the HOT List

The NAB on Wednesday submitted an "ex parte" brief with the FCC pertaining to the voluntary transition of broadcast television stations to the ATSC 3.0 standard, which powers NEXTGEN TV. Why? The NAB wants Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel to establish an ATSC 3.0 task force focused on making the transition as swift as possible, while ensuring viewers have access to free, local television signals at all stages of the shift.

Streaming's pivot to profitability over subscriber growth has forced media companies to re-evaluate business models, S&P says in its newly released Media & Entertainment 2023 Top Trends report. Concurrently, S&P says Linear TV's decline is accelerating with higher cord cutting, declining audiences, and weakened advertising. Can media manage this decline as they invest in streaming?

In November 2021, FOX Television Stations, and perhaps all of its affiliates, suddenly found themselves potentially liable for its use of an emergency alert system (EAS) code in what appeared to viewers as a somewhat mysterious “NFL EMERGENCY ALERT” supporting the Philadelphia Eagles pro football club. Now, FOX faces a huge $504k proposed FCC fine.

The Justice Department on Tuesday filed a civil antitrust suit against Google for monopolizing multiple digital advertising technology products in violation of Sections 1 and 2 of the Sherman Act. The NAB says it is carefully reviewing the complaint, because "for years, broadcasters have been sounding the alarm over the anti-competitive practices of the Big Tech platforms."

Rogers Communications' proposed $15 billion USD merger with Shaw Communications — which includes a spin off Shaw’s Freedom Mobile unit to Québec-based Vidéotron — has been given the green light by the Federal Court of Appeal in Ottawa. Now, only one individual has the power to stop it, and that's not likely to transpire.

In Northern Illinois and in Central Iowa, Shaw Media has been the home of "independent local news" since 1851, thanks to its collection of print publications including newspapers and magazines.  And, it is this Shaw, helmed by President/CEO John Rung, that is taking advantage of the erasure of the FCC's media cross-ownership rule by adding six FMs, an AM and an FM translator through an associated entity under the Shaw Local Radio Co. name.

With rumors swirling that a February 22 must-close date for the deal will be extended for three weeks and high-profile Members of Congress questioning the transaction, Standard General Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer Soohyung Kim offered a statement — and an interview opportunity — to the press as part of his latest effort to get the Commission to say yes. RBR+TVBR obliged, and asked Soo to share what he believes is the biggest sticking point at the FCC for the deal. LISTEN HERE

He's been associated with KXLN-45 since 2014 and rose from VP/Sales Director to VP/Station Manager for the TelevisaUnivision station. Now, he's risen to the role of President/GM. And, he's grabbing the reins of the company's radio stations in the market. 

On-air personalities at one of the nation's most-watched Spanish-language broadcast television stations — anchors and reporters alike — have overwhelmingly voted for unionization, with representation by SAG-AFTRA.

He is a former FCC Chairman and Commissioner as well as the agency's ex-General Counsel who has become one of the most prominent media and telecom lawyers in the U.S. On March 6, he'll be honored as the recipient of the Broadcasters Foundation of America's 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award.

Two respected Wall Street media analysts each released their latest investor outlooks on OTT giant Netflix on Friday. One financial house raised its target price on NFLX by $10 to $250. The other took a far more aggressive leap, hiking it by $25 to a year-end target price of $400.

A virtual Town Hall conducted Thursday by the NAB served as a dissemination point for the nation's biggest advocacy organization serving broadcast radio and television to share what its plan of action on Capitol Hill is for the next 12 months, now that the 118th Congressional Session has commenced and Cathy McMorris Rodgers is now Chair of the powerful House Energy & Commerce Committee.

What will come in 2023 for the OTT giant will now be under the day-to-day purview of co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters. That's because Reed Hastings is going by the titles of founder and Executive Chairman. And, that seems to be positive news for investors, as Netflix was up sharply in immediate after-hours trading on Thursday.

The initiative, which sees the television advertising advocacy group team up with the 4A's and CIMM, will involve "an extensive program of research, consultation, and engagement with the industry, helping to identify and evaluate the options for buyers and sellers."

The CW Network, owned by Nexstar, and LIV Golf have agreed to the golf league's first-ever U.S. broadcast television and streaming agreement. It's a multi-year agreement, beginning with the 2023 LIV Golf League season. The CW Network will air 14 global LIV Golf League live events in 2023 and will stream the events live on The CW App.