Radio & Television Business Report

Netflix on Tuesday reported its third quarter earnings, and as one key Wall Street financial analyst sees it, its fiscal bill of health is fine and in line with expectations. However, Pivotal Research Group and CEO Jeffrey Wlodarczak make it very clear that their concerns around the "Big Tech" Goliath remain unchanged.

Just hours after SiliconDust urged multiple broadcast television station owners to disable Digital Rights Management encryption one week before a November 17 Emergency Alert System test, the NAB has told the FCC via an ex parte brief that the Glendale, Ariz.-based technology company's concerns are inflated.

A company devoted to automated video production products for publishers and newsrooms is welcoming a local TV news veteran with experience at TEGNA, CBS News & Stations, Meredith Local Media and Media General to their leadership ranks.

In a significant move that could impact media buying decisions in several large markets, the George Ivie-led Media Ratings Council has revoked accreditation for four Nielsen Audio PPM markets while denying accreditation for an additional 18 PPM markets. 

Why should the Commission say no to the parties behind a Petition for Stay Pending Judicial Review? They "largely parrot the baseless arguments raised by the state cable associations' petition," says Nexstar Media Group's counsel on the matter, Kathleen Kirby of Wiley Law.

Local radio took center stage in Manhattan on Tuesday evening as the Marconi Radio Awards named winners in categories running from major market personalities to college stations. Broadcasters gathered at the Edison Ballroom to find out who won, one night ahead of NAB Show New York.

Xperi Inc. is gearing up for a potentially positive and pivotal appearance at NAB Show New York, which opens Wednesday at the Javits Center. That's because its DTS AutoStage Broadcast Portal market total just jumped significantly.

In April 2001, Carter Alan was settling in to his second year at WZLX-FM in Boston, hosting a midday radio show that attracted more listeners than any other daypart at the station. Now, listeners are saluting Alan, who previously earned name recognition at the former WBCN, as he's announced his retirement.

With the U.S. Senate still yet to take up consideration of the House-passed AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act, the owner of radio stations across Canada that recently bought a globally available audio streaming app has reached an OEM deal with Ford Motor Co. — placing it in select models of Ford and Lincoln vehicles.

Cumulus Media has announced that it has "successfully completed" its financial restructuring and emerged from the Chapter 11 reorganization process, following receipt of all required approvals, including from the FCC. The restructuring was completed on an accelerated timeline consistent with the company's original expectations, the company said.

He owned GAP Broadcasting from 2007 until selling his 100+ stable of stations to Townsquare Media, which he joined as a Senior VP. Today, he's widely known as the CEO of YEA Networks, syndicator of "The Kidd Kraddick Show," among other shows. Now, George Laughlin is investing in radio stations of his own again.

The owner of radio stations such as "Boom 97.3" in Toronto and a globally available streaming audio app overseen by CEO Rich Stern has struck a deal that brings audio from the free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channels linked to the eight ABC Owned Television Stations to the platform.

A shared services partner of Sinclair Inc. had until August 2026 to proceed with a shift from a VHF signal. However, that couldn't be completed by the deadline. That said, much has changed with the facility since the July 2023 FCC approval of the UHF upgrade — namely a September 2026 deal for Sinclair to buy the station outright.

The Foundation has introduced Hardship Grants for broadcasters on unpaid or reduced-pay leave and those confronting extraordinary expenses related to family care, housing emergencies, relocation, or theft. BFOA President Tim McCarthy says, “By expanding our grant programs, we can respond to a broader range of circumstances and provide critical assistance to more people in our industry when they need a helping hand.”

Public speaking coach Rosemary Ravinal is "tired of sitting through conference presentations by brilliant people who make little effort to help their audience understand them." Ravinal calls it the "Curse of Competence" — being brilliant but boring. Here are some valuable learning lessons to make what you say resonate.

The "2026 State of Local News" report from the Medill Local News Initiative at Northwestern University counts 238 U.S. counties as "news deserts." That is up 26 from last year and the largest single-year jump in Medill’s research. In the past year, 170 newspapers closed or merged, nearly three a week.