the HOT List

Late Friday, Urban One confirmed that a delisting process has begun on the part of Nasdaq. But, that could be for naught after all, as the company belatedly released its Q1 2023 earnings and supplied them to the SEC with the clock running out of time to do so.

Time is ticking for the FCC to complete its 2018 quadrennial review, or provide a federal appeals court a solid reason why it cannot — even after it has announced the start of its 2022 review, by law.

With hours to spare, the federal government late Saturday averted a shutdown, with an overwhelming number of senators signing the legislation. The omnibus legislation’s passage put the wheels in motion on important confirmations of new terms to two FCC Commissioners.

Between October 2022 and August 2023, J.D. Power gathered responses from 23,584 customers for its 2023 U.S. Television Service Provider Satisfaction Study. The study evaluated overall satisfaction based on seven factors to offer a comprehensive assessment of perceptions of current television service providers.

Facing bankruptcy and a looming court deadline, Sinclair Broadcasting subsidiary Diamond Sports has proposed a significant cut in broadcasting rights fees to the NBA and NHL. The move comes as a desperate attempt to avoid liquidation and ensure its survival for at least another year.

At the start of 2023, the FCC's Media Bureau received a Petition for Declaratory Ruling filed by the Portland, Ore.-based Alpha Media that would allow it to increase its foreign ownership stake to 100%. Public comment was gathered by Audio Division Chief Al Shuldiner. The radio station owner's plan has received Commission approval.

With the 2023-24 season underway, San Francisco 49ers fans have already enjoyed access to live Spanish-language game broadcasts. The en español play-by-play is thanks in part to Audio over IP technology, and a decision by the club to create a simple remote broadcast workflow for away games.

Core ad categories for broadcast media — including Automotive, Retail and Travel — have mostly rebounded from pandemic-level declines. But, they are showing signs of softness. And, while Pharmaceutical, Telecom and Professional Services remain "relatively strong" in terms of ad spend, the U.S. broadcast station industry is shaky.

The reclassification of broadband under Title II, which opponents have been bracing for over a nearly three-year period in which Democrats lacked a third vote necessary to make the rulemaking come alive, would bring back a Wheeler Commission decision that was erased under the FCC of Ajit Pai.

iSpot, a TV measurement company seeking to serve as an alternative to Nielsen, has earned its first Media Rating Council (MRC) accreditation.

The Federal Trade Commission, along with 17 state attorneys general, argue that the online retail and technology giant — an entity that has siphoned advertising dollars from broadcast radio and television — is "a monopolist" that uses a set of interlocking anticompetitive and unfair strategies to maintain its power.

It’s official: Anna Gomez is now a Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission, having been sworn in on Monday. She wasted no time in revealing key staff members.

For WGA East and WGA West, its new agreement with the AMPTP is not yet finalized. However, the union says an agreement in principle on all deal points, subject to drafting final contract language, arrived on Sunday evening. "To be clear, no one is to return to work until specifically authorized to by the Guild," it warned.

The COVID-19 pandemic's impact on the U.S. automotive industry was severe. A lack of supplies due to supply chain problems crippled the business for months. Now, with a United Auto Workers (UAW) strike that on Friday spread past Detroit to two other locales, could a new impediment to automotive ad dollars be a fresh concern for broadcast television?

Fox Corporation has successfully defended itself in a patent suit filed in Delaware by a company that accused the owner of FOX Broadcasting Co. of patent infringement. At issue is a platform used within the company designed to optimize scheduling and the airing of National Football League games on its stations by regional selectivity.