the HOT List

Gigi Sohn as a FCC Commissioner would sit out on matters involving retransmission consent or TV broadcast copyright for the first three years of her term. She has also agreed to recuse herself for four years from a docket concerning retransmission consent.

The Senate Commerce Committee will consider the nomination of a highly controversial figure the Biden Administration wants seated as the fifth FCC Commissioner. At the same time, the House Judiciary Committee is moving forward with consideration of proposed legislation that would impose a tiered royalty structure on music played on AM and FM radio stations across the U.S.

As of today, there's a new individual charged with overseeing the day-to-day management for the eight ABC-owned television stations owned by The Walt Disney Company.

A veteran local media executive who most recently served as VP/GM of the CBS affiliate in Atlanta recently transferred to Gray Television through its merger with Meredith Corporation has returned to the Golden State capital affectionally called by some as Cowtown.

In December 2021, all seemed to tilt in favor of McDonald's as a federal judge dismissed a racial discrimination lawsuit filed against the fast-food giant by Allen-held Entertainment Studios. But, the judge left the door open for ES to file a Second Amended Complaint. Allen's team moved forward with this filing, leading McDonald's to ask the judge to dismiss it. He declined.

By law, Dish on January 12 blocked its customers from receiving a group of stations in Kentucky, Illinois and Ohio. It was the latest retransmission fee impasse to surface in recent years. Now, it has ended. But, there's chatter that another carriage dispute has just been resolved, hours before a "blackout" by law was to take place.

The company co-founded by CEO Daniel Barreto has widened its nearly five-year partnership with Hearst Television, giving the broadcast TV station owner's "FAST" live channel content another distribution point.

In the final days of 2020, the FCC approved a request by Univision to accept foreign investment in excess of the 25% benchmark set forth in its regulations. Then, in summer 2021, the company sought the Commission’s OK for two specific non-U.S. based entities to grab a share of Univision ownership. A Declaratory Ruling was released by the Commission on Friday.

A new "virtual Over the Air" streaming service offering a "local broadcast bundle" based on one's location has been brought to market. And, the company offering the service says it is the first and only legal platform seen yet in the United States. We've got the exclusive details on LocalBTV's rollout.

Ken Paxton, the Attorney General of the State of Texas, has a beef with Google. And, it involves air personalities employed by iHeartMedia. The issue: the radio talents endorsed products that, the Lone Star State says, they never, ever used.

After a stint with Dish and Sling after exiting as President/CEO of Fuse TV, Michael Schwimmer is heading back to the U.S. Hispanic market in a big way. 

It's official: Procter & Gamble Co. was the top parent advertiser in the U.S. for the second year in a row, thanks to millions of spots airing on the radio and TV stations and cable TV channels offering local drop-in capabilities across 2021 tracked by iHeartMedia-owned Media Monitors.

Emily Barr has delivered strong results for Graham Media Group’s local television stations, found in Houston, Detroit, San Antonio, Orlando, Jacksonville, and in Roanoke, Va. She’s also become a familiar figure on Capitol Hill, thanks to her role as the NAB’s Television Board Chair. Now, Barr has announced her retirement.

New year, new MVPD impasse. Last week, Dish subscribers across a slew of Midwestern states lost access to local television stations owned by Block Communications. As is the case with such disagreements, both sides are blaming each other.

More business groups are pushing lawmakers to pass a single national standard for consumer privacy. The ANA and IAB are among the groups that want legislation.