the HOT List

Local broadcast stations that are members of the ABC, NBC, FOX and CBS television Affiliate Associations, representing more than 600 local TV stations across the country, have launched an advocacy group with one mission in mind — to urge lawmakers and regulators "to act now to protect the future of local news in America." The real story: It wants Congress to mandate retrans consent fees from streamers.

Broadcast media’s most prestigious leadership conference, Forecast 2024, is pleased to announce the conference chairs. The 21st annual Forecast, presented by Radio Ink and the Radio +  Television Business Report, will be held at the Harvard Club in the City of New York on Wednesday, November 15.

The top-rated Spanish-language radio brand serving California's capital region is about to gain an additional on-air home, as Lotus Communications is buying a Class B1 FM that some 25 years ago pioneered programming to Latinos.

That's the big news from iSpot, which has released its First Half TV Transparency Report reflecting advertising activity at television through June 30, 2023.  Based on its research, household TV ad impressions — a.k.a. the total audience reached by ads — climbed by 5.0% year-over-year.

Bob Iger, the Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Co., said Thursday on CNBC that the company's entire stable of television assets may be "non-core." That got Madison and Wall media business financial analyst Brian Wieser thinking. Here's what he thinks.

After problems surrounding a delayed disclosure of Urban One's 2022 earnings, the company is changing accounting firms. Urban One had been using BDO, but after a mishap around the accounting on MGM National Harbor profits, they are moving to Ernst and Young.

The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) extended its "unwavering support and solidarity" for SAG-AFTRA Members who on Thursday authorized a strike. Just don't include certain employees at an NBC affiliate owned by Sinclair Inc. in the mix of those that wanted a potentially crippling work stoppage.

That said, there were plenty of "no" votes from Republicans and Democrats for Anna Gómez, who seeks the fifth and vacant FCC Commissioner's chair, and for incumbent Commissioners Brendan Carr and Geoffrey Starks.

Audacy Corp. has confirmed that it has initiated discussions with its lenders to refinance its debt and "optimize" the company's balance sheet — something the company says it "previously stated we intended to do." A group of senior leaders has hired one noted law firm, while a group of second-lien bondholders has engaged another nationally known law practice.

For the last two years, she has served as SVP/GM of KCPQ "FOX 13" and sibling KZJO "JOEtv" in Seattle. Now, the 21-year FOX Television Stations leader who has been overseeing the company's two properties in the Pacific Northwest's biggest market is heading to the Windy City.

Paperwork has been filed at the FCC by Entravision's outside legal counsel, Ari Meltzer of Wiley LLP, that indicates several company executives will be the beneficiaries of the late Walter Ulloa's shares in the company he created.

A potential class action lawsuit against Weigel Broadcasting-owned classic TV and retro radio brand MeTV has been dismissed by an Illinois Federal District Court on the grounds that MeTV did not unlawfully disclose plaintiff's personal "video viewing" history and associated unique Facebook identification.

The Media and Democracy Project has petitioned the FCC seeking to deny WTXF's license renewal. It made the action based on its belief that senior management of FTS parent Fox Corporation "manipulated its audience by knowingly broadcasting false news about the 2020 election." Supporting the group — outspoken former Fox executive Preston Padden.

For customers of Hawaiian Telcom on Oahu with cable TV services, programming from FOX, MyNetwork TV and The CW Network isn't available. It's thanks to the second retransmission consent dispute this week to involve the nation's No. 1 owner of broadcast TV stations — Nexstar Media Group.

RBR+TVBR was first to report on the blockbuster $220,540,000 acquisition of the NBC affiliate serving Southwest Florida and the assumption of a programming relationship with the company that owns the market's ABC, MeTV and Dabl affiliate. Now, the deal has closed.