator with a mere 10 watts that nevertheless covers the municipality. Soon, it will be under new ownership.

A ‘FAST’ Move To Become TV’s ‘New Normal’

Free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) has moved from the margins of the streaming landscape to the center of how Americans watch TV, says Hub Entertainment Research. A new study from Hub shows that FAST services are quickly capturing TV households, with roughly half of those users calling FAST a "must-have."

CBS Stations Makes It A Full Dozen For AR/VR Studios

Channel 13 in Stockton, Calif., is the latest broadcast television station to adopted an augmented reality/virtual reality news studio. The addition at KOVR-TV, better known as "CBS Sacramento," marks the 12th rollout of the technology-driven method bringing immersive storytelling and next-generation journalism to viewers.

ATVA To FCC: Close ‘Affiliation Swap’ Loopholes

An advocacy group that has become the biggest thorn in the side of broadcast television station ownership groups has written to the FCC urging the Carr Commission "to prevent and deter 'Big Broadcasters' from evading meaningful FCC review of broadcast transactions." The real beef is over "Big Four" arrangements.

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Coca-Cola

A Hard Commitment to Spot Cable For a Soft Drink Giant

There's a new leader at Spot Cable when it comes to the total amount of commercial appearances for the week ending May 10, based on data collected by iHeartMedia-owned Media Monitors. It happens to be one of the oldest brands in the U.S., and its activity even eclipsed that of Liberty Mutual Insurance.
Rosemary Ravinal

Small Talk Skills For Your Next Career Advancement

In both dating and business, people remember how you made them feel long after they forget what you said. This column from Rosemary Ravinal offers some keen insights as to how first dates and first meetings aren't so dissimilar — and how small talk can aid in erasing the awkwardness.

Pattison Media Brings Programmatic Radio Options To Canada

The largest multimedia company based in Western Canada has brought to market a new programmatic platform that the company expects to bring broadcast radio into the modern programmatic advertising ecosystem.

LPTV Association Presses FCC On 5G Broadcast

The LPTV Broadcasters Association, founded by entrepreneur and LPTV champion "SuperFrank" Copsidas, very much wants 5G Broadcast to become a voluntary broadcast standard for U.S. LPTV stations. That's why he's written to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr seeking "immediate regulatory action."

Multi-Truck Production Power for Final Four Concert Broadcasts

TNDV and sister company Live Media, both divisions of Live Media Group, once again played a central role in delivering live broadcast coverage surrounding NCAA Final Four weekend, supporting both large-scale concert productions and live game-related programming across multiple platforms.

ZenoRadio Grows With New In-Car Access

Zeno Media has expanded its ZenoRadio app by initiating both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, bringing global radio content directly into the in-car listening experience. "This allows listeners to access thousands of stations from around the world through their vehicle dashboard," says the company.

Zeno Media Fuels A Revolution’s Digital Audio Streams

It provides a mix of Alternative and eclectic indie rock to the city that's home to Western Kentucky University and has been a training ground for radio industry professionals. Now, it has an audio streaming and monetization agreement with Zeno Media.