the HOT List

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.

In February 2018, Gray Television submitted a Form 314 application to the FCC signaling its intention to purchase a television station within the Fargo, N.D., DMA. On Friday, Media Bureau Chief Michelle Carey formally put an end to the proposed deal. NOTE: This story has been updated with corrected information regarding the party that attempted to sell this station.

The COVID-19 pandemic created a truly unprecedented situation for broadcast media. Impairment charges are being seen for some publicly traded companies. For mom and pop broadcasters, keeping the station on the air could be a day-to-day struggle. In this podcast, NAB President/CEO Gordon Smith shares what's happening in Washington to help local media. LISTEN HERE

Paul Rotella, as always, is actively working hard to bring New Jersey's broadcasters an arsenal of support from Washington. He's got his ear on Capitol Hill and actively engages with the FCC on key issues seen before the COVID-19 pandemic, and others that are bigger than ever due to the crisis. Get the scoop from Rotella in this latest Coronavirus INFOCUS podcast. LISTEN HERE

Marci Daniels literally just departed Nexstar Media Group’s WETM-18 in Corning and Elmira, N.Y. after three years. She's now leading Nexstar's WLNS-6 in Lansing, Mich., while overseeing its JOA for WLAJ-53 and The CW Network affiliate here. Learn more about her transition, and what she experienced in New York in this fresh podcast. LISTEN HERE

An Amicus Brief has been filed with the Supreme Court that sees the broadcast TV company that merged with Raycom Media urging the justices to accept the petitions for writs of ceritiori — and to reverse the Third Circuit Decision that nixed the Commission's "modest" 2017 relaxation of local broadcast ownership rules.

Michael Carr has seen a lot during his time at KFSN-30 in Fresno. He began as an intern and this week was appointed President/GM of the station. What insights can he share about the evolution of TV news during his tenure at the ABC-owned station, in particular in the last eight weeks? This former Fresno State Bulldog tells all in the latest podcast. LISTEN HERE