Monday, May 18, 2026

Cumulus’ Q1 Finish As The Street Sees It? A Miss.

Cumulus Media released its Q1 2020 financial results on Monday, which RBR+TVBR was first to report. Did the audio media company's first three months of the year meet the expectations of analysts polled by Zacks? Unfortunately, no. Did this propel CMLS to finish Tuesday's trading at a new post-bankruptcy low?

Salem Suspends Dividend On 11-Year Stock Low

With finances ever-more fragile at the media company known for its conservative Talk programming and Christian-themed radio stations, Salem Media Group's board of directors late Monday put a temporary suspension on its regular quarterly cash dividend on its common stock. There's one big reason for the move.
CUMULUS MEDIA Stacked

COVID-19 Storm Batters Cumulus In Q1

While Cumulus Media took swift actions President/CEO Mary Berner believes will help the audio media company "weather the adverse impacts of the pandemic," its Q1 financial portrait looks as battered as a coastal community following the arrival of a Category 5 hurricane. Net revenue fell by 15%. A net loss was seen. Here are the details.

RBR+TVBR Coronavirus INFOCUS Podcast: Lou McDermott

What's the current state of transactions, from his perspective? How are Kalil's brokers making up for the inability to meet with prospective buyers and sellers at the cancelled 2020 NAB Show in Las Vegas? Lou McDermott, the longtime Vice President at Tucson-based media brokerage Kalil & Co., answers these questions in more in the latest RBR+TVBR Coronavirus INFOCUS podcast. LISTEN HERE

March Madness: iHeart Q1 Crippled By COVID-19

Up until the novel coronavirus began its mid-March rampage across the U.S., iHeartMedia's first quarter looked strong. Then, shelter-in-place rules were enacted. Ad revenue was impacted. Events were scrubbed. The result: A "sharp decline" in March, leading to a double-digit adjusted EBITDA decline in Q1 2020 for the nation's No. 1 audio media brand, by radio station count.
E.W. Scripps Company

Scripps Hits The Mark In Q1, Ahead Of COVID-19 Slowdown

How did Scripps do in Q1 — a time period that saw it reach a multi-year agreement with Nielsen for measurement services as those in the C-Suite took temporary coronavirus-fueled pay cuts and put the money into an employee assistance fund? Total revenue was up, and local and national looked great. But, Scripps' net loss widened, the TV station owner reports.

RBR+TVBR Coronavirus INFOCUS Podcast: Bill Christian

In this RBR+TVBR Coronavirus INFOCUS podcast, Bill Christian, President/CEO of Vision Communications, shares how his station's news teams have adapted to working from home -- and how his Little Rock-based newshub acquired 11 months ago is fully producing local newscasts with all staff members working from home, even with broadband challenges. LISTEN HERE
Tegna

TEGNA Beats The Street, And Investors Respond

Call it a "Gold Card" quarter for TEGNA. Just one week ago, Soohyung Kim‘s quest for a greater say in the company's affairs ended as shareholders voted for Board of Directors nominees selected by TEGNA and not those of Kim's Standard General, a top shareholder. Today, TEGNA put its money where it's mouth is with strong Q1 2020 results.

Gray Shares Rises As Q1 Finish Bests Estimates, Despite Local Dip

The parade of positive quarterly earnings results from America's biggest broadcast TV owners continued on Thursday morning, as Gray Television delivered a Q1 EPS that easily beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate. While Q1 revenues were just a hair below what Zacks analysts thought, investors seemed to brush that aside, with GTN up 9% in afternoon trading on Wall Street.
SBG / Sinclair Broadcast Group

Sinclair Agrees to Record-Setting $48 Million FCC Consent Decree

Sinclair Broadcasting Group has agreed to pay a $48 million civil penalty and abide by a strict compliance plan in order to close three open investigations at the FCC. This penalty is twice the prior record for a broadcaster, which was the $24 million paid by Univision Communications in 2007.
Perry Sook

Nexstar Shares See Big Rebound On Strong Q1 Report

Everyone loves surprises. For Nexstar Media Group investors and Wall Street analysts, a positive earnings surprise couldn't come at a better time. The company's Q1 2020 earnings beat the Street, and the broadcast TV company's stock surged to its second-highest price since March 13.

Kim Guthrie To Depart Cox Media Group

Cox Media Group has announced that President/CEO Kim Guthrie, who began her career in radio in the late 1980s and has been associated with Cox since August 1998, has "decided to move on from the organization after a 22-plus year career with the company."  

RBR+TVBR Coronavirus INFOCUS Podcast: Michelle Vetterkind

A small town AM started working with local farmers and creameries to donate unused milk normally served with school lunches. Local media is still hiring. These are some of the positive stories shared by Wisconsin Broadcasters Association's President/CEO in this latest podcast, hosted by RBR+TVBR Editor-in-Chief Adam R Jacobson. LISTEN HERE
Emily Barr, who heads Graham Media Group

COVID-19 Schools Graham, But Broadcast Rises In Q1

With a diverse revenue portfolio, Graham Holdings Co. in normal times can benefit from both advertising and tuition. But, times are far from normal. And, Graham has already been impacted. The good news: Its TV stations, which comprise Graham Media Group, held up strong through March 31. That's according to its parent company's just-released Q1 2020 earnings results.

RBR+TVBR Coronavirus INFOCUS Podcast: David Donovan

How have local radio and TV stations in the Empire State reacted to the COVID-19 pandemic? How devastating have ad revenue drops been in New York City and in smaller locales upstate? Are small-town operators in places hours away from NYC in dire need of cash? We get the answers from NYSBA President and Executive Director David Donovan.  LISTEN HERE