the HOT List

Norman Shapiro's Weigel Broadcasting has just signed off on the purchase of three over-the-air broadcast television facilities serving the nation's second-largest television market. The seller: An entity that among its properties were low-powered TV stations using VHF Channel 6 to serve radio listeners with audio at 87.7 MHz.

Weigel Broadcasting is expanding into the National Capital Region by acquiring a low-power TV facility based in the county seat of Shenandoah County, Va., nearly 100 miles from the White House.

Streamline Publishing, founded in 1986 with the creation of radio industry sales and management trade publication Radio Ink and today a diversified publisher of print and digital titles focused on the art and media industries, has elevated Deborah Parenti to the role of President of the Radio, TV & Podcasting Division.

The NAB is offering comment on a FCC Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that focuses on a number of broadcast radio technical rules under consideration for elimination or adjustment. Elimination, you say? The NAB appreciates erasing or updating "unnecessary or outmoded regulations" and supports many of the proposals. But, it suggests the FCC proceed with caution.

On Thursday morning, the owner of broadcast TV stations, two digital multicast networks, a podcast network and Connected TV/OTT advertising platform Premion "updated" its share repurchasing plan, renewed in December 2020. How so? It is accelerating the repurchase of shares, and it is "driven by accelerated achievement" of TEGNA's leverage target.

Philip Falcone's re-emergence as the CEO of Sovryn Holdings, following his not-so-savory split with HC2 Holdings in 2020, has captured headlines across 2021. Under his leadership, HC2 was a buyer. Now, Sovryn is shaping up to be an acquisition player, too. Falcone has just signed off on paperwork that will bring him a Big Apple low-power TV property.

The FCC has quietly released its Fifth Report on the ownership of broadcast media stations in the U.S. The latest findings led Commissioner Geoffrey Starks to react. In his view, the data only strengthen the need for action on the "lack of progress" toward increasing the number of owners who are women and/or people of color.

The Media Bureau of the FCC wants to know just how accessible children's educational and informational programming is. The reaction from GOP members of the Commission, and perhaps Republicans in Congress, could be fiery. The Pai Commission largely ruled that such programming is widely available, nixing rules for commercial TV.

If it were up to the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters (NABOB), zero amendments should be made as part of the FCC’s 2018 Quadrennial Review of its broadcast ownership rules. This presents a direct challenge to positions taken by a group of nine radio broadcasting companies and the view of the NAB, setting up a possible intra-industry battle on a fiery issue.

No less than nine radio station licensees, along with a very well-known broker, have teamed up in offering joint comments that reiterates what many in the industry have desired for years: "modernization" of its cross-ownership rules.

The decision comes less than 48 hours after a New York Federal District Court declined to honor Locast's request for summary judgment in a case focused on copyright infringement brought against the operation by the nation's "Big Four" broadcast TV networks.

It was only a matter of time. The Media Rating Council on Wednesday saw its Board of Directors vote in favor of a suspension of the MRC's accreditation of Nielsen's national television service. It is also removing the current accreditation hiatus status designation from Nielsen's Local People Meter and Set Meter Markets and will suspend accreditation for these markets.

As the "American Music Fairness Act" withers away in the U.S. House of Representatives, the NAB-based "Local Radio Freedom Act" — the non-binding resolution opposing "any new performance fee, tax, royalty, or other charge" on local broadcast radio stations — has gained even more support. As of August 30, 12 Members have added their support, including a key GOP House E&C Member.

Today, not only is the management at WPLG-10 in Miami breathing a sigh of relief, but its hefty legal fees are now poised to be paid for by the Miami Gardens, Fla., pastor that sued the station for $50 million.

Spanish Broadcasting System (SBS) has submitted its second quarter 2021 financial results to the Securities and Exchange Commission. What does the company majority-controlled by Raúl Alarcón Jr. have to report for the three-month period ending June 30?