the HOT List

While radio stations have done their part to bring needed funds to consumers highly impacted by COVID-19 fueled layoffs and furloughs, Gray Television stations in March and April collectively helped to raise millions of dollars in donations benefiting local residents and organizations in the cities where it owns local TV properties.

Andy Lack is leaving. And, the top executive overseeing NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises is taking over his role as part of a wholesale restructuring. An official announcement arrived seconds before RBR+TVBR's Monday deadline of 4:30pm Eastern that flushes out the details, and it confirms a big promotion is in the works for Cesar Conde.

In coastal South Carolina, Sinclair Broadcast Group operates The CW Network affiliate. In Saginaw, Mich., it operates the NBC affiliate. But, both stations are owned by a company that has had its share of retransmission consent woes, most recently with AT&T. Now, this company has entered into a FCC consent decree to resolve a "good faith" negotiation complaint.

The MMTC and 21 related groups told the FCC in a letter sent Friday that they "whole-heartedly" support a Petition for Rulemaking filed by GeoBroadcast Solutions that asks the Commission to permit radio broadcasters the option to deploy technology that could geo-target content through the use of FM boosters.

The effect of COVID-19 on the advertising and media industries was first felt in the final three weeks of March, greatly impacting the revenue for the month. But, to what extent did it impact the entire first quarter of 2020? We now have that answer, thanks to Standard Media Index (SMI).

Less than one year ago, Nexstar Media Group sold two Indianapolis TV stations to an African American broadcast pioneer. Now, he's faced with the challenge of running the stations in the middle of an unprecedented pandemic. How is DuJuan McCoy handling all of the challenges? We find out in this RBR+TVBR Coronavirus INFOCUS podcast hosted by Adam R Jacobson.  LISTEN HERE

At 8am today, the TEGNA annual shareholders' meeting got underway. The main event: A vote for the "GOLD" proxy card, or going with the "WHITE" proxy card — selecting a group of Board of Directors nominees hand-picked by dissident shareholder Standard General. By 8:30am, it was determined that Soo Kim's quest for a greater role has ended — at least for now.

While Paul Rotella says he appreciates the support broadcasters have received from the FCC over the years, he's got some tough words for Ajit Pai. Rotella wants the Commission to suspend "any consideration of raising regulatory fees for radio and television." As such, the FCC should postpone the rulemaking process on this issue, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

With near-daily press communication from both parties advocating for the election of their respective board of directors nominees, TEGNA shareholders on Thursday will finally have their say as the TEGNA annual shareholders meeting gets underway, virtually. With 24 hours to go, TEGNA decided to sweeten its shareholders by declaring a sugary dividend.

Since lockdown, some music streaming services have been reporting a drop in consumption on their platform. Huh? Indeed, that seems to be the case, and Futuresource Consulting says it is the result of "new confinement rules to fight COVID-19." Could increased consumption to radio stations, via AM or FM or via a smart speaker, app or laptop, play a role in this decline?

Some 40% of Cleveland DMA homes don't have access to digital broadband access. As such, offering online classes throughout the COVID-19 pandemic is problematic. A Gray Television station came to the rescue, as Erik Schrader, VP/GM, WOIO-19 & WUAB-43 in Cleveland, shares in this Coronavirus INFOCUS podcast hosted by Adam R Jacobson. LISTEN HERE

The tit-for-tat between TEGNA and Standard General has reached a fever pitch, with each group attempting to use the trade press to curry favor among shareholders ahead of Thursday's pivotal annual shareholders meeting. Now, Standard General's head is being accused of improper trading of TEGNA stock. It's a new wrinkle in an escalating battle for the TV station owner.

Has the FCC been negatively impacted by the novel coronavirus? For noted D.C. communications law attorney John Garziglia, of Womble Bond Dickinson, the answer is an emphatic "no." In this new podcast episode, Garziglia shares with RBR+TVBR Editor-in-Chief Adam R Jacobson just how the FCC is moving right along with regulatory policy changes that impact Radio. LISTEN HERE

It's hardly a surprise that revenue projections for 2020 local advertising would be adjusted downward. The lone question was how much of a contraction would be caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, with respect to U.S. economic conditions. BIA Advisory Services has its new revenue projections in, and a double-digit dollar slice is being forecast.

Come May 15, the ability to purchase or sell shares of Emmis Communications stock on Nasdaq will become an impossible task. That's because the company led by CEO Jeff Smulyan, which is a much smaller holder of radio broadcasting stations than in years' past, is voluntarily delisting its Class A common stock from the exchange.