the HOT List

The NBA's San Antonio Spurs are on the verge of a renaissance thanks to newcomer Victor Wembanyama. For those who only have over-the-air television in the Alamo City, TEGNA has come to the rescue by committing to broadcasting a host of regular-season match-ups.

In an environment where retransmission consent accords are more difficult than ever to reach, The E.W. Scripps Company has issued a communique that promotes how the company has “successfully completed cable and satellite carriage agreements that account for about 75% of the company's subscriber households.”

Streaming media has created unprecedented opportunities, and challenges, for our industry. A Forecast 2024 session during the broadcast media industry’s premier leadership conference is poised to share ways to take advantage of this exploding revenue stream, one that will also cultivate and enhance relationships with consumers and advertisers.

Two media veterans have submitted comments with the FCC that, as the group seeking to thwart Fox Corporation's license renewal of WTXF "FOX 29" believes, bolster its claim that the TV station owner and both Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch lack the character required of public broadcast license trustees.

In addition to its broadcast television station roster and cable TV offering Tennis Channel, Sinclair Broadcast Group is also the entity behind four digital multicast networks, largely found as "HD" broadcasts tied to over-the-air channels that enjoy widespread MVPD distribution. Sinclair is now tweaking one of those diginets.

Veteran media broker Larry Patrick and respected colleague Greg Guy have taken a "strategic move" that sees the formation of two separate brokerage firms that will enjoy "a dynamic relationship" as the weeks and months progress. With the announcement, the longtime brokerage known as Patrick Communications will be coming to an end. 

It's been quite a 2023 for Bridge News LLC, the Vince Bodiford-led licensee funded by 5-Hour Energy creator Manoj Bhargava, who seeks to convert a digital multicast all-news network into an owned-and-operated entity. This is happening at lightning speed, with Bridge News now adding two facilities in the Buckeye State.

The nation's leading broadcast TV station ownership group on Monday released a new investor presentation that highlights its perspectives on "recent events" impacting the media industry and their "positive impact" on both the broadcast television industry and the company's own business endeavours. 

Weigel Broadcasting, the company behind the MeTV network and the owner of the CBS affiliate serving Milwaukee, has filed a petition with the FCC that seeks to adjust the Table of TV allotments — a change that would allow an unbuilt television station to shift its city of license to a small Wisconsin city bordering Shawano Lake.

With the demise of Bally Sports Arizona, the National Hockey League franchise that calls the Valley of the Sun home has scored a deal with The E.W. Scripps Co., which owns the ABC affiliate in Phoenix. It marks the third over-the-air sports rights agreement Scripps has signed.

Manoj Bharvaga and Vince Bodiford are at it again. Only, this time they've signed a pair of asset purchase agreements giving their Bridge News LLC ownership of full-power broadcast facilities on two different Hawaiian islands, pending FCC approval. 

The news was shared with CBS News & Stations staff via an internal memo sent by Wendy McMahon. A copy was received by RBR+TVBR.

"Power 106" is "#1 for Hip-Hop," and has a 25kw facility atop Mt. Wilson. Because of terrain, reaching the Antelope Valley cities of Lancaster and Palmdale hasn't been easy. This will soon change for the Meruelo Media-owned FM, thanks to GeoBroadcast Solutions' MaxxCasting system.

It's been a ratings success, and many of those Nielsen Audio victories for WRHQ-FM in Savannah, Ga., is tied to 50-year-plus market veteran Jerry Rogers, who became the afternoon host and Music Director of former Top 40 WSGA-AM and later purchased this FM. Now, Rogers is retiring ... and he's found a local buyer.

Audacy Inc. has shared that it "continues to engage in discussions with lenders to deleverage its balance sheet," while confirming that it has elected to use a 30-day grace period for a cash interest payment on its Senior Secured 2029 Notes — funds that were originally payable by the close of Monday.