the HOT List

HC2 Holdings Inc., the owner of low-power TV stations across the U.S. formerly led by Philip Falcone, confirmed Friday (1/22) that it is seeking to refinance all of its existing 11.500% senior secured notes due 2021 and a portion of existing 7.5% convertible senior notes due 2022.

Despite what station management led by Rob Rohr (pictured) calls its "best efforts," the dominant TV station serving Ohio's Miami Valley was "blacked out" by a small MVPD serving a county due north of metropolitan Dayton. There's a lot more to the story, as the county impacted is the subject of a 2018 FCC action that amended the market for this Dayton TV station.

The controversial donation-based broadcast TV service provider that says it is a non-profit — thus avoiding retransmission consent negotiations — has debuted in two more markets in the U.S. Southeast. One is a major banking hub and home to Bank of America. The other is home to the nation's biggest collection of theme parks.

With the November 2016 election and subsequent transition to Republican leadership at the FCC, Jessica Rosenworcel became a political pawn. She left on Inauguration Day 2017, unable to secure a re-nomination — only to return six months later thanks to President Trump. Now, he's indirectly responsible for her ascension to interim FCC leader.

What are the most important policy issues facing local television and radio stations during the 117th congress that the NAB will be advocating to policymakers and Members of Congress? That was distributed on Thursday, one day after Joe Biden was sworn in as President of the United States.

FCC v. Prometheus is certainly a huge matter, but other legal issues impacting radio and TV in 2021 deserve attention. What’s the first one that comes to mind to Gregg Skall, the noted Washington, D.C. communications attorney with boutique firm Telecommunication Law Professionals? Find out in the latest InFOCUS Podcast, presented by DOT.FM. LISTEN HERE

It's a topic of conversation no one wants to have: a big transaction that a company hoped to close didn't make it to the finish line. That's exactly what has transpired with multiple deals involving Deb McDermott and radio and TV properties found across the Twin Tiers of Pennsylvania and New York; and TV stations that were to be sold by Bill Christian and Mike Reed.

In November 2020, RBR+TVBR first reported on the October 16 signing of an Asset Purchase Agreement that would see the transfer of ownership of a pair of UHF properties to Soohyung Kim-led Standard Media Group from Sinclair Broadcast Group. The FCC last week gave its blessing to the sale.

What's the key takeaway from the 82-minute Supreme Court hearing of oral arguments in "FCC v. Prometheus," the cross-ownership rule remand appeal? Several justices seemed confused by what they are being asked to judge, and the Justice Department's Deputy Solicitor General serving as the FCC's counsel was definitely on the hot seat.

The U.S. Supreme Court for exactly 82 minutes on Tuesday morning heard a consolidated oral argument in "FCC v. Prometheus Radio Project," the Commission's appeal of a lower court's remand of its cross-ownership media rule rewrite. Fletcher Heald & Hildreth attorney Davina Sashkin provides an exclusive analysis of what transpired in this podcast, presented by DOT.FM. LISTEN HERE

Over the long MLK Day holiday weekend, a report from one Wall Street observer that claimed noted investor Warren Buffet had snagged "a 24.9% passive stake" in The E.W. Scripps Co. attracted much attention, including that of RBR+TVBR. Scripps now says that's not what's happening. Rather, Buffett is helping Scripps out with its ION Media purchase.

This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NATPE Miami conference is a virtual affair. And, it kicks off Tuesday (1/19) with four days of sessions that very much includes production -- in addition to content, research and investment.

What is the relationship between the number of independent local television news operations in a market and the size of the market, as measured by number of television households? That's a question two members of the FCC's Office of Economics and Analytics have addressed in a "Working Paper" that points to further DMA-level consolidation of news operations.

The controversial donation-based local broadcast TV streaming service that bills itself as a "digital translator" has entered yet another market. This time, Locast is planting stakes in Wisconsin — a timely move for Green Bay Packers fans looking forward to viewing their next National Football League playoff match.

In August 2019, the FCC revealed that several owned by Cumulus Media were in violation of a rule one Cumulus station broke before, resulting in a Consent Decree it ended up violating. The result? A hefty Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture. Now, despite the dissent of Geoffrey Starks, the Commission has signed off on a forfeiture order.