the HOT List

The FCC "has outlived the economic and technological conditions that justified its creation." That's the view of American Enterprise Institute nonresident senior fellow Mark Jamison. In a "working paper," Jamison explains how the Commission is presently in a "mission vacuum," and should disappear.

The NAB has distributed a communiqué touting how "free, local broadcast television and radio stations are more than trusted sources of news, emergency updates and community connection." For the association, radio and TV stations "are a vital infrastructure supporting every corner of American life."

Acrimony was met with cordiality as the House Energy & Commerce Committee conducted a lengthy oversight hearing of the FCC. It was expected, with friendly GOP leaders effusive as Democrats largely blasted the Trump Administration for what it views as meritless meddling. 

The FCC adopted and released a Protective Order that codifies procedures that limits access to proprietary or confidential information in its consideration of Nexstar Media Group's proposed acquisition of TEGNA — a deal that cannot be done without Commission rule "modernization" or waivers.

Thanks to a bipartisan appropriations bill, Congress has approved the dollars the FCC has asked for in its FY 2026 budget request — locking in a move under Chairman Brendan Carr to make the Commission a leaner, technology-driven compliance model.

A strong fiscal Q1 2026 for Radio and another troubling quarter for TV were expected by Corus Entertainment executives. For CEO John Gossling, his focus is on the company's "significant progress" in closing Corus' proposed recapitalization plan reducing its $500 million CDN-plus in debt and liabilities.

It is an Audacy-owned FM serving the Bay Area for nearly 15 years with sports-focused programming. To help boost its audience and signal penetration to the south, this Class B facility licensed to San Francisco and using a San Bruno tower has signed a deal with GeoBroadcast Solutions.

Last month, the FCC's Media Bureau disagreed with Altafiber that Nexstar Media Group engaged in "good faith" violations as they pertain to retransmission consent negotiations. Altafiber isn't satisfied with acting Bureau Chief Erin Boone's decision, and wants the three voting members of the FCC to consider its case.

Do the Supreme Court’s recent decisions in Loper Bright and Jarkesy deliver the message that a federal agency’s financial penalty decision could not be the final one, leaving it to the judicial system to assess? Verizon and AT&T each think so, and sought input from the Supreme Court. Its now agreed to review the matter.

On August 14, 2025, Nexstar Media Group shares surged to an all-time high of $211.31, and then began a three-month downturn. Since then, however, Nasdaq-traded "NXST" has experienced a sharp rebound, with a strong upward trajectory that began in early December. It hasn't ceased.

It was reintroduced at the start of 2025, and again attracted overwhelming bipartisan support from Members of Congress. Yet, the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act has stalled in both the House of Representatives and U.S. Senate. The Commander-in-Chief has made it clear he wants forward movement on the proposal.

It's a company that describes itself as a "systems integrator for safe, scalable beyond-visual line of sight operations for unmanned and autonomous aircraft." It is also an increasingly important technology entity to the broadcast TV industry, which explains why The E.W. Scripps Co. is teaming for a pilot project.

Fresh off a Senate Commerce Committee gathering that saw Democrats gang up on Chairman Brendan Carr by vociferously condemning his leadership, the House E&C Committee will be holding its own FCC Oversight Hearing next week.

Advertising has entered the artificial intelligence age in a whole new way, thanks to a partnership between NBCUniversal and Comcast's FreeWheel unit; independent agency RPA; and Newton Research. With the four entities working together, one can now buy "premium video" using agentic AI across both linear and digital platforms.

The Video Advertising Bureau is recommending the choice of either "Households" or "Persons 2+" as new co-standards for video audience guarantees. The recommended move "evolves the legacy buy/sell practice of guarantees on narrower, linear-TV-centric standards such as Adults 25-54," says the VAB.