the HOT List

Borrell Associates' annual survey of local advertisers — the largest in the U.S. — is under way for 2017. "We're already seeing notable trends," CEO Gordon Borrell notes. This explains why his company has inaugurated a Chart of the Week series set to run through mid-August. The first chart he's released reviews what the "most effective local marketing channels" are for more than 1,250 local advertisers. Radio industry executives may not be pleased with the findings. In contrast, TV industry C-Suiters should be very happy.

A newly released study from Moody's Investors Service has made official what most broadcast TV industry professionals are well aware of: The outlook for the industry remains stable. But, that's not thanks to advertiser demand. It's all thanks to the surge in retransmission fees—a trend the American Cable Association (ACA), a slew of MVPDs and DirecTV and DISH Network are hardly pleased about.

"Although newer advertising platforms such as internet and other digital media are gaining traction in the advertising market, radio still represents a powerful advertising medium." That's the key selling point of a new global study that took a deep worldwide look at what was in 2016 a $32.5 billion medium for advertising, and presently boasts a compound annual growth rate of 2.2%.

If you thought the smart home gadgetry such as the Amazon Echo and Google Home speak-and-do devices were just a fad, think again. Apple just crashed the party with today's introduction of the HomePod. Should radio industry C-Suite executives be rejoicing over the news? News organzations far and wide are spreading the news like wildfire across the internet. CNet perhaps says it best, with its headline sharing the fact that the new HomePod smart speaker brings Siri home. It also makes Siri, like Alexa, a potentially vital friend for radio stations across the U.S.

Here's a question that every radio and TV sales professional should ask not only potential clients, but also those who have used traditional media — a.k.a. "old media" — for years. You may get a blank stare, or a giggle. But, RBR+TVBR Editor-in-Chief Adam R Jacobson believes it's an important question that illustrates a point the TVB and RAB may want to elucidate on: About 20% of connected adults always use an ad blocker, new research finds.

If you're wondering where FCC Chairman Ajit Pai will be next week, don't look to the Portals or anywhere around the National Capital Region. That's because he'll be on the road, driving across five states in a 1,100-mile tour devoted to rural broadband concerns that will conclude with an address at the Wyoming Association of Broadcasters Convention.

A just-released White Paper from Neustar, an information services provider known for its "connection science" solutions that's being purchased for $2.9 billion by Golden Gate Capital, confirms what many a TV executive has been spouting for years: Television is still the most effective way to advertise.

A federal appeals court late Thursday declined to grant an FCC request that would have avoided a stay of its vote that reinstated the "UHF discount." But, it's only an administrative stay—giving the court a bit more time to look at arguments for and against eased restrictions on station ownership.

On March 15, two of the broadcast television industry’s biggest players formed a consortium designed to promote spectrum aggregation, innovation and monetization while enhancing their abilities to compete in the wireless data transmission sector. Now, one of the nation's biggest Hispanic media companies has joined the consortium.

"We have different members that are going to lead on different issues," Rep. Marsha Blackburn, Chairman of the House Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Communications & Technology, said in an interview with C-SPAN conducted before the Memorial Day holiday. "Billy Long is leading the work on media ownership." Who's he? He just may be radio's biggest fan on Capitol Hill, this RBR+TVBR INFOCUS report uncovers.

Nearly across-the-board gains were seen among media stocks in Thursday's trading on Wall Street. The lone exceptions: Comcast, down 0.07%; the volatile Netflix, off 0.05%; and Cumulus Media. The No. 2 radio broadcast company by number of stations saw its stock price sag by 6.8%.

To help reduce injuries or place tower workers in life-threatening situations, the FCC and OSHA today released their jointly produced "Communications Tower Best Practices Guide." The guide is a result of the long-standing commitment of both agencies to ensuring the safety of tower workers, Chairman Pai and OSHA head Dorothy Dougherty note.

On May 1, in a novel transaction only made possible by the now-concluded FCC Spectrum Auction, a fast-growing Southern California media player — The Meruelo Group — agreed to pay just $10 million for a channel-sharing agreement created as a result of the Spectrum Auction. The seller, Hero Licenseco, pocketed nearly $147 million for giving up the spectrum for KBEH-63 in the L.A. DMA and agreed to spin the agreement. Now, it's abandoning the deal.

A new survey of U.S. teenagers suggests that the majority both find ads helpful and enjoy watching promos starring celebrities. What could this mean for your radio or TV station, and their respective online, social, and digital media platforms?

With 29 days and counting until AMC-8 dies, there is still much concern among satellite-delivered syndicated radio programming companies that too many radio stations will wait until the last minute to transition to this aging bird's replacement. Here's why you should act now on making the move.