the HOT List

A series of FCC filings made late Tuesday confirm that West Virginia Radio Corp., the entity owned in a partnership between Dale Miller and David and John Raese, is about to get a complexion change in its attributable interest visage. One of these partners is cashing out.

Johnny Green Jr. is being promoted to the top role for ViacomCBS's flagship broadcast TV properties in the Big Apple, now part of a company division that includes CBS News. It follows ViacomCBS's decision to sever its ties with news division leader David Friend, who also ran the New York pair, following tales of gender and racial misconduct.

In just weeks, Texas' oldest licensed broadcast facility will celebrate 100 years of service. At the same time, its entire operations are in jeopardy. What does the future hold for WRR, the Classical station serving the Dallas-Fort Worth market?

It's had a bitter history in recent years with performers union SAG-AFTRA at its two FM radio stations in Los Angeles, with accusations that the company engaged in “a series of unfair labor practices” and by November 2019 had failed to comply in part with a settlement agreement. Now, SAG-AFTRA has been outright decertified at its Chicago FM.

Earlier in the week, it was Little Rock. Now, Central Florida is getting "a taste of the future" as eight Orlando TV stations have banded together to launch NEXTGEN TV in the home of Tomorrowland.

Starting tonight (7/1) at 10pm, a new entrant in the local news war that has been fiercely waging across Western New York for years will arrive. It comes courtesy of Sinclair Broadcast Group, which is launching local news operations at its owned-and-operated FOX affiliate serving Buffalo, Niagara Falls and the Canadian province of Ontario's most populous areas.

ViacomCBS has decided to unify the visual content-focused media company’s domestic and international businesses under what it calls "a simplified global leadership structure." As such, Chris McCarthy and Brian Robbins are each being promoted as George Cheeks takes on a new, expanded role.

One of the world’s top data, insights and consulting companies has appointed a new Group Chief Executive Officer. But, he won't be taking the role until November 1.

David Santrella, president of Broadcast Media for Salem Media Group, was elected chairman of the NAB Joint Board of Directors, NAB announced today. Santrella takes over from Jordan Wertlieb, president of Hearst Television, Inc., whose term expired.

For over-the-air broadcast TV, huge deals have come to fruition since the start of the year. For AM and FM radio, nary a deal that doesn't involve a religious institution has been had. What's to come? Veteran media broker Dick Foreman shares his analysis of the media transactions marketplace in this exclusive podcast, presented by dot.FM. LISTEN HERE

Despite court efforts by the TV industry to shut it down, donation-based Locast continues to grow. It just added its 34th DMA — and it is in the Buckeye State.

The owner of the KLOVE and Air1 noncommercial Christian music networks has acquired a pair of FMs in far Upstate New York. Their signals reach the western suburbs of Montréal, allowing EMF to obtain "border blasters" designed to reach one of Canada's biggest markets.

"The American Music Fairness Act" arrived last week. It looks not so dissimilar to previous attempts to get legislation favoring recording acts passed by Congress, except for one big difference: a tiered royalty structure based on a radio station's annual revenue. Is that enough to woo Members of the House and Senate? Early indicators point to a resounding "No."

Weigel Broadcasting, headed by Norman Shapiro, is expanding with a pair of unbuilt LPTV stations located in two key DMAs. It's a steal of a deal. And, guess who's the seller?

A Florida Democrat and veteran California Republican who left the house in 2018 only to return in 2020 have once again teamed up to introduce Congressional legislation that would place a royalty payment structure on songs AM and FM radio stations play. This, they say, would benefit the recording artist. How is this bill different from others that have failed?