the HOT List

Nielsen has the results of its second review of U.S. consumer sentiment on COVID-19 recovery and purchase intentions. It's a stark contrast to what Americans thought at the start of May, compared to their views at the end of May. As Cumulus Media Chief Insights Officer Pierre Bouvard sees it, it's a "seismic bump up" in terms of how positive consumers feel right now.

Internal Revenue Code Section 280G — the federal government's “golden parachute payment” rules — reflect a federal tax provision that comes into play when there is a change in control of a corporation. Tax gross-up provisions on these so-called parachutes have been eliminated from the employment agreements of iHeartMedia's top two executives.

Do you feel it? Pivotal Research Group Senior Research Analyst for Internet and Media Michael Levine says digital media's biggest stars have -- perhaps putting radio and TV a step behind. "While its likely not totally shocking at this point, we think that April increasingly feels like the bottom," he says about the novel coronavirus' deep impact on advertising seen since mid-March.

Until one week ago, "La Raza" served the Twin Cities' growing Hispanic community with regional Mexican programming from the heart of the Longfellow neighborhood of Minneapolis. In the wee hours of May 28, the building housing their offices and studios went up in flames, as riots engulfed the city in reaction to the murder of George Floyd by local police officers. Today, "La Raza" resumed broadcasting.

The NAB despises it. The nation's broadcast TV networks want it swatted like a fly. That's not stopping Locast from spreading its wings. The controversial service that purports to be a non-profit in service of the public interest has just entered its third market this year. And, it's one of the biggest in the Southeastern U.S.

"We are at a critical juncture in history," says RBR+TVBR Publisher Deborah Parenti. "I certainly don’t have the answers, but I do know we need to come together to heal America. We, as broadcasters, have a role to play in that. And finding solutions start with conversations." In this column, Parenti heralds Radio's importance as a voice of the African American community.

FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks has spoken out on nationwide protests in response to racial injustice and the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis by committing himself to furthering diversity in media ownership. The comment comes just one day after GOP colleague Brendan Carr advocated for the further deregulation of radio industry ownership rules.

In October 2017, Lilly Broadcasting stations were blocked, by law, from Dish subscribers in the absence of a new retrans agreement. From April 1-April 13, 2017, Lilly's stations and that of related entity SJL Broadcast Management were blacked out on DirecTV systems. Now, a new DirecTV battle is brewing, and Lilly and SJL stations are warning viewers of a potential loss of signal.

TV and newspaper journalists are literally risking their lives by delivering reports of protests in support of racial justice across the U.S. -- many of them violent. These efforts were commended by the chairman of FCC, one day after the NAB and RTDNA condemned Louisville police for aiming at a Gray Television-owned station's news crew covering a Friday protest over the death of George Floyd.

On February 27, the Office of Economics and Analytics at the FCC created Docket 20-60, opening up a comment period for interested parties to chime in on "the state of competition in the communications marketplace." Three months later, the NAB filed its comments on the matter. In total, 28 filings have been seen from groups including musicFIRST and the Future of Music Coalition.

For the past five years, Daniel York has served as Sr. EVP and Chief Content Officer for AT&T and its DirecTV arm, and has been associated with the DBS provider's parent company since 2004. Now, York is exiting AT&T. He's taking a role most recently held by Kim Guthrie.

Sheltering at home led many radio consumers to use their smart speaker, or phone, to tune in to a radio station they'd normally listen to while in the car. As the nation begins its "reopening," Entercom Chief Digital Officer JD Crowley finds that as listening on an actual radio returns, streaming levels are staying put. Learn more in this RBR+TVBR podcast! LISTEN HERE

The GCI arm known as Denali Media Holdings is selling its low-power NBC affiliates serving the Alaskan cities of Sitka and Juneau, the state capital. The buyer? The owner of NBC-affiliated KTUU-2 in Anchorage and NBC-affiliated KTVF-11 in Fairbanks.

While the novel coronavirus slammed the company's radio properties, Urban One's digital segment and its TV One MVPD-distributed cable channel "are not as impacted to the same extent as radio." Nevertheless, the carnage of COVID-19 on Urban One's quarterly financial statement is as plain as day.

On April 13, RBR+TVBR was first to report the intended license transfer of a Class D AM with an FM translator serving a small Ohio town known for its two universities, a glass museum paying homage to the town's history, and the historic Ritz Theater. It seems there was a bit more to the story than a simple transaction: An authorized assignment of the facilities had taken place.