the HOT List

On July 13,  paperwork was submitted to the FCC seeking its approval of the sale of a former Tribune Media property serving the Big Apple. The buyer? A favored shared services partner of Nexstar Media Group. The Commission gave its blessing to the deal, and on Wednesday it formally closed.

With 2021 just two days away, what more could Dish deal with in a year that saw retrans tussles with The E.W. Scripps Co., Nexstar and Cox Media Group? Just ask the owners of a trio of TV stations that have taken the lead in the rollout of NEXTGEN TV and ATSC 3.0.

On October 19, a broker release obtained by RBR+TVBR revealed that Ramar Communications had agreed to sell The CW Network affiliate in Lubbock, along with two low-power facilities, to Gray Television. This required a closer look by the FCC, and it has just given its decision on the deal. It's saying yes to the transaction, brokered by Kalil & Co.

The FCC last week gave the green light -- with agreed-to conditions -- to Searchlight III UTD and ForgeLight's acquisition of a majority stake of Univision Holdings. This set the wheels in motion on reaching a closing date before the end of 2020, as originally envisioned. On Tuesday afternoon, the transaction was formally consummated.

Across December, stories of discord and disconnect dominated the headlines, as disgruntled MVPD customers were left to bemoan the loss of local TV stations due to two big retransmission consent fee impasses. As 2020 comes to a close, Gray Television can rejoice in its signing of a carriage agreement with the nation's No. 5 cable TV services provider.

On Wall Street, a "SPAC" is shorthand for a "Special Purpose Acquisition Company." The man who once owned Major League Baseball's Seattle Mariners has just formed one, and it marks his desire to establish a media company that could be the latest entity to take advantage of growth in sports gaming and content focused on the bettor, if not broader areas.

The agreement restores Nexstar’s 164 local television stations across the country and Nexstar’s wholly-owned cable network, WGN America, to DISH Network’s programming line-up. WGN America will also launch on DISH’s streaming service, Sling TV, in early 2021. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Gray Television has moved forward with the submission to the FCC of a formal Good Faith Complaint against Frontier Communications in response to the MVPD's failure to reach a new retransmission consent agreement tied to one of its legacy systems for an ABC affiliate serving Sarasota and Bradenton, Fla., and two stations in South Carolina.

The U.S. House of Representatives Member representing Florida's Suncoast region has written to the FCC to express his concerns over the failure of Gray Television and Frontier Communications to reach a new retransmission consent agreement for one of its legacy systems and the primary ABC affiliate for this portion of the vast Tampa DMA.

In early November, RBR+TVBR was first to report on a transaction that sees HC2 Holdings say goodbye to a trio of digital full-power TV stations — along with a LPTV facility in the Valley of the Sun. Now, the deal has gained FCC approval.

Gray Television is dealing with a retransmission consent feud focused on a single Sunshine State property. The MVPD at the center of the dispute, which has led to the latest "blackout" of a free-to-air TV station? Frontier Communications. And, it's a complex matter involving legacy customers to a grandfathered service.

On December 1, TEGNA-owned stations faded to black on DirecTV lineups across the U.S. as a new retransmission consent agreement could not be reached, resulting in subscriber ire and many letters to RBR+TVBR. Sunday morning saw the announcement that a new deal had been reached -- just in time for National Football League coverage.

With the retirement of Ranking Member Greg Walden and the expected transition of power at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW to President-Elect Joe Biden, the committee in the House of Representatives that oversees the FCC has appointed five new Democratic members. They'll take their seats with the start of the 117th Congress. And, they are all women.

Friday marked Day 15 of the "blackout" of all Nexstar Media Group-owned broadcast TV stations and the WGN America cable TV network across Dish lineups. Is there an end on the horizon? Maybe. But, Nexstar has a new option for disgruntled Dish customers that want their NewsNation and other WGN America programming -- and its an over-the-top platform.

For stock watchers, one thing has become very clear over the last several weeks on Wall Street: The nation's No. 1 audio entertainment and media company, iHeart, is seeing a strong recovery from its COVID-19 pandemic-fueled low. On the other hand, shakiness abounds for Entercom shares.