the HOT List

With Q3 set to conclude Friday (9/29), final financial prognostications for 2017 are being released by some of the leading forecast analysts covering advertising-fueled business sectors including broadcast media — including noted media ecologist Jack Myers. What's his overall prognosis on the edge of the end of '17? Total marketing expenditures are looking ever-so-slightly better than what was originally forecast in January.

"This is only a test." That's what listeners will see and/or hear at 2:20pm Wednesday — unless there's a true emergency that unfolds. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the FCC are on schedule for its nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System.

The man who has emerged in recent months as a "Wordy Rappinghood of Wall Street" for his prolific reports on the state of advertising-fueled businesses — including broadcast media — has offered an update on ad growth estimates for 2017 and the following four years. According to Pivotal Research Group Senior Research Analyst for Advertising Brian Wieser, local radio's revenue dip will be smaller than that of local TV.

In a late Friday notice, the FCC gave its unanimous consent to a report and order that loosens FM translator tower placement rules, giving the "revitalization of the AM radio service" another key boost. It's of particular interest to stations that must power down -- or sign off the air -- during nighttime hours.

While the overall markets were mixed on Friday, AI technology company Veritone Inc. soared to another new record high, leaping nearly 5% on word that Quantum Corp.'s aiWARE for Xcellis, a cloud-based version of the artificial intelligence platform from Veritone, earned a "Best of Show Award" at IBC2017 in Amsterdam. Award criteria included innovation, feature set, ease of use, versatility and value/ROI.

In a message sent to Streamline Publishing co-owned publication Radio INK on Friday, the son of former Radio Advertising Bureau CEO Gary Fries confirmed his passing early today, Pacific time, in Arizona. He had been in Hospice.

Is 2018 shaping up to be a banner year for political advertising? That's the good word from Steve Passwaiter, the VP/GM, Political at Kantar Media. In an essay appearing Friday (9/22) at The Cook Political Report, Passwaiter declares, "Even though the last two years have seen lots of bungled predictions, in the realm of TV ad spending, we are undeterred, and predict that TV will win out in 2018 as well."

On Tuesday, we reported on FCC Chairman Ajit Pai’s response to a House Energy & Commerce letter regarding possible favorable treatment of Sinclair Broadcast Group and its planned merger with Tribune Media. But that’s just one of several angles to this deal.

What should a broadcasting company do in reaction to a controversial social media post made by one of their big personalities on their show's social media account? For CBS Radio's Las Vegas cluster, there was no reprimand or strong warning handed to Heidi Harris after she went on Facebook to criticize same-sex adoptions. She was fired. Did CBS Radio go too far? RBR+TVBR turned to the D.C. legal community for their view on the matter.

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.)'s Deputy Chief of Staff is moving from the Hart Senate Office Building to the Portals. That's because this individual has just been selected to serve as Chief of Staff, Media Advisor and Press Contact for the FCC Commissioner.

There are moving boxes heading in both directions in the office of Democratic FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn. That's because a senior legal advisor is returning after an 18 month absence, while another legal advisor is exiting.

The U.S. broadcast station industry, including radio and TV stations, generated $48.5 billion in total revenue in 2016, according to Kagan, a group within S&P Global Market Intelligence. What's the five-year outlook for radio and TV station ad revenue? Look no further.

Local advertising spending in the state of Georgia will reach $4.1 billion in 2017 across the state's six local markets. That's according to BIA/Kelsey's updated 2017 U.S. Local Advertising Forecast. Where are the dollars coming from? Six key categories are responsible for a big chunk of the total expenditure.

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai has responded to an Aug. 14 letter from the House Energy & Commerce Committee's top Democrats that raised a series of concerns about allegations of favorable treatment toward Sinclair Broadcast Group and its planned merger with Tribune Media. The response from these Members of Congress? Pai's response falls short of what they need answers on — including a possible new e-mail controversy on Capitol Hill.

Some 3 1/2 months after the Bob Behar-led Hero Licenseco backed out of a multi million-dollar deal trading its post-Spectrum Auction Channel-sharing Agreement to a fast-growing media company based in Los Angeles, it appears that the deal is back on. According to a Form 314 filing with the FCC, this "zombie station" will indeed soon become a video service sibling to such iconic radio brands as "Power 106" and KDAY.