the HOT List

“Sinclair reported a strong third quarter with revenues exceeding the high-end of our guidance ranges and adjusted EBITDA exceeding the mid-point of our guidance for the quarter by 40%,” Chris Ripley, the President/Chief Executive Officer of Sinclair Inc. shared. Indeed, Sinclair's earnings surpassed analysts' forecasts.

The Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors of Cumulus Media on Wednesday filed an objection to the confirmation of the first amended joint plan of reorganization submitted by the nation's No. 2 radio broadcasting company to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New York. An ad hoc Cross-Holder Committee quickly followed suit. Cumulus Media responded by sending a statement to the media explaining that the twin objections "were anticipated."

A New York-based investment firm that says it emphasizes "business building and growth, rather than debt, as it pursues long-term capital appreciation" is confirming its lead role in a shareholder group that seeks to acquire Broadcast Music, Inc., the music rights group known as "BMI."

Officially a part of the Buffalo television market, Olean and nearby Bradford, Pa., comprise a market that stands on its own due to terrain and distance. Among the companies actively competing in Olean are Bruce Mittman and Jim Leven's Community Broadcasters and the Jeff Andrulonis-led Colonial Media + Entertainment. Mittman and Leven will now be positioning their Olean stations against a new competitor. 

For longtime NPR listeners and PBS viewers, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation is a long-familiar source of financial support. Now, the foundation is putting millions of dollars in grants toward what it calls "a national initiative to strengthen communities and democracy by supporting local news and information."

Cumulus Media is set to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection within the next six weeks. Is it on the right track? The company's just-released Q1 2018 results suggest this is the case -- although the path to recovery may be slow and steady.

A free music video streaming app for TVs will be made available to a vast majority of smart TV owners. What wasn't previously known is how one of broadcast television's biggest companies — and one of the key pushers of NEXTGEN TV — is backing ROXi as a partner.

The seventh and final installment in a limited podcast series focused on the things that could derail a transaction is devoted to the topic of seller's remorse. Plus, what happens when a deal seems all but set, but an unwelcome surprise pops up in the 11th hour? Tackling the two subjects are Community Broadcasters' Jim Leven and Bruce Mittman, noted broker Doug Ferber and a veteran D.C. attorney.

A veteran Hispanic market media executive who today is the longtime leader of Telemundo Puerto Rico has been selected to serve in the bigger role of President of Telemundo Station Group. He takes a role last held by Manuel Martinez, who retired in 2023.

In late June, Newsmax, the American Cable Association and the Parents Television Council each filed petitions to deny the merger of Sinclair Broadcast Group and Tribune Media with the FCC. Sinclair and Tribune have now responded with their joint filing of their "second consolidated opposition" to the petitions to deny their marriage.

At the very least, Mission Broadcasting believes the FCC's proposed $150,000 forfeiture for allegedly not participating in "good faith" retransmission consent discussions with Xfinity parent Comcast Corp. should, at the very most, warrant a $7,500 financial penalty.

A long-awaited FCC Oversight Hearing started with Democrats assailing President Trump for a late-night Tweet on Tuesday that slammed the FCC for having an Administrative Law Judge consider Sinclair Broadcast Group's proposed merger with Tribune Media. Chairman Pai and the Commissioners were asked what they thought of the Tweet.

According to MoffettNathanson analyst Rob Fishman, 2022 marked a high for content spend for the biggest OTT players. For 2024, far less spending is expected. In fact, ABC Owned Stations parent The Walt Disney Co. is expected to spend 30% less this year than it did two years ago.

On Tuesday, Philip Falcone's HC2 Station Group made headlines by grabbing a Class A TV station serving a growing part of South Florida. Now, HC2 is adding a Class A in one of the nation's hippest cities in a deal that could further build a group of owned-and-operated stations for Azteca América.

"A station assigned by Nielsen to one DMA but physically located in another .... has two local markets in which it may simultaneously demand carriage," the Media Bureau Policy Division Senior Deputy Chief ruled in a matter involving DISH.