the HOT List

On April 10, it became known that Beasley Media Group VP/Corporate Sales Bob McCurdy was departing the company. Officially, he announced his retirement. What wasn't publicly known was that McCurdy was battling cancer. Now, McCurdy and his wife have filed a lawsuit alleging the radio industry veteran failed to receive his full dosage of anti-cancer drugs.

The company, which is formally known as Beasley Broadcast Group, notified the SEC last week that it intends to file its 10-Q quarterly report no later than June 29 — precisely 45 days after the original due date, and the latest possible day Beasley may do so without running afoul of SEC regulations.

The FCC's Media Bureau has denied a petition from a Southwestern Colorado county board to bring TEGNA's NBC affiliate in Denver to local Dish customers. Is it a victory for Hubbard Broadcasting? Perhaps, as they filed a Limited Opposition to the petition. Why? The county is officially within the Albuquerque DMA, where Hubbard owns the NBC affiliate.

A ripple effect was seen with respect to year-over-year spending trends, and impressions, for restaurant advertisers. But, some interesting insights can be seen with respect to ad impressions. The SVP of Media Partnerships at iSpot.tv shares his company's latest research in this RBR+TVBR Coronavirus INFOCUS podcast hosted by Editor-in-Chief Adam R Jacobson. LISTEN HERE

The House, fueled by Democratic votes, late Friday approved $3 trillion legislation that includes provisions to expand eligibility for U.S. Small Business Administration loan access to local newspapers and radio and television stations economically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. It's not predicted to win Senate approval, however, and Greg Walden panned it.

So much for that belief that TV hungry sheltered-at-home Americans would at least, temporarily, stem the cessation of MVPD services. "Cord cutting" in the U.S. was fast and furious in Q1 — so much so that multichannel subscriptions experienced their largest-ever first quarter decline. That's according to fresh data from Kagan.

With professional services fueling ad revenue at Meredith Corp.'s local media division and the automotive category highly impacted, segment ad-related revenue slipped by 1.6%. That said, an 8.9% gain in "consumer related" revenue -- namely, retransmission consent fees -- helped cushion a dip in operating profit for Meredith Local Media in fiscal Q3 2020.

Lotus Communications' properties include Rockers in Las Vegas and Boise, Idaho, and some of the nation's most unique multicultural properties, both serving the Los Angeles market. How did these stations move to cover the COVID-19 pandemic for its listeners in ways no other media outlet could? We find out in a fresh RBR+TVBR Coronavirus INFOCUS podcast. LISTEN HERE

The traditional State of the Industry keynote address from President/CEO Gordon Smith, which officially kicked off a two-day "NAB Show Express" in lieu of the annual Las Vegas convention, was filled with gratitude for broadcast media. "Now, as the world faces an uncertain situation with the COVID-19 pandemic, your work is more important than ever," he said.

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?

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.

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.

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

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.

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.