the HOT List

In late March, a Tulsa-headquartered owner of broadcast media stations in such markets as Merced and Monterey-Salinas, Calif.; Rochester, N.Y.; Medford, Ore.; and Yakima, Wash., sold its assets in one mid-sized Louisiana city. Now, Stephens Media Group is preparing to exit a second market in Cajun Country.

After 31 years of alignment with CBS across three different ownership groups, WANF on August 16 will become an independent news-focused flagship property owned by Gray Media doubling down on its "Atlanta News First" branding introduced in fall 2022. Where's the CBS affiliation going? An CBS O&O is grabbing it.

Byron Allen is placing some, but not all, of Allen Media Group's broadcast properties on the market. The decision, which is tied to a debt relief effort, comes at a moment where industry consolidation and an end date for ATSC 1.0 digital transmission are poised to reshape the TV landscape.

As May ended, so did the likelihood that K-Love Inc. would be gaining ownership of KDHX-FM. Instead, a heritage in-market competitor for Christian music lovers will be getting it, pending a bankruptcy judge's OK in the coming days. Two groups supporting KDHX's "renewal" said Monday they will continue their fight.

While the FCC opens the door to deregulation for traditional broadcasters in the wake of unregulated digital competitors, Commissioner Nathan Simington has suggested a second, concurrent way to level the playing field: bringing streaming platforms under the same rules that govern cable and satellite providers.

Fresh off a blockbuster deal to acquire Alpha Media, Jeff Warshaw reveals he believed he was in line to become the next CEO of Audacy. Instead, the Connoisseur Media CEO is now suing Soros Fund Management, alleging they cut him out of the deal he helped orchestrate.

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr is facing increased scrutiny over the agency's delay in implementing a rule that would expand emergency alerts to more than a dozen languages. Despite unanimous Commission approval in October, the rule’s rollout has stalled, drawing criticism from members of Congress, local leaders, and a sitting FCC commissioner.

If 20/20 is perfect vision, then the price that Cox Media Group has agreed on to sell its five-station radio cluster in Tulsa, Okla., to a local eye doctor and entrepreneur may be a very good omen, as CMG makes its second full-market divestiture in as many years.

Emergency Alert System hardware vendor Digital Alert Systems has issued a strong rebuttal to the NAB, defending its opposition to a proposed FCC rulemaking that would allow software-based EAS processing. In formal reply comments, the company refutes NAB's argument that the company's concerns are grounded in commercial self-interest.

FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks used Thursday’s open meeting to officially announce his resignation, marking the end of a nearly six-year tenure as the agency’s senior Democratic member. The move officially opens a GOP majority under Chairman Brendan Carr, with Democrat Anna Gómez now the sole non-Republican.

While the House Commerce Committee certainly maintains oversight of the FCC, the House Appropriations Committee also holds a level of jurisdiction, namely when it comes to its fiscal budgets. That explains why FCC Chairman Brendan Carr spent much of his Wednesday discussing everything from DOGE to DEI.

In 1997, Glenn Krieg joined Morgan Murphy Media as its Chief Financial Officer. Today, he's new to the Radio + Television Business Report's Broadcast Best Finance Leaders rankings for 2025. Where does his rank? The answer is in our just-released Summer 2025 magazine, a 40-page digital publication available now! 

Three high-powered Democrats have written to the Chair of Paramount Global expressing concerns as to whether the parent of CBS News and Stations "may be engaging in potentially illegal conduct" involving the Trump Administration in exchange for regulatory approval of its merger with Skydance Media.

With the main ballroom at capacity, the 2025 MFM conference kicked off in earnest on Monday with an in-depth and revealing panel discussion featuring three key CFOs representing broadcast media moderated by the Publisher/President of the Radio + Television Business Report and Radio Ink. 

On May 5, Connoisseur Media's acquisition of Alpha Media was officially announced, with Brigade Capital Management contributing much of the cash to make the transaction happen. Late Monday, the official stock purchase and exchange agreement requiring the FCC's approval appeared in the LMS.