the HOT List

Cumulus CEO Mary Berner noted Tuesday in a video message distributed to all employees that she was "literally astounded" by their capabilities. She gave shout-outs to those producing on-air radio programs from home, and to the sales department for shifting to "pitch perfect telesales with timely and topical proposals and products." Then came news of temporary job cuts.

On Oct. 3, 2018, FEMA conducted a live test of the Emergency Alert System. But, it seems listeners of an Entercom radio station in New York heard a similar tone during the morning show earlier that day. A whistleblower informed the Enforcement Bureau that the EAS tone aired as part of a skit lampooning the test. Now, Entercom faces a proposed fine for the act.

Many small radio and TV station owners have questions as to how to best proceed on getting money in their hands, and as soon as possible. They were directly presented in a special Facebook Live discussion held Tuesday with Womble Bond Dickinson partner Stephanie Few, hosted by RBR+TVBR and Radio Ink Publisher Deborah Parenti and Radio Ink Editor-in-Chief Ed Ryan.

Until now, the promise of ATSC 3.0 -- the new digital broadcast TV standard -- involved over-the-air broadcast TV's ability to bring a better picture and improved audio quality to consumers. Addressable advertising for these stations is also a major takeaway. But, did you know NEXTGEN TV also brings a killer opportunity, one designed to extinguish MVPDs?

TEGNA is the latest media company to adjust employee salaries and implement a furlough. However, it isn't as severe as what has been seen at some of the nation's biggest radio broadcasting companies. The temporary pay cut is small, percentage-wise, and the furlough totals one week of service.

The studios of a TV station owned by Griffin Communications reopened Sunday after an employee tested positive for COVID-19, resulting in its Saturday shut-down and deep cleaning. Meanwhile, in Pensacola, Fla., a Sinclair Broadcast Group TV station has suspended production in its newsroom "for the next several days" after two employees tested positive for the coronavirus.

U.S. broadcast station mergers and acquisitions volume reached a total of $2.64 billion in Q1, as tracked by Kagan. The media research group within S&P Global Market Intelligence notes, however, that 94.4% of this volume is attributable to one deal. It involves the nation's biggest Hispanic media company.

The latest verbal eruption tied to an increasingly hostile battle between TEGNA and shareholder Standard General, controlled by Soo Kim, involves the amount of shares Standard General actually owns. TEGNA on Thursday said Standard General's stock ownership position has gone down. On Friday, Standard General vehemently disagreed.

Spanish-language media has perhaps an outsized role in bringing Latinos crucial information regarding the spread of the novel coronavirus. At the same time, it must offer safeguards to its staff – in particular those who have chosen to work in their normal locales. SBS has worked hard to protect its viewers and employees.

Late Wednesday, TEGNA fired a missile designed to fully put an end to Standard General's quest for a greater say-so of the company's day-to-day actions. According to the broadcast TV company, Standard General's actual holdings in TEGNA are less than what it says they are — thanks to a stock sale it quietly just disclosed.

Entercom stock tumbled by nearly 18% from Tuesday's close. The dip to a fresh 11-year low is likely not in reaction to Entercom's decision to go with a virtual annual shareholders' meeting, but instead to an SEC filing detailing a big "Creation of a Direct Financial Obligation."

A big war of words going on between TEGNA and an activist shareholder demanding seats on the company's Board of Directors further escalated on Tuesday. Both parties issued competing "resources" for those holding the company's stock. It sets the stage for what could be a contentious and future-defining annual shareholders' meeting, still on for April 30.

A new podcast covering trends in the media and broadcasting industries has been launched by a broadcast media tech company. It will be released once a month, and the first two episodes are now live on iTunes, Spotify and all other podcasting platforms.

At sundown, the month of March will finally end. And, with it, will come the end of employment to more journalists and radio industry personnel. The newest wave of workforce reduction and furloughs impacted Townsquare Media and iHeartMedia. It's nothing compared to what newspaper publisher Gannett and the Tampa Bay Times are coping with.

On March 20, big TEGNA shareholder Soohyung Kim Standard General demanded that the broadcast TV company say something publicly about no less than three unsolicited bids that as of Sunday were still reportedly active. On Sunday, TEGNA's CEO and board chairman each decided it was time to acknowledge the trio of offers. Standard General responded late Sunday.