the HOT List

Nielsen has responded to the increased demand, and desire, of marketers for an effective multimedia metric that will allow it to best gauge where to place media dollars. But, it will be two years until the data, which doesn't include Radio consumption, comes to market. A full transition is four years away.

MAGNA has released its Global Ad Forecast for December/Winter 2020. In this fresh InFOCUS Podcast, EVP/GM for Global Market Intelligence Vincent Letang chats exclusively with RBR+TVBR on linear media trends versus digital on a global scale, and what may lie ahead in 2021 for U.S. radio and TV companies. LISTEN HERE

Hearst Television stations serving communities tied to a "neighboring DMA" are being removed from Comcast's Xfinity lineups in a move directly tied to retransmission consent fee reduction. That's not sitting well with the two U.S. Senators representing Massachusetts, or two Bay State Congressmen. They want the Boston ABC affiliate kept on Xfinity in one key county.

A one-time Beautiful Music radio station owned by ABC that was also a Radio Unica affiliate circa 1998 and later acquired by Multicultural Radio Broadcasting is now being sold. As such, the AM station is poised to become the market's home for BIN: Black Information Network. An Asset Purchase Agreement was filed with the FCC last week, and details emerged Monday.

The company that is presently in a carriage dispute with Nexstar Media Group over retransmission consent fees has just agreed to settle a telemarketing lawsuit brought against the direct broadcast satellite services provider by a host of states. The cost to Dish? It's in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

One of the nation's most respected communications law practitioners got his start in the industry, as did many other radio professionals, by spending more time at his St. Louis University college radio station than in classes. Now, he'll have plenty of time to listen to the radio without distracting his work: John Garziglia is retiring.

On December 9, noted media revenue analyst Gordon Borrell will offer Radio's Financial Summit, Forecast 2021 LIVE, attendees an exclusive look at the findings from a just-completed survey of 944 radio buyers. Ahead of the appearance, Borrell has released topline results from Borrell Associates' 2020 Local Advertiser Survey. What are the key findings?

On Tuesday evening, 63 television stations owned by TEGNA were blocked from DirecTV customers, as talks regarding a new retransmission consent agreement between the two companies failed to reach a fresh deal before the prior accord expired. Twenty-four hours later, an even bigger "blackout" transpired, and it involves Dish and Nexstar.

Retransmission consent is an increasingly troubling problem for broadcast TV. To learn more about the history of retransmission consent and why, perhaps, it is such a contentious matter, former NAB General Counsel Jack Goodman spoke with RBR+TVBR Editor-in-Chief Adam R Jacobson in this fresh InFOCUS Podcast, presented by DOT.FM. LISTEN HERE

BIA Advisory Services has released its U.S. Local Advertising Forecast for 2021. What is it predicting? Growth is the magic word, with a 2.5% year-over-year increase from a year battered by COVID-19.

GroupM Global President of Business Intelligence Brian Wieser is one of a host of top-flight media and advertising industry experts and thought leaders on the agenda for Radio's Financial Summit, the virtual Forecast 2021 LIVE, scheduled for December 8-9. In a taste of what attendees will hear, Wieser has offered his U.S. end-of-year forecast for 2020. He's optimistic.

Want to watch CBS programming in the National Capital Region or in Tampa-St. Petersburg? If you're a DirecTV subscriber, you're out of luck. The same can be said for DirecTV subscribers in markets such as Buffalo and Portland, Ore., who want to watch their local NBC affiliates. Chalk it up to the latest retransmission fee dispute.

The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation has approved three presidential nominations, which are now subject to approval by the full Senate. The trio of Trump selectees includes Section 230-repeal friendly choice Nathan Simington. Will the Senate approve Simington as Mike O'Rielly's FCC successor?

The shift includes the promotions of Romina Rosado and Ronald Day in the Entertainment and Content Strategy division, as a newly redesigned Revenue Strategy and Distribution unit will be led by Peter Blacker. He takes a broader role, reporting to Beau Ferrari.

With the newly established routines of consumers, the colder winter months and increased movement restrictions will further solidify daytime TV as a true work companion, Nielsen believes. In its words, "Understanding these behaviors now is vital, as they can leave a lasting impact on a post lockdown world."