the HOT List

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai revealed that he intends to move forward with a FCC rulemaking to clarify the meaning of Section 230 -- something Republicans on Capitol Hill are screaming for in the wake of actions taken by Facebook and Twitter to block a controversial New York Post story involving Joe Biden's son from being shared. He'll likely have the help of Nathan Simington.

In an eye-opening Hispanic Radio Conference LIVE keynote address and subsequent Q&A with RBR+TVBR Editor-in-Chief Adam R Jacobson, FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks made it exceptionally clear on where he stands with respect to the nation's airwaves. In short, more needs to be done to ensure ownership diversity, and a variety of broadcast voices.

With Scripps set to grow with its $2.65 billion merger with ION Media, Lisa Knutson and Laura Tomlin are getting new, expanded roles at The E.W. Scripps Co.

While questions will persist for months on whether or not civil charges will be filed against TEGNA and KUSA-9 in response to the death of a Denver protester at the hands of an unlicensed contract security officer arranged by the station through Pinkerton, one thing regarding TEGNA seems to be certain: its third-quarter 2020 results are downright peachy.

The E.W. Scripps Co. is agreeing to buy ION Media — the broadcast media network with roots in the Paxson Communications operation — for $2.65 billion. The deal will not run afoul of FCC Top Four rule regulations, as Scripps said in late September it will divest of 23 ION stations. Details regarding those station spins are now known, thanks to an FCC filing made by Ion.

Who are the individuals behind INYO? INYO is a new company, however its personnel include individuals "with decades of experience in the media sector." According to an FCC filing, INYO is formed by Methuselah Advisors, an investment firm with experience in broadcast and other media interests. Among INYO's leaders are two Methuselah managing partners.

In the South, there is a veteran owner of radio stations and print publications that, until COVID-19's arrival, also organized and hosted various street fairs and events targeting Latinos. The media entity is part of a larger organization that includes a meat packing plant, and restaurants. Learn more about how income diversity helped in tough times in this fresh InFOCUS Podcast presented by Dot.FM. LISTEN HERE

Across the state of Ohio, Gray Television has until now operated the ABC affiliate in Toledo, the CBS and CW affiliates in Cleveland, the FOX affiliate in Cincinnati, and the CBS, FOX and NBC affiliates in the Parkersburg, W. Va.-Marietta, Ohio market. Now, Gray is growing with the purchase of a Class A in North Central Ohio. What is Gray's plan?

An individual contracted by a private security company was hired by a TEGNA TV station in Denver to protect its field reporter at a protest. Things went horribly wrong, with the security guard fatally shooting one protester. Now, some in the media industry are wondering if TEGNA faces a legal challenge -- or if it is an innocent party tied to a terrible tragedy.

With OTT and Connected TV spots hot commodities, more dollars aren't coming to visual media. Rather, current expenditures are being shifted around, new data from Borrell Associates show. As such, broadcast media is being hurt by yet another tech innovation designed to suck audiences -- and dollars -- away from "traditional" vehicles.

Take a look at Page 5 of Gray Television's 106-page bond Offering Memorandum, and you'll see something that hasn't been done before by the broadcast television company. That would be third quarter 2020 guidance, which was accompanied by full-year political guidance that's a bit rosier for Gray than previously forecast.

Could the right programming make a positive difference for audio media targeting Spanish speakers in COVID-19 times? It's an important question tackled by some of the top radio programming executives serving U.S. Hispanics, and a programming leader at a top Mexican broadcasting company, in the latest Hispanic Radio Conference LIVE! session, conducted Thursday.

Once a host on NBC's "Real People," Byron Allen is today at the helm of one of the most successful broadcast media growth stories of today. He's the founder of Entertainment Studios and Chairman/CEO of growing TV station owner Allen Media Group. So, why was Allen a keynote speaker at the virtual 2020 Radio Show on Thursday?

Sixteen years ago, a Michigan FOX affiliate shut down its local news operation, after nearly seven years of producing a 10pm newscast, a 5:30pm weekday offering and a Sunday night sports show. Since then, this station has relied on a Gray Television-owned property in the market to produce its newscasts. As of early 2021, that arrangement will end.

With final data for the third quarter still being computed, radio industry total ad revenue is looking to be down by 30% compared to 2019. Blame it on COVID-19. Yet, there are some bright spots, and those were brought to light in Pillsbury's Broadcast Finance 2020 -- a virtual Radio Show presentation held Wednesday featuring two radio industry CEOs.