Wednesday, August 5, 2026

Ed Stolz Loses Ninth Circuit Appeal, But Still Controls Stations

The Ninth Circuit Federal Appeals Court has affirmed a District Court's decision to deny the termination of a receivership that stripped Ed Stolz of his radio stations, placed them in a trust overseen by respected media broker Larry Patrick, and saw the stations sold in a single deal to non-secular broadcast ministry VCY America. "This is a big loss for Stolz," Patrick said. But, is it more symbolic than a determinative action?
David Kenny

Nielsen Privatization Plan Gets Shareholder Approval

It was supposed to happen in early August but was postponed to allow Nielsen to secure agreement with major shareholder The WindAcre Partnership LLC. On September 1, a U.K. court meeting and subsequent shareholder vote went as planned, putting Nielsen on target for a privatization scheduled to close no later than Halloween.

Gray To Retire ‘CBS46’ With New Call Letters and Brand

He hinted at an upcoming brand evolution at the CBS affiliate serving Atlanta owned by Gray Television in a recent InFOCUS Podcast. Now, VP/GM Erik Schrader can share all of the details. WGCL-TV, known today as "CBS46," is disappearing. New call letters and branding are on the way — along with a positioning away from its network affiliation. 
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A Bumpy Revenue Road Ahead for OTA TV?

Justin Nielson, a Senior Research Analyst for S&P Global Market Intelligence's Kagan arm, has crunched the numbers based on projections and forecasts. While revenue at over-the-air TV is expected to return to pre-pandemic levels, growth over the next six years is expected to be flat.

LATV Forges A Sales and Marketing Pact With Entravision

It was once a niche television station based in Los Angeles that today is a minority-owned and operated media company serving the U.S. Hispanic community as a content hub, talent incubator and cultural advocate. Now, it is getting a bit of sales and marketing support from an entity with roots in Spanish-language broadcast media.
U.S. Congress

‘Local Radio Freedom Act’ Earns House Majority Support

It's great news for the National Association of Broadcasters and the entire radio broadcasting industry, and perhaps not-so-great news for former Congressman Joe Crowley and pro-music industry advocacy organization musicFIRST.
Wall Street

Powell’s Plunge: Fed Chair Rate Hike Pledge Sinks Stocks

Media stocks were largely in the red on Friday. Why? Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said the Fed would more than likely move forward with additional interest rate hikes in the coming months. This would tighten credit for many households, and has the potential for layoffs.
Ray Cole

A Remembrance Of A Media Sales and Brokerage Pioneer

In recognition of the late Frank Boyle’s contributions to the broadcast media industry, Citadel Communications President/COO Ray Cole penned a heartfelt tribute. Boyle is widely known for his time at Eastman Radio, and as a successful media broker. RBR+TVBR is pleased to share Cole's words, and several e-mail exchanges he enjoyed with Boyle in recent years.
Ed Christian

Saga CEO Stock Passes On as Lada’s Compensation Plan Is Shared

As of the date of his passing on August 19, Ed Christian held approximately 65% of the combined voting power of Saga's common stock, based on Class B Common Stock generally being entitled to 10 votes per share. As a result, Christian was generally able to control the vote on most matters submitted to the vote of stockholders and, therefore, was able to direct nearly all Saga management and policies. With Christian's passing, here's what is transpiring with respect to his Saga shares.

Respected Media Broker Frank Boyle Dies At 96

As a broker, he engineered deals that involved such companies as Inner City Broadcasting and Dimes Media. He was also a prolific opinion writer for RBR+TVBR under its founder, Jim Carnegie. Now, the broadcast media world is pausing to remember Frank Boyle, who died Tuesday (8/23), his son James Boyle has shared.

Audacy Shares Hit A New Low On the NYSE

On November 2, 2008, with the "Great Recession" rampaging across Wall Street and the nation, "ETM" reached a new low. On April 7, 2020, with COVID-19 pandemic woes sending many media stocks downward, what is today "AUD" almost matched that 2008 dip. Audacy has now etched into its history books a new low. As the Closing Bell rang on Wednesday, AUD fell to $0.55 per share.
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Global Ad Spend Growth: From Jump To Slump

Global advertising spend is projected to surge this year, thanks to a boost from the U.S. midterm elections and the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar scheduled to begin in November. While that's great news, the projections for 2023 courtesy of WARC are less than stellar, as "investment is inhibited by cooling economic conditions and third-party cookie blocking online."
Wall Street

Saga Shares Continue To Grow Following CEO’s Passing

On a trading day when nearly everything was in the red at the Closing Bell, Saga Communications shares soared in heavy trading on Monday. The gains came following the announcement that the radio industry pure-play's founder had died on Friday, and a succession plan is in place. On Tuesday, the climb continued.
Ed Christian, Saga Communications CEO

Saga Founder, Leader Ed Christian Dies After Short Illness

Saga Communications, the Michigan-based radio broadcasting company, announced "with great respect and sorrow" the passing of Ed Christian. Saga's founder and CEO passed away on Friday, August 19, after a short illness.

Enforcement Bureau Continues EEO Audits

The FCC's Enforcement Bureau has issued the second set of Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) audit letters for 2022 to randomly selected radio and television stations. Who's on the list of radio and television stations included in this audit?