Wednesday, July 1, 2026

Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom lit up at night

‘Under Protest,’ Disney Files Early ABC TV License Renewal Forms

The war of words between the Carr Commission and The Walt Disney Co. over the FCC's strict scrutiny of the ABC Television Network — and ABC Owned Stations, giving the Commission the authority to speak — escalated on Thursday as the company now led by CEO Josh D'Amaro submitted eight license renewal applications "under protest." 

Attempting To Turn The Revenue Tide At U.S. Hispanic Media

How can U.S. Hispanic radio, in particular, pivot its sales pitch? Radio + Television Business Report President/Publisher Deborah Parenti asked this question to a panel of radio leaders representing some of Spanish-language media's key companies during the Executive Super Session at the Hispanic Radio Conference.

Nielsen National Big Data + Panel Retains MRC OK

For some, the Nielsen National Big Data + Panel Television Service falls short when it comes to the audience measurement insights they seek and demand. For the Media Rating Council, four priority areas of concern noted in early March have been addressed by Nielsen. As such, Big Data + Panel remains accredited.
Kids watching TV

MPA, NAB, NCTA Team Up To Share TV Ratings System Thoughts

What do NAB Chief Legal Officer Rick Kaplan, Motion Picture Association Sr. Executive VP and Global General Counsel Karyn Temple, and NCTA-The Internet &...

Movie Makers To FCC: Don’t Meddle With Video Marketplace

The Motion Picture Association, which today very much includes "Big Tech" behemoths Amazon and Netflix, has asked the FCC to refrain from "intervening" in the video marketplace "in light of increasing innovation, intermodal competition, and viewer choice."
Tegna

TEGNA Names A CEO As Nexstar Merger Block Continues

With a “hold separate” court ruling being appealed in the Ninth Circuit and a D.C. court hearing a separate challenge, TEGNA has named a Chief Executive Officer — a sign that Nexstar’s quest to merge could take years.

What’s Your View On ‘The View?’ The FCC Wants to Know

In early May, the parent of the ABC Television Network pled its case to the Commission in a Petition for Declaratory Ruling that "The View" is a bona fide news program. Those who agree, or feel otherwise, are now being invited to submit their comments to the Commission in a highly partisan look at the show.
House Energy and Commerce

House E&C Committee Embeds AM Radio Act Into Larger Vehicle Bill

It was an unexpected turn on Capitol Hill, but now the fight to keep AM radio in the automobile dashboard has a new vehicle to a floor vote. The House Committee on Energy and Commerce voted Thursday to include the AM Act's language in Chairman Brett Guthrie's Motor Vehicle Modernization Act of 2026.
Commissioner Anna Gomez May 2026 Open Meeting

Carr, Gomez Offer Dueling Visions At FCC’s May Open Meeting

The FCC's May Open Meeting produced a unanimous vote on four items, including streamlining the DIRS, but after the meeting adjourned, Chairman Brendan Carr and Commissioner Anna Gomez were far from one accord.  Separate press conferences offered starkly different accounts of where the commission is headed.

FCC’s New Foreign Ownership Rules Put Connoisseur In Holding Pattern

For Connoisseur Media, and any other broadcast licensee currently navigating a foreign ownership remediation at the FCC, a Tuesday filing brought some much-needed clarity, but also a few speed bumps — especially as the Jeff Warshaw-led radio group goes full steam ahead on its aggressive M&A plan.
Soo Kim, who runs Standard General

Soo Kim’s Appeal Chances Dim In FCC Racial Discrimination Fight

A three-judge federal appeals court panel on Friday expressed doubts that the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia erred in its August 2025 decision that a racial discrimination claim lobbed by Standard General head Soohyung Kim against the FCC has no merit.

Softer Ad Outlook Leads An Analyst To Downgrade Gray

With the May 7 release of its first quarter earnings results, Gray Media indicated that it is seeing some "softness" in core advertising in Q2. Now, one prominent Wall Street financial analyst has responded by slicing his 1-year target price for "GTN."

HC2: Counting On 5G Broadcast and LPTV Viewer Loyalty

It's a unit of a publicly traded diversified holding company known as Innovate Inc., and with Thursday's release of that entity's first quarter earnings came an up-close look at the financial health of low-power TV-focused licensee HC2 Broadcasting. Just how is HC2, a "Spectrum" segment, performing for Innovate's investors?
Alfred Liggins III, President/CEO, Urban One

For Alfred Liggins And Urban One, The Focus Is On Future Growth

Declines in the traditional ad marketplace fueled dollar dips in the first quarter of 2026 that went beyond Urban One's own forecasts, with Digital revenue sliding by 33.6% due to a variety of factors — including marketer "DEI"-influenced pullbacks.
Caroline Beasley

A Mixed Q1 For Beasley Sees Digital In The Driver’s Seat

Adjusted EBITDA was negative. Yet, a swing from a Q1 2025 net loss to net income in the first three months of 2026 was seen from Beasley Media Group.  What's the key message for shareholders including Mario Gabelli and his GAMCO Investors?