the HOT List

In late June, Beasley Broadcast Group noted in an SEC filing that it "may offer and sell" up to $250 million in stock, debt securities, warrants and units "from time to time in one or more offerings." Guess what? The company on Monday announced a proposed offering of shares of its Class A common stock. Investors revolted.

How did the national advertising market fare during the second quarter of 2018? The latest Standard Media Index data is in, and there was growth in the quarter. This came despite a "modest decline" in National TV, when factoring out the biggest sporting event on the planet.

Beasley Broadcast Group shared its preliminary estimated financial results for Q2 2018 and for the first six months of the year in an SEC filing made Monday. The 8-K filing also includes the company's best guess on just how many millions of added revenue it would have seen from Q2 2017 to Q1 2018 from its newest acquisition — a station Beasley signed on 34 years ago.

With negative reports about the health of and atmosphere at Univision Communications meriting headlines across the trades and business news, the company is firming up its Puerto Rico asset ownership thanks to changes in the FCC's Duopoly rules. It's forking over a few million dollars to do so.

Under FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, there has been a change in how the Commission offers a peek at what will be up for discussion at its Open Meetings — and possibly be approved, thus becoming a rule of law. Pai's "glasnost" is voluntary. An Illinois House member wants to make it the law, and one Commissioner approves.

It was certainly a big day for Entercom Communications, which effectively traded a Country station in the nation's ninth-largest market for the top-rated player. But, it was also a historic Thursday for Beasley Broadcast Group: That Country station, in the words of CEO Caroline Beasley, is "coming home." In this exclusive interview, she shares why the homecoming of WXTU is a pivotal move.

In the 22-page Hearing Designation Order that sees the Sinclair-Tribune merger headed to an hearing presided by an Administrative Law Judge, the petitioners who have standing in the matter were revealed. They include 12 groups, including a key voice on Capitol Hill for small and independently-owned MVPDs.

A 22-page Hearing Designation Order released Thursday by the FCC details how, among the applications filed with the Commission, three stick out like sore thumbs. These deals raise "significant questions as to whether those proposed divestitures were in fact 'sham' transactions," the FCC writes.

So much for Sinclair's attempt to get the FCC to approve its merger with Tribune Media through yet another reworking of its $3.9 billion deal, revealed Wednesday morning. The Commission has unanimously voted to adopt a Hearing Designation Order regarding the transaction.

In an apparent act of desperation designed to keep its pursuit of Tribune Media on track, Sinclair Broadcast Group has again adjusted the structure of the deal — with two major changes revealed by the company. A spin-off of Tribune's Chicago flagship property has been scratched. Also nixed is the sale of stations in Dallas and Houston, respectively, to Cunningham Broadcasting.

Did FCC Chairman Ajit Pai effectively thwart the U.S. Department of Justice from delivering its approval of Sinclair Broadcast Group's controversial $3.9 billion merger with Tribune Media? It appears so, "a source familiar with the matter" tells the nation's top legal news organization.

In December 2010,  Univision Communications made the bold move by turning to an individual with a background in Hispanic business publications to take over its news operations. Isaac Lee eventually climbed to a top content leadership role at UCI. Tuesday morning, he exited Univision by stepping down.

Forget that Weed Wacker stored in the back corner of FCC Chairman Ajit Pai's office in Washington, D.C. Sinclair Broadcast Group and Tribune Media on Monday morning were each struck with a cattle prod any Kansas rancher would likely approve of. Sinclair commented late Monday afternoon. Once Sinclair spoke up, it wasn't shy about its thoughts on the matter, which bring new light to the history of Cunningham Broadcasting.

Veteran D.C. communications attorney Erwin Krasnow was just as surprised as many of the brokers and attorneys RBR+TVBR contacted following the release Monday morning of a statement from FCC Chairman Ajit Pai that reveals he has "serious concerns" over Sinclair Broadcast Group's planned merger with Tribune Media. A draft hearing designation order was circulated by Pai. Is this a "deal killer?" Krasnow had some things to say about that.

At 11:15am Eastern, Sinclair Broadcast Group and Tribune Media Co. each saw their shares plunge in value, setting up a tumultuous day on Wall Street. What happened? FCC Chairman Ajit Pai shared his feelings with the world about the marriage of Sinclair and Tribune. He has "serious concerns."