the HOT List

The FCC's newly minted third Commissioner and all-important quorum maker, Olivia Trusty, participated on Thursday in her first monthly Open Meeting. Among the agenda items is a Report and Order designed to remove "obsolete and unworkable" cable television rate rules.

It was a partnership that started in 2023 with a Local Marketing Agreement on a single station in Oregon. Now, Hope Media Group and Worship 24/7 are set to formally unite in a merger of the two Christian radio networks, in a significant global expansion for HMG.

A proposed federal freeze on state artificial intelligence regulations has survived the "Byrd Bath" as the Senate reconciliation bill advances. The United States Senate Parliamentarian ruled that the provision, now described as a “temporary pause” rather than a full moratorium, can remain in the legislation.

Urban One may be the next broadcast group to conduct a reverse stock split as pressure mounts to keep one of its publicly traded share classes in compliance with Nasdaq rules. Following a shareholder vote, the company’s board now holds the authority to consolidate shares as regulatory deadlines approach.

A Supreme Court decision with major implications for broadcasters has once again chipped away at federal agency power - this time limiting how the Federal Communications Commission’s legal interpretations apply in private legal disputes, further cementing 2024's end of the "Chevron deference."

What does a loss of CBS affiliation at WANF-TV in Atlanta mean for Gray Media, for its staff and for viewers in the market? We learn more in this conversation between RBR+TVBR Editor-in-Chief Adam R Jacobson and Gray Media/Atlanta GM Erik Schrader, who oversees WANF and WPCH-TV "Peachtree TV" in the market.

The FCC, ahead of the Juneteenth national holiday on Thursday, has initiated an effort that could eliminate the 39% national TV owner reach limitation established by the Commission more than two decades ago. Specifically, the FCC plans to "refresh the record" on the national cap for broadcast TV ownership.

The 36-year veteran of TEGNA will be honored for her accomplishments and given the award during a luncheon presentation at Forecast 2026, presented by Streamline Publishing’s Radio + Television Business Report and Radio Ink, on November 12, at The Harvard Club in New York.

The Administrative Law Judge at the Federal Communications Commission has ordered the former President of a Spanish-language broadcast television ministry to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines for all but ignoring his regulatory obligations while overseeing seven low-power TV stations across the U.S. 

The seating of Trusty, which will come in time for the FCC's June 26 Open Meeting, came despite strong opposition from Democrats to her nomination. Republicans successfully overcame any opposition, voting affirmatively to pair of cloture motions that ended debate and any further delay on action.

Is it true, or is it a report littered with misunderstandings about the continued resilience of broadcast radio and TV? That's what some industry leaders may question after digesting the findings of a report released Tuesday from Attest, which used an online survey to gather its results.

Streaming reached a "historic milestone" in May as its share of total television usage outpaced the combined share of broadcast and cable for the first time ever. That's according to the latest installment of Nielsen’s monthly report known as "The Gauge."

A MVPD owned by Cincinnati Bell has filed a bad faith complaint with the FCC against Nexstar Media Group. Why? Altafiber claims retransmission consent negotiations involving WDTN-2 in Dayton, Ohio, come with a must-carry clause for the NewsNation cable TV channel.

Media owners' net advertising revenues (NAR) will reach $979 billion this year, growing by 4.9% over 2024 but slowing down from 10.3% in 2024, new data from MAGNA show. Neutralizing the significant impact of cyclical events on ad spend in 2024 and in 2025, "the market slowdown is still real but more modest."

The FCC has no quorum to conduct regular business or vote on any items on its agenda for the upcoming June Open Meeting. A leading Republican in the U.S. Senate wants to change this as soon as possible. Yet, his effort could be thwarted in a vote block from Democrats wanting a member of their own party seated concurrently.