the HOT List

When it comes to modernization, some may think of the coolest new digital gadgetry coming from Silicon Valley. Or, they may consider a shopping spree in Adams Morgan at Hudson & Crane. For the FCC and its Chairman, Ajit Pai, modernization means regulatory weight loss, and trimming the fat. 

The six noncommercial TV stations licensed to Maryland Public Broadcasting have entered into a Consent Decree with the FCC's Media Bureau to resolve an EEO investigation, which on Sept. 5 was formally terminated.

Radio deregulation seems to be on the fast track with the new FCC. That seemed to be the biggest takeaway from a Thursday morning 2017 Radio Show breakout session at which the FCC's Peter Doyle, Chief of the Media Bureau's Audio Division, seemed to reiterate FCC Chairman Ajit Pai's remarks made during his Wednesday luncheon keynote address. 

Of the six individuals speaking this morning at a House Energy & Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Communications and Technology hearing focused on the post-FCC Spectrum Auction repack process, the choice of the GM of The E.W. Scripps Co.'s O&O in Nashville to testify may be a smart one. After all, the Subcommittee Chairman's district includes much of the station's DMA.

In an announcement made at exactly 7:18pm Eastern on Wednesday, a potentially ugly battle between Cox Communications and Hearst Television over retransmission fees that led to the 12:01am Eastern removal of the broadcast company's stations from the MVPDs lineups has ended.

One of the first things FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said in his keynote address during the 2017 Radio Show luncheon had nothing to do with regulation, or government. He immediately congratulated Entercom President/CEO David Field for "the well-deserved honor of receiving the National Radio Award." That set the tone for an address that was well-received by all.

A new era for Saga Communications has officially begun. As of today, it's a radio industry pure-play. And, that seems to be good news for investors, based on its Wednesday activity on Wall Street.

While Cox and Hearst have reached an impasse in negotiating a renewal retransmission consent agreement, leading the MVPD to drop all Hearst stations at 12:01am today, Raycom Media has successfully won a second reprieve with AT&T-owned DirecTV as the two parties continue to hammer out a new retrans deal.

Say goodbye to Retirement Living Television. The cable and satellite offering will now become home to Newsy, the until-now "over the top" news and information network targeting millennials. The shift is the result of The E.W. Scripps Company's acquisition of RLTV carriage contracts, and will surely raise questions regarding millennials as "cord-cutters," and not MVPD subscribers.

As Zacks Equity Research sees it, "value investing is easily one of the most popular ways to find great stocks in any market environment." Among these values are stocks that could be getting relatively little notice and are compelling acquisitions. Then, there's the company that could be offering "tantalizing discounts" when compared to their fair value. Is CBS Corp. a good choice for value-oriented investors right now?

As FCC Chairman Ajit Pai assesses the damage caused by Hurricane Harvey first-hand today in Houston, Democratic Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel has called on the agency to study the storm's impact on communications infrastructure in the Louisiana and Texas counties stricken by Harvey.

The Commission has just changed the date of its October Open Meeting. This comes after a date change of its September Open Meeting, and just after the FCC postponed the opening of the 2017 biennial filing window for the submission of broadcast ownership reports on FCC Forms 323 and 323-E.

Both stations were out of service as of the Commission's 10am Central report released on Labor Day and sustained considerable storm damage. With their late Monday return, all television stations are back on the air in the areas impacted by Storm Harvey.

“The so-called ‘retail apocalypse’ makes for a great headline, but it’s simply not true." That's according to Greg Buzek, president of IHL Group, which has released a research report that declares, "A lot has been made in the mainstream news about the death of retail. But it is fake news." The 34-page White Paper, "Debunking the Retail Apocalypse," gives pause to broadcast media sales executives and members of the C-Suite, as brick-and-mortar retailers represent a healthy advertiser category that could grow through the use of radio.

TV streaming tech company Roku Inc. is going public. The Silicon Valley company announced Sept. 1 that it has publicly filed a registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission relating to a proposed initial public offering of shares of its Class A common stock.