the HOT List

The American Television Alliance (ATVA) on Monday officially filed comments on the proposed transfer of two South Dakota TV stations from Red River Broadcast Co. to Gray Television. Gray is creating a duopoly in this market by buying a peacock in a deal brokered by Kalil & Co. If approved, the transfer would give Gray a “top four duopoly” in DMA No. 110. The ATVA argues that Gray has failed to make an adequate public interest showing in its desire to own the NBC affiliate. 

What sort of shifts in small to medium-sized businesses' marketing habits are taking place across the U.S.? Early results from Borrell Associates' 2018 survey of local advertisers are in, and Gordon Borrell says he's picked up on a shift since 2017 in how SMBs are buying media. Here's a glimpse of what Borrell's team finds.

The FCC at the end of 2017 gave its blessing to a construction permit for a new 50kw radio station with a transmitter to the northwest of the greater Phoenix area. That was unsettling news to one of the nation's largest operators of radio stations targeting Hispanics, and an objection was filed with the FCC. Now, the Commission has spoken, and Entravision won't be happy with the ruling.

By Noon on Friday, a report in the New York Post that private equity firm Silver Lake Partners "has recently shown interest in buying the bankrupt iHeartMedia" was being widely distributed among radio industry cognoscenti. If it's true, it would put a "Silicon Valley deal pioneer" that The Wall Street Journal labeled a "predator" for its backing of a hostile bid for Qualcomm in the driver's seat at the No. 1 radio broadcasting company in the U.S.

In late June, Newsmax, the American Cable Association and the Parents Television Council each filed petitions to deny the merger of Sinclair Broadcast Group and Tribune Media with the FCC. Sinclair and Tribune have now responded with their joint filing of their "second consolidated opposition" to the petitions to deny their marriage.

From 1960 until late May, Dick Biondi lit up the Chicago airwaves like few others. He became famous as a DJ at "89 WLS," and earlier this year was dismissed by Cumulus Media from WLS-FM 94.7, which continues on with many of the Classic Hits the AM boomer turned into hits years ago. Now, a longtime listener in making a film about Biondi.

On July 3, 1968, the FCC first concluded that equal opportunity in employment was essential to the public interest. The regulatory agency over radio and TV broadcasters committed to ensuring that the national policy against discrimination in hiring applied to broadcast licensees. Fifty years later, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai believes equal employment opportunity (EEO) rules should get the same type of enforcement as that given to squelching pirate radio operators.

For 35 years on the AM band and an additional quarter-century at 102.3 MHz, WJET was a bit of a local legend for Erie, Pa., residents. Among its "Good Guy" DJs some 50 years ago was Randy Michaels, of Clear Channel and Jacor fame. At the same time, WJET-24 has provided local viewers with ABC programming for 52 years. All of this can be traced back to an investment made in 1951 by an individual who has passed away at the age of 92. 

Telemundo may be the home of some of the most bruising battles in the world right now, thanks to its coverage of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. That said, there's a furious firefight being waged by Univision and DISH Network, as a new retransmission fee deal could not be reached. The impasse could be lengthy, and impacts Entravision and Sinclair Broadcast Group.

The Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council is set to become the licensee of a pair of AMs serving the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. How did this come to be? We have all of the details right here.

Another day, another gunfire-fueled tragedy. This time, the murder of five staffers of a newspaper in Annapolis, Md., hit home for RBR+TVBR's Editor-in-Chief. Numb and not yet ready to deal with the mourning yet again of victims of gun violence, he tuned to a Class A FM serving Maryland's state capital just before 10am Friday. "Radio provided the perfect way to grieve and soothe the soul," our editor writes.

With the company's Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition winding its way through a Texas federal bankruptcy court and its unsecured creditors getting more time today, iHeartMedia saw its stock dip to its lowest level ever on Wall Street. Forget that one-year target estimate of $10. Can you spare a quarter?

Legislation that has both the support of the National Association of Broadcasters and the Recording Industry Association of America has moved one step closer to a floor vote by the U.S. Senate — and the likely passage of S. 2823, otherwise known as the "Music Modernization Act."

No less than seven companies on Monday came together to jointly file a motion to extend the comment and reply comment period tied to a NPRM that will allow the public to chime in on important radio industry legislation. The FCC wants to streamline the process for filing an FM translator interference complaint, and the remediation procedures it uses to resolve such an issue. The Commission obliged with the station owners' request.

Five months to the day that The E.W. Scripps Co. revealed that it was placing all of its radio stations up for sale, the soon-to-be visual media-focused media company has revealed who is purchasing its four FMs and KFAQ-AM in Tulsa. The answer? A privately held media company focused on Oklahoma that's based in Oklahoma City. Kalil & Co. was the broker in this deal.