Radio & Television Business Report

TelevisaUnivision's third-quarter 2024 performance in the U.S. bested that of Mexico. It is thanks to retransmission consent revenue gains, and big political ad dollar growth. This positions new CEO Daniel Alegre, who has a tech background, in a positive spot as further monetization of digital assets appears likely for the Hispanic media Goliath.

The S&P Global Market Intelligence Radio & TV Annual Outlook for 2024 is out, and the conclusion is simple: political advertising, at a record level, is helping to send total advertising revenue for the year up by some 9.3% from 2023. Minus those election-focused dollars, however, core ad categories aren't so active.

It's a transfer of control request that the FCC will likely give its swift approval for, as it involves a shift in ownership from father to daughter. And, when all is said and done, Laura Graham O'Shaughnessy will hold 42.5% of the Class A voting shares and nearly 11% of the Class B shares in the parent of the entity whose flagship property is known as "LOCAL 4" in Detroit. 

John L. Humphries is retiring as the head of Hearst Television’s Upstate South Carolina television station that also serves storm-battered Western North Carolina. His successor has been selected, and it involves a promotion.

After joining Graham Media Group's flagship television station in August 1995, Devin Scillian has announced he will retire from television in the coming weeks. Scillian is perhaps the most familiar face in Detroit when it comes to local news, and has been a key figure in WDIV "LOCAL 4"'s dominance in the market.

He began his career at KBRG in San Jose, Calif., some 50 years ago and in the 1990s teamed with Amador Bustos as VP of Programming for Z Spanish Radio, a pioneer among regional Mexican-focused Hispanic-owned broadcast media companies. Now, the industry is pausing to remember Homero Campos, who has died.

The company that is led by David Field and is now majority-owned by Soros Fund Management says it is "strengthening" its addressable audience and identity capabilities through a collaboration with Experian.

In mid-August, Georgia Association of Broadcasters President Bob Houghton announced his retirement. This led the former President/CEO of Tri-State Communications, an ex-NAB Radio Board President, to step into the GAB post. Now, he's moved ahead with the sale of a group of radio stations he'd been associated with.

Broadcast software provider Mr. Master is adding three new tools designed to give radio operators greater control and flexibility over their advertising systems to its AIM platform. The products - Traffic Control, The Tracker, and On Demand - are available as AIM add-ons.

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. 

The two-way pact begins within the next week. Eligible SiriusXM subscribers will begin with those who are "Platinum VIP," with additional tiers gaining ESPN+ access in November.

The Financial Services category is a ripe one for media advertising dollar growth. For the week ending October 20, one banking brand greatly stood out among the rest when it came to the amount of spots shown on cable TV channels tracked by Media Monitors.

What's coming for broadcast radio and television in the year ahead? The Forecast 2025 Executive Super Session offers the best take on whether storm clouds are on the horizon or if seeds for growth will spring in a few months.

Minneapolis investment bank Piper Sandler has released its 48th semi-annual survey of U.S. teens in partnership with non-profit student organization DECA, which prepares the emerging leaders and entrepreneurs of tomorrow. Among the findings of interest to broadcast media executives are this demographic's top tech and social media choices.

The secret to successful public speaking starts with organizing your message, says public speaking coach Rosemary Ravinal. "You can dazzle an audience with stellar delivery abilities but without structured reasoning, your talk will fail to impact them in ways that matter," she says in this column.