the HOT List

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.