the HOT List

On December 1, Evoca TV revealed that it would have to "discontinue operations and programming” on Saturday, December 31, if it was unsuccessful in obtaining funds to keep the lights on. RBR+TVBR was first to learn that those efforts have failed, despite late assurances the funding would come.

Standard General, the investment house led by Soohyung Kim has made good on its word not to hike retransmission consent rates of TEGNA stations to those negotiated for Cox Media Group properties.

Standard General, headed by Soohyung Kim, and TEGNA expected their transformative broadcast TV industry privatization effort to close by the end of 2022. That's not happening, as the FCC has opened another comment period to allow the public to chime in on the latest round of concessions to help sway a regulatory OK.

Wright started his radio career in 1958 as a teenage disk jockey at his family owned station in Wausau, Wisc., WRIG-AM. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, he returned to manage WRIG and its FM companion, which he put on the air in 1964. ​​From those beginnings came a radio broadcasting career of over 40 years, during which he built a Midwest broadcasting empire.

YouTube Primetime Channels is the streaming marketplace within the YouTube app; YouTube TV is the vMVPD service that offers live cable channels, where NFL Network and RedZone are available. As of the 2023-2024 NFL season, NFL Sunday Ticket will also be available on each Alphabet Inc. owned service through an exclusive deal inked Thursday.

The Senate passed legislation introduced one year ago by Missouri Republican Roy Blunt that would provide a one-year period during which eligible LPTVs may apply to the FCC for Class A licenses. The LPTV Broadcasters Association is furious and wanted companion legislation in the House thwarted. That didn't happen.

"There was no press release. The information being reported on was based on an interview with Ad Age." That's the official comment from Nielsen regarding substantial leadership changes that include the exit of Nielsen Audio Managing Director Brad Kelly. They are victims of a reduction-in-force initiative that has resulted in a promotion for Karthik Rao.

Yes, video screens are coming to cars, trucks, SUVs and other vehicles as autonomy is predicted to increase in the coming years. That's why Sinclair Broadcast Group is pioneering an infotainment product that directly leverages the power behind NEXTGEN TV.

Just-released data from Kagan, the media research unit of S&P Global Market Intelligence, show broadcast deal volume in the third quarter of 2022 was largely fueled not by the TV market but instead by the radio market.

With the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act's omission from a Congressional omnibus bill, there will likely be no legislative action during this Congressional session. At the same time, the much-ballyhooed but lightly supported American Music Fairness Act, introduced by now-retired Democratic House Member Ted Deutch of Florida, appears to have also met its end.

In July 2021 Nexstar Media Group filed an 11-page complaint in a New York court it says it was "forced" to do because Comcast "flouted the terms" of their retransmission consent agreement and "refused to pay millions of dollars in fees owed to Nexstar.” Now, 17 months later and rather quietly, "Nexstar recently settled outstanding litigation involving Comcast," with word shared only Tuesday by Nexstar.

As a "blackout" of Cox stations on Dish began in late November, one accusation of CMG from Dish was particularly fiery and involved TEGNA. Was Dish accurate in its version of the retrans impasse? Yes, it seems. Standard General says no CMG stations will be included in TEGNA retrans negotiations. Even so, the ATVA, of which Dish is a member, wants the deal killed.

Legendary radio personality and programmer Scott Shannon and co-host Patty Steele hosted their final show for Audacy Corp.'s Classic Hits WCBS-FM in New York on Friday, concluding an 8 1/2 year run that came after Shannon's first "retirement," from former Hot Adult Contemporary WPLJ. The focus was on fundraising and supporting a children's hospital, and not on their exit.

On Tuesday, it appeared that the latest retransmission consent dispute was all but ready to rear its ugly head, resulting in a "blackout" of such stations as WPXI-11 in Pittsburgh and WFXT-25 in Boston. As daylight came on Friday, so did an announcement from Cox Media Group media relations: A new deal has been reached with a regional MVPD with a footprint in two of its markets.

The E.W. Scripps Co. on Thursday confirmed the launch of a new division to be named Scripps Sports. Chosen to lead the new division is the individual who has led the Local Media arm of Scripps for 13 years.