the HOT List

The approval of Nominet as a TV "White Spaces" database administrator first attracted the NAB's attention in October. Then, it asked the FCC to reconsider the Office of Engineering and Technology’s approval for the official registry of .UK domain names to operate its white space database system. The NAB has just renewed its calls for a second thought on the matter.

Think the radio business is more challenged than its sexier visual cousin, TV, with advertisers? Think again. October ad growth data from Standard Media Index show AM and FM enjoying healthy growth in the month. TV? Flat growth was seen.

That's a question asked by Reymerlyn Martin of Insider Monkey, a Wall Street investor's blog that tracks more than 700 hedge funds and money managers. "Our extensive review of these public filings is finally over," he writes. As such, he's ready to reveal "the smart money sentiment" toward one of Radio's biggest players.

There aren't a lot of women in engineering or tech-focused positions -- including in the world of information technologies (IT). For Michelle King, who handles radio industry sales for media software provider WideOrbit, the road to career success was far from easy. Here is her story.

All companies provide big bonus payments to top-level executives. Should iHeartMedia, considering its billions of dollars in debt? The nation's No. 1 owner of radio stations says yes, and wants the bankruptcy court judge in charge of approving its restructuring plan to agree.

In mid-November, flowery press releases reflected "business as usual" for a Hispanic media company that today is comprised of radio and TV O&Os, an over-the-air television network, and a production studio. Little did anyone know that the C-Suite was days away from voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

It may not have been the top topic of conversation for FCC Chairman Ajit Pai in a blog post outlining what will be voted on at the Commission's December Open Meeting, but make no mistake about it — the biggest reason for AM and FM station owners to give thanks this holiday season is an NPRM on "modernization" of the Local Radio Ownership Rule.

Driving listeners to radio on any platform and at any time has never been more challenging, even as digital technology has afforded a host of new opportunities. At Forecast 2019, the consumption and monetization of digital options was a top topic across two panel discussions.

A report late Sunday in the New York Post has fueled the fire once again that Viacom and CBS Corp. are indeed set to reunify. The tabloid, however, puts the timetable for a reuniting not in years, but in months.

Entercom's Q3 earnings results delivered a mixed reaction from Wall Street. Earnings per share slightly missed the consensus analyst estimate. On a same-station basis, net revenue in Q3 dropped as pro-forma Adjusted EBITDA slipped by $3 million. Entercom President/CEO David Field is satisfied. A full-time investor mainly focused on U.S. equities believes Field has every reason to be content.

Salem Media Group revealed during its Q3 earnings call that political dollar growth will not be enough to bring revenue growth in Q4. The company's stock is flirting with a fresh five-year low. Now, Simply Wall St. is asking if Salem's balance sheet is strong enough to weather a storm. Is it?

On the morning of March 20, the entity created by the sons of veteran Pittsburgh radio station owner Saul Frischling filed a bankruptcy petition in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. By day's end, it became known that the licensee for the Frischling family's two FMs in Pittsburgh had been added to the Missouri petition. Branded as Steel City Media, these stations have now filed a Chapter 11 reorganization plan.

Pending ownership rule changes. Lowering the leverage. Understanding the power of Smart Speakers and Podcasts. These are the just some of the key subjects tied to greater riches for the radio business discussed across sessions at Radio's Financial Summit: Forecast 2019, held in Midtown Manhattan on Wednesday. With no outside press allowed, RBR+TVBR has an exclusive inside look at the event.

The Univision blame game is on, and there are no less than four reasons why the Doral, Fla.-based company's just-released Q3 earnings are very disappointing. With net revenue down significantly, and income from continuing operations shrinking, recently installed Univision CEO Vince Sadusky pointed fingers at DISH Network, one important partner, and itself. 

It appears as if the nation's No. 1 operator of AM and FM radio stations is very close to shedding its debtor-in-possession status. Wednesday morning saw the release by iHeartMedia of an official list of members selected to serve on its Board of Directors following the company's emergence from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Among the names with Rich Bressler and Bob Pittman: Disney's former CFO and the head of MGM until earlier this year.