the HOT List

As the $2.65 billion merger between ION Media and The E.W. Scripps Co. winds its way toward completion, a series of amendments have been submitted with the FCC that have seen the inclusion -- and now exclusion -- of three stations that had been designed for sale to INYO Broadcast Holdings, which is getting a host of spin-off properties.

In a major about-face that signals a fresh retransmission consent deal -- perhaps under pressure from key Massachusetts legislators on Capitol Hill -- Comcast's Xfinity cable TV service will no longer be pulling the plug on stations from "neighboring DMAs" that would have seen all Hearst stations not bound by must-carry rules removed from its channel lineups. It's also signals a big victory for WJCL-22.

Townsquare Media on Tuesday moved forward with initiating a $550 million bond offering -- a move that prompted the local media company to pre-release its fourth quarter earnings well ahead of schedule. What does the company have to report with two weeks remaining in 2020? Its COVID-19 recovery is far better than it could have wished for.

Broadcasters supporting the "Phoenix Model Market" project for NEXTGEN TV, along with broadcaster group Pearl TV, have started the initial testing of NEXTGEN TV over limited cable infrastructure. It's being done in the Pacific Northwest's second-largest market, home to stations owned by Meredith Corp., Sinclair Broadcast Group, TEGNA and Nexstar Media Group.

The global TV market is on track to achieve 1.2% growth in 2020 and is set to end the year on more than 233 million shipments. The COVID-19 pandemic is to "thank," if you will, for the forward momentum, a new market report from Futuresource Consulting finds. Trade value has also fared relatively well.

Could it be months before all Nexstar Media Group-owned broadcast TV channels and the WGN America network return to Dish? It just took Cox Media Group, controlled by Apollo Global Management, nearly five months to ink a new deal with the direct broadcast satellite TV services provider.

He began his career as a news anchor and director for a large group of radio stations. Then, he jumped to television, becoming a prime-time news anchor for some of North America's biggest media companies. This culminated in being named a lead news anchor in New York City for one of its top stations, in October 2018. Sadly, cancer has claimed Edgardo del Villar.

ViacomCBS' CBS Television Stations has been issued a summons in a civil action brought against the owner of WFOR-4 in Miami-Fort Lauderdale by a former freelance reporter who claims the station engaged in wage discrimination — and, as a result, gender discrimination. CBS now has until December 29 to respond.

On December 2, the nation’s No. 1 broadcast TV station owner saw its over-the-air stations and its recently acquired WGN America cable network blocked from Dish subscribers, as negotiations reached a stalemate over a new retransmission consent deal. A resolution is not expected soon. That said, Nexstar has gained new clearance for WGN America.

Are companies such as Ford and General Motors aware of what NEXTGEN TV can provide? Yes, says Anne Schelle, the Managing Director of Pearl TV, who speaks exclusively with Editor-in-Chief Adam R Jacobson in this InFOCUS Podcast, presented by DOT.FM. LISTEN HERE

Yes, there was an agenda. But there were stories about Buffalo and a lemonade stand, too, and smiles as the FCC's December Open Meeting entered its first 15 minutes on Zoom. It's the end of an era, and the meeting was the last for one of its Republican Commissioners -- with its Chairman's goodbye scheduled for January 13, 2021.

On Wednesday, Oregon Republican House Member Greg Walden, who opted not to seek re-election, delivered his farewell remarks on the House Floor. He's retiring from more than 30 years of public service -- including 22 in Congress.

Nathan Simington will take his seat as a Commissioner, replacing Mike O'Rielly, with the transition in power at the White House from President Trump to Joe Biden. Concurrently, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai will step down, as is traditional with a change in executive branch leadership. While Washington is abuzz about a possible FCC "deadlock" come January 21, is that a true worry?

Deloitte on Tuesday released its "2021 Technology, Media & Telecommunications (TMT) Predictions," which highlights how worldwide trends in TMT may affect businesses and consumers worldwide. In addition, the report highlights how many of these trends are being driven by the global pandemic's economic and societal impacts.

It may be non-binding, but it certainly has meaning. The House of Representatives on Wednesday passed H. Res 549, a resolution reaffirming the lower body of Congress’ commitment to diversity in media.