California AG Bonta Gets Friday Court Hearing On Paramount Stop
WBD and Paramount Skydance were asked to refrain from closing their game-changing merger until after the judicial process concludes by way of a lawsuit filed Monday in federal court by a group of state Attorneys General. With a hard "no" from the companies, the coalition moved forward with the filing of a temporary restraining order.
D.C. Circuit Asked To Intervene In WTXF License Renewal Fight
The Media and Democracy Project has submitted a mandamus petition with the D.C. Circuit that would compel the FCC to act on the advocacy group's desire to appeal a Media Bureau decision granting the license renewal of a FOX-owned property, ignoring MAD's concerns tied to news reports deemed false and ownership character issues.
FCC Windows, Market Liquidity Challenges: Reshaping LPTV Values
Since the 2017 incentive auction, LPTV valuations operated in a predictable framework. Values were supported by a steady pace of transaction activity and a defined universe of strategic buyers. Over the past 12 to 18 months, however, that framework has changed dramatically. Here are some of the reasons why that's taken place.
DirecTV, Scripps Agree To End Retrans Impasse
The fresh accord, announced late Friday, immediately returned 54 local broadcast stations owned and operated by Scripps to DIRECTV streaming, satellite, and U-verse customers. The agreement ended a five-week blackout affecting millions of customers across 36 Nielsen DMAs.
Under New CEO, Rincon Wrangles Bucks For OTA TV Return
A broadcast television station acquired within the last year by Todd Parkin-led Rincon Broadcasting Group as part of a $29.4 million transaction with Sinclair Inc. and today under the ultimate control of Soo Kim has reached an agreement with the National Basketball Association’s Milwaukee franchise.
D.C. Appeals Court Sides With FCC, Dismisses Nexstar-TEGNA Approval Appeal
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit has granted a request by the Commission to dismiss the appeals filed in the combined Free Press v. FCC case designed to thwart Nexstar Media Group's regulatorily approved merger with TEGNA. It's a win for the Commission and for Nexstar.
Radio In Every Vehicle? Nielsen and iHeart Prove Its A Must
For Nielsen and the nation's biggest radio station licensee, removing AM/FM radio "is a multibillion-dollar gamble for automakers." The declaration in a new report comes as the FCC is expected to introduce rule changes at its August Open Meeting that would loosen media ownership limits for radio and TV licensees.
Becker Call: Former Alpha Media Content Head Returns To CMG
He's worked at a wide range of radio ownership groups since joining Mid-West Family Broadcasting's WSJM-FM in Benton Harbor, Mich., in 1994 as a Production Director. Most recently, he served as Executive VP of Content for the former Alpha Media. Starting July 20, he'll be taking a key Cox Media Group role.
Cumulus Injunction Against Nielsen Upheld
A federal appeals court has upheld an injunction won by Cumulus Media against ratings giant Nielsen, agreeing with a lower court that the company likely violated antitrust law by leveraging an alleged monopoly over national radio data to pressure broadcasters into buying local data they didn't want.
A Southwest Fla. AM Surrenders Its License
In August 2025, Beasley Media Group agreed to sell all of its Fort Myers-Naples market stations to a pair of local operators. Now, that deal is complete, and the new owners would rather not keep the home of ESPN Southwest Florida in operation.
Heidi Raphael To Succeed Donovan as NYSBA Head
She's been associated with Beasley Media Group since May 2017 and was promoted to her current role in 2019. Now, Heidi Raphael, a highly visible radio industry leader long associated with the Library of American Broadcasting Foundation, the NAB Board, and the Alliance for Women in Media, is taking a key SBA role.
After A Decade, Nashville-Area WHIN Is Sold by Kensington
With a logo that pays homage to Nashville's1980s-era Top 40 "Y107," WHIN-AM and its FM simulcast pay tribute to that time with a broad Classic Hits presentation, targeting audiences to the northeast of Music City USA. Soon, that may change, as the facilities have been sold by Kensington Digital Media after a decade of ownership.
Dollar-Free Consent Decree Ends FCC’s ‘Showola’ iHeart Probe
It is an agreement the FCC believes is all about "strengthening Payola protections for artists." For the nation's largest radio station ownership group, it requires a compliance plan that effectively terminates an Enforcement Bureau investigation into potential violations of the FCC's Sponsorship Identification Laws.
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Usher Completes Its NRG Omaha Deal
NRG Media has exited Omaha, ending some 21 years of operations following the merger of Norman Waitt Jr.’s Waitt Radio with Mary Quass’ NewRadio Group. The $2.15 million sale of three AMs and two FMs is complete, putting the properties in the hands of Usher Media.
Scripps Feels The FIVB For Women’s Volleyball World Cup
If the FIFA World Cup hasn't captured your attention, then perhaps the Women's Volleyball World Cup is ripe for your consideration. And if that's the case, stations owned by The E.W. Scripps Co. and its ION broadcast TV network are your forthcoming destinations to catch all of the action.
‘Local 12’ Abandons Its Weekend Newscasts
The Sinclair Inc.-owned CBS affiliate serving Southern Ohio and Northern Kentucky will be airing its final local weekend newscasts on July 18 and 19, concluding 35 years of Saturday and Sunday coverage of Cincinnati and its surrounding communities.
WNBA’s Lynx Links Coverage Deal With KARE
For KARE-11 President/GM Doug Wieder, “Bringing Lynx basketball to fans across Minnesota and the team’s local broadcast territory means giving hometown fans more access to their hometown team. That's exactly the kind of local connection we're proud to support."
NAB Show NY Gives First Look at Sessions
Radio has a fresh lineup of sessions on AI, streaming, and broadcast innovation to look forward to in Manhattan this fall. Registration is now open for NAB Show New York, returning to the Javits Center on October 21 and 22 with roughly 80 hours of programming.
MRC Adopts Interim AI Media Measurement Guidance Plan
The Media Rating Council has begun an effort to evaluate existing standards and guidelines and develop supplementary guidance in certain focus areas, as it relates to the rapidly evolving use of artificial intelligence and Machine Learning models in areas that intersect with media measurement processes and products.
Another Big Week At Spot TV For Morgan & Morgan
When it comes to national television spots on broadcast TV, there's one brand that towers over the rest with respect to commitment week in and week out to the medium. For the week ending July 5, this advertiser was linked to nearly 50,000 spots detected by Media Monitors.
Cato: ‘FCC’s Public Interest Notice Is a House of Cards’
A Cato Institute fellow states, "the FCC is correct that Congress and the courts have allowed the agency to wield power that can trample broadcasters’ expressive rights." Fortunately, he adds, the Commission's own Public Notice that “reminds broadcasters of their public interest obligations" also illustrates "how weak the case for that power is."
The InFOCUS Video Podcast: Frank Jachetta, MultiDyne
The CEO of MultiDyne joins RBR+TVBR Editor-in-Chief Adam R Jacobson to share more about a recent acquisition that marks a significant advancement for a company that for 50 years has offered broadcasters and video production professionals products focused on signal conversion and fiber-optic-based transport systems.
GatesAir Offers A Primer On Liquid-Cooled Transmitters
Liquid-cooled transmission systems are designed to help broadcasters support high-power RF operations with improved thermal management, efficient facility planning, and long-term system reliability. A July 15 webinar presented by GatesAir will offer a close-up look at the "practical advantages" of these offerings.
Imagine That: Lumine’s Newest Addition To Its Media Ecosystem
It describes itself as a "global buy-and-hold forever" acquirer of communications and media software businesses. As Canada Day was celebrated ahead of Independence Day in the U.S., the company revealed that it has acquired Imagine Communications through one of its subsidiaries.
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