the HOT List

The FCC on Thursday approved Skydance’s $8 billion acquisition of Paramount Global and its subsidiaries, including the ultimate parent company of the CBS network of owned and operated broadcast television stations, by granting a series of applications that transfer FCC licenses and authorizations.

First, it was Sinclair Inc. Now, the world's largest creator and distributor of audio and video content en español has entered into a Consent Decree with the Acting Chief of the FCC's Media Bureau that puts to a close the Commission's investigation into "KidVid" rule violations on the company's U.S. broadcast stations.

In a ruling that could have significant ramifications for the FCC and broadcast television ownership groups, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit in St. Louis has ruled that the FCC "arbitrarily and capriciously retained" the Top-Four Prohibition portion of its television ownership rules and improperly tightened it.

For the Media arm at Rogers Communications, the presence of the Edmonton Oilers in a second consecutive NHL Stanley Cup Finals along with new Warner Bros. Discovery Canadian content distribution agreements in place are the chief analysts for the uptick in loonies and toonies.

"Meaningful Progress." Those are the words TelevisaUnivision CEO Daniel Alegre used to describe how the world's largest creator of Spanish-language audio and video content performed fiscally during the second quarter of 2025.

It is a company that today owns four broadcast TV stations, including the FOX affiliate and MyNetwork TV station serving the "Upland South" region, which includes Cape Girardeau, Mo. and Paducah, Ky. Soon, these two stations will be run by the publicly traded company that's shepherding the transition to ATSC 3.0.

RBR+TVBR on Friday shared details of Netflix's stellar Q2 2025 earnings report, and how two analysts each gave rousing reviews of the streaming giant's past three months and what lies ahead for the remainder of the year. Now, Netflix can revel in a standout performance in Nielsen's Media Distributor Gauge report.

DirecTV Advertising has teamed with MAGNA Media Trials for a newly released study on a potential new headache for traditional media sellers: ads that appear when viewers hit the pause button while watching TV.

"A relatively small number of consumers" recently complained about being unable to access NEXTGEN TV signals, delivered via ATSC 3.0 technology. A "rip-and-replace" edict in the name of National Security may be to blame, Pearl TV suggests.

More than $1 billion of previously approved federal dollars allocated to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting will be "clawed back" to the U.S. government, as the House of Representatives — following Senate approval — approved legislation that will also return billions of dollars in foreign aid to the coffers. 

"This is purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night," CBS was quick to note following the announcement that its 11:30pm Eastern program host will conclude his run at "The Late Show" at the end of the 2025-2026 season. "It is not related in any way to the show’s performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount. "

Attorney Dan J. Alpert is prepared to submit documentation that Guel is unable to pay a fine of more than $188,000 for flagrant violations of FCC rules. Acting Enforcement Bureau Brief Patrick Webre argues the financial penalty should be sevenfold higher.

A pair of key Senators are blasting the Carr Commission for a supposed double standard. Why? An interview with then-candidate and former President Donald J. Trump conducted in June 2024 appears to have been edited by FOX News to make him look better ahead of Election Day, say Ed Markey and Chuck Schumer.

The nation's largest owner of broadcast television stations has taken a former employee to federal court, accusing her of trademark infringement. The matter could find the woman "Cruisin'" down a costly, litigious Connecticut road.

CBS Television Network Affiliates Association members shared with members of the Media Bureau their unease over the long-pending transfer of control of Paramount Global to Skydance Media. In particular, they advocated that conditions associated with any merger approval order should be designed to strengthen local stations.