the HOT List

“A definitive agreement to combine in an all-stock merger” was signed in mid-August by CBS Corp. and Viacom, with a valuation of about $12 billion. CBS shareholders are poised to own more of the combined company, and CBS has informed the SEC that it is ready to cease trading on the NYSE -- a move putting the merger closer to closing.

Mark your calendar for Wednesday, Oct. 23, at 10am. That's when debate and discussion among America's top lawmakers on the highly contentious Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act (STELAR) will commence. Can fireworks be expected?

High Frame Rate 120Hz video has been transmitted by a NextGen TV transmitter as part of the Phoenix Model Market project. The High Frame Rate 120Hz video was encoded by the DS Broadcast Model BGE9300 Encoder, received on the company’s Model BGD4100 Integrated Receiver Decoder.

On Oct. 3, Nielsen changed how it produces local market TV audience estimates in the 25 markets in which it uses LPMs, and in the 31 markets that had used only set-based TV meter panels. These markets to date have been accredited by the Media Rating Council. But, what about now? The MRC has a problem with Persons.

As new video platforms continue to proliferate and entertainment trends evolve, children are consuming increasing amounts of content from a wider variety of sources, and often multi-tasking to fit more in. That’s according to the latest Kids Tech consumer survey results from Futuresource Consulting.

While Toronto's TSX was closed Monday in observance of Canadian Thanksgiving Day, New York's financial markets were open on Columbus Day in the U.S. Perhaps they should have closed. Small losses were seen overall, but the declines for CBS and Viacom are disconcerting.

By year's end, Scripps will flip the switch on the Phoenix Model Market's second Single Frequency Network (SFN) facility serving the Valley of the Sun. It's a major step forward from those seeking a swift voluntary rollout of NEXTGEN TV, which brings addressable advertising solutions.

With Brian Brady's Northwest Broadcasting poised to become part of a new entity that combines the stations with those of Cox Media Group and sees the financial support of Apollo Global Management, a lengthy impasse between Northwest and DirecTV has suddenly ended.

Poquito Más — led by the one-time Chairman/CEO and President/COO, respectively, of the former Una Vez Más broadcasting company — are bulking up in the Bay Area with a LPTV station. The seller? It's one of the biggest buyers of LPTVs in recent months, and acquired this property in April 2018.

Apollo Global Management has had a busy 2019, gaining majority control of Cox Media Group's radio and TV assets in two separate deals, while at the same time approaching TEGNA about an outright acquisition. Now, it seems Apollo wants AT&T to spin-off DirecTV.

FCC Commissioner Michael O'Rielly in August announced he was reaching out to the music and record industry to determine whether illegal "payola" practices were still happening on their end. He just got a letter from the RIAA. His reaction, via Twitter? "Not going to lie: it's a bit underwhelming."

The television broadcasting company formerly known as Gannett fended off a “blackout” of its stations across all Spectrum cable TV markets. The Charter Communications MVPD didn’t block its subscribers from receiving the channels.

With TEGNA OK with Charter's Spectrum on a new retrans deal, Fox Corporation can celebrate the prevention of a "blackout" of its stations on another major national MVPD.

The 2019 ANA Masters of Marketing conference began Wednesday and concludes Saturday morning, and there's something noticeably different at this A-level ad industry event, compared to a decade ago. Radio is very visible as an industry, and so are some of its biggest leaders.

One of the world's top conferences, the ANA Masters of Marketing, wraps up Saturday at the Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando. Is broadcast media on the minds of some of the world's top brand managers? One decision maker noted audio's renaissance. But, he has questions about podcast metrics.