the HOT List

The FCC has adopted a Consent Decree that terminates an investigation into the monitoring practices of some 11 television towers by a company that no longer exists. The publicly traded entity that now owns this defunct operator's holdings agreed to the settlement. In doing so, it's forking over more than million dollars to the U.S. Treasury, with reimbursement from the now-defunct TV company.

In December, iHeartMedia revealed that Nashville would be the home for a second headquarters of its burgeoning digital division, with iHeartRadio President Darren Davis relocating to Music City USA to directly oversee the operation. What wasn't yet known was where in Nashville iHeart would house its growing operation. All was revealed on Friday in a local business publication.

In October 2015, Hispanic consumer-focused multimedia company Entravision's shares topped $8.75 per share. Today, they are worth close to 75% less in value. With shares on a steady downturn, Simply Wall St. asks if insiders are taking advantage of the weak share price by snapping up stock.

In an announcement distributed just after Thursday's Closing Bell on Wall Street, Cumulus Media revealed that EVP/CFO John Abbot will exit the company following the distribution of its Q4 and full-year 2019 results.

As expected, Emmis Communications on Thursday submitted its quarterly earnings report for fiscal Q3 2020 to the Securities and Exchange Commission. There was no other public distribution of the financial results, which show the leaner media company widening its loss from continuing operations.

In an exclusive interview, SMI CEO James Fennessy shares his belief that the future is bright for broadcast and network television. Why? For one, digital-first advancements such as 5G have everything to do with his bright forecasts. Then, there is broadcast television's continued ability to deliver audiences when live programming such as news, sports and unscripted shows air.

One of the most familiar faces among the Wall Street analysts covering the nation's publicly traded radio and TV companies is taking a major in-house role at Comcast. It's a move similar to that seen in August 2019 by Anthony DiClemente -- leaving media leaders with one less voice of influence among potential investors and current stakeholders.

TEGNA on Tuesday revealed that it had priced its offering of senior notes due 2028, with a face value of $1 billion. Additional details, including the interest rate, are now known -- further fueling a rise in the broadcast TV company's stock.

A company founded in 1996 that currently owns broadcast TV stations in 18 markets is currently at an impasse with Dish Network. As such, its stations have been blocked, by law, from Dish customers in the markets where this TV operation has facilities. But, here's the rub: All of these stations are run by Nexstar Media Group.

It’s over: Hearst Television at 1pm Eastern on Sunday -- just before NFL Wild Card coverage was set to air -- confirmed that it has reached a new retransmission consent agreement with DirecTV. The freshly inked pact put an end to a "blackout" of Hearst stations on DirecTV lineups where the company owns stations that began in the 8pm ET hour on Friday.

There's no longer any fear for Suddenlink customers in markets where TEGNA owns stations of a "blackout" caused by the lack of a retransmission consent agreement. The same can be said of those wishing to view FOX-owned networks appearing on cable TV systems members of the NCTC operate. And, some viewers in four markets are now able to tune to a Cox Media Group-owned station after a short impasse.

On Thursday, an editorial co-written by the Mayor of Dayton, Ohio and a former FCC Commissioner appeared in USA TODAY. It slams the Commission for its approval of Cox Media Group's Apollo deal, which requires the Dayton Daily News to reduce its print schedule from daily distribution in order to comply with FCC rules. In a retort, our editor-in-chief says the FCC isn't to blame: the Third Circuit Court of Appeals is.

As many suspected would happen, the company formerly known as Gannett has decided to spin off the radio stations that came in a multi-million dollar media deal that gives it the CBS affiliate in San Diego. The price TEGNA is selling the radio stations for is jaw-dropping -- because of how low the dollar amount is.

A top topic of conversation since Friday evening has been the death of Don Imus. A legendary Talk radio host, Imus became famous for his morning show at the former WNBC-AM in New York and, later, at WFAN and WABC. He died Friday morning from what are believed to be complications tied to prostate cancer.

Its main lobby boasts an open meeting and performance space. Music videos appear on oversized television screens. The Radio.com logo is prominently placed for all to see, while a corridor outside studios is littered with various awards won by the company's radio stations. Welcome to 2400 Market Street, Philadelphia -- the new home of Entercom Communications' corporate headquarters.