the HOT List

The FCC is now a five-member body again—thanks to the Senate and a likely nod by the White House.

Violations galore were found by the Commission to have been committed by a host of NBC and Telemundo owned-and-operated stations, with some dating as far back as 1996. To resolve the matter, a Consent Decree with the Commission was struck. It is valued in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, and even Republican Commissioner Mike O'Rielly, who wants "modernization" of the so-called "Kid Vid" rules, approves.

In a surprising move, Prasad has resigned from his dual roles as co-CEO and Director of Townsquare Media, effective Jan. 31. Prasad is a co-founder of the media company focused on radio stations in small and mid-sized markets. Here's what happens next for Townsquare's C-Suite.

The FCC will suspend most operations in the middle of the day on Thursday. Staff will have up to four hours to complete an orderly shutdown of operations.

AI-powered attribution specialist Veritone Inc.'s fall 2017 stock surge, and subsequent dip, has been a much-reported story. Now, some may wish Veritone stock was worth even half of what it was priced a year ago.

The holiday cheer may soon to jeers for cable TV subscribers in a host of towns including St. George, Utah. While these locales may be small in size, over-the-air signals may not be present, making MVPDs essential for viewing network television. Thus, the situation for Nexstar Media Group is a thorny one, as it is involved in yet another retransmission fee dispute.

Uh-oh ... its Retrans Season. That's not good news for Charter Spectrum subscribers who watch Tribune Broadcasting TV stations in 24 markets. Talks on a new retransmission fee agreement aren't going well, and a "blackout" could soon be seen in markets as large as New York and Los Angeles.

The "Breeze" is swaying Radio. Soft AC is exploding. But, is it a smart move, or just another reactionary wave from companies looking for a quick fix to long-term problems? RBR+TVBR reached out to a veteran consultant known for bringing "Softrock" to Boston more than 40 years ago for his view on this newly hot FM programming choice.

In the opinion of one Wall Street observer, television broadcasters had "a terrific 2018." This momentum is expected to continue into 2019. Does this present a good opportunity for investors that wish to buy radio or TV company stocks? Yes, and here are the five companies Zacks singles out.

Sirius XM Holdings on Monday announced that a definitive proxy statement/prospectus has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with SiriusXM's pending merger with Pandora Media.

The No. 1 owner of radio stations in the U.S. has reached an agreement on the material terms to fully separate Clear Channel Outdoor's business from iHeartMedia, which presently owns 89.1% of Clear Channel's outstanding common stock. The separation indicates that iHeart's emergence from debtor-in-possession status is nearing its conclusion.​​

One week ago, Gray Television was hours away from receiving the happy news from DOJ that it OK'd its merger with Raycom Media, pending necessary divestitures—something now equaled by the FCC. It's now known that Gray was also making a final decision on its partner for TV viewership measurement data.

Is the use and sale of cannabis for recreational purposes legal in your state? If so, is it time to be adding ads for these legally operating businesses on your radio or TV station? Absolutely, says an attorney now working on behalf of the National Association of Cannabis Businesses. Just keep these ads off the air, he advises.

The U.S. Federal Reserve on Wednesday raised interest rates, noting that "some" further rate hikes would be necessary in the next 12 months. Investors reacted angrily, sending general indices on Wall Street southward. For Veritone Inc., the damage was substantial.

Should one company be allowed to own all of the stations on the AM band in a market of any size? Are the "KidVid" rules a relic of days gone by? The FCC's media rule "modernization" effort is in full swing, and attorney Trey Hanbury of Hogan Lovells shares his thoughts on what lies ahead for broadcast companies in an exclusive interview.