the HOT List

From Mar-a-Lago to the shores of Maui, DirecTV subscribers could soon be missing a local broadcast station from their lineup. That's because Raycom Media's 65 television stations in some 44 markets across the U.S. are locked in the latest dispute over a new retransmission fee agreement, which is needed by midnight Sept. 1 in order to avoid the DBS provider from engaging in a "blackout."

Two weeks after 14-year company veteran Adam Symson took the reins as President/CEO of The E.W. Scripps Company, he's already putting his stamp on the media operation previously led by the now-retired Rich Boehne. 

In a transaction brokered by Kalil & Co., the NBC affiliate serving the Redwood Coast some 4 1/2 hours north of San Francisco is trading hands. The buyer owns the crosstown CBS affiliate, and that's now on the market.

Are broadcasters "abusing outdated rules to boost their bottom lines" and the main culprits behind the "blackout" of local broadcast TV channels on MVPDs and such DBS providers as DISH Network? That's what the American Television Alliance (ATVA) thinks, and this provides needed background as to why it is expressing concern with the FCC regarding Sinclair Broadcast Group's acquisition of Tribune Media, and why it met Thursday with the FCC to discuss ATSC 3.0 rollout.

Some media companies say they are all about serving the communities in which their stations are located. One company, with stations in small cities located across New York State, South Carolina, and Florida's Panhandle, is all about community. If not, this operator's very name would be a misnomer. In this exclusive RBR+TVBR INFOCUS report, we peek inside the studios and offices of a cluster of stations owned by a company that's all about being loyally local.

In an impassioned statement released late Friday, Univision President/CEO Randy Falco expressed pride in the multicultural America "we live in and our making." He then turned to the recent racially motivated events in Charlottesville, Va., by turning to the words of the late Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall before noting, "The current insanity threatens to spiral out of control and has to stop. Leadership is needed."

On Wednesday (8/16), representatives from two key broadcast media multicultural advocacy organizations, a big D.C. law firm, a major Christian-themed broadcaster and a Black-owned broadcaster based in Alabama held court with one of the most influential individuals in Washington, D.C. That person is FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. What did they discuss? We now know.

Is the 1990s simply horrible and unworthy of a radio station of its own that you can profit from? That's what some consultants may say. That's what some owners may say. RBR+TVBR's Editor-in-Chief disagrees. He believes there's a "throwback" format out there that can make you money. All it takes is thinking like a millennial.

The company that intends to merge with Tribune Media on Thursday announced an agreement for all of its ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC affiliates, and the Tennis Channel, to be carried in their respective markets once YouTube TV debuts in those respective locales.

For Whitney Media owner William O'Shaughnessy, a legendary figure in New York broadcasting, it all comes down to one key goal, and gaining influence with local leaders. If not, your radio station could just be another jukebox or entertainment purveyor ... and that's not a recipe for longevity, O'Shaughnessy says in this exclusive RBR+TVBR INFOCUS report.

By all accounts, Cumulus Media — the nation's No. 2 radio broadcasting company by number of stations — enjoyed a strong Q2. But, how does Cumulus match up against the industry's biggest players? Capital Cube asks this very question, and on Wednesday conducted an analysis by pitting Cumulus against seven publicly traded radio competitors.

If there's one Wall Street analyst who has emerged as a prolific writer and prognosticator, it's Pivotal Research Group Sr. Research Analyst for Advertising Brian Wieser. He's been quite busy as of late writing up lots of reports and briefs on the state of advertising-driven media companies, and now he's released his forecast on how 2017 will fare for ad growth. 

Net revenue and Adjusted EBITDA were both up for Cumulus Media in Q2, as the company's net income improved considerably. There's also more cash on hand. While the company's total debt remains unchanged — at $2.42 billion — this was a good Q2, thanks to Westwood One.

Word that three leading Democrats on the House Energy & Commerce Committee have accused FCC Chairman Ajit Pai of favoritism toward Sinclair Broadcast Group reached Wall Street on Monday afternoon. That news didn't sit well with investors, as the company's stock slid 3.8%.

Has FCC Chairman Ajit Pai given favorable treatment toward Sinclair Broadcast Group, the broadcast media company that is on track to merger with Tribune Media? Three top Democrats in the House of Representatives think so, and wrote to Pai on Monday to express their concerns.