the HOT List

The Supreme Court for New York State on Thursday set big monetary penalties against the largest broadcast TV ownership group in the U.S., asking it to repay DirecTV for fees associated with what is today an unaffiliated Washington, D.C.-focused facility branded as “DC News Now.” Nexstar will continue the battle.

Some news organizations are calling it a "power grab" by the White House. Talk of court challenges has already emerged. President Trump has used "the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America" to issue an Executive Order "ensuring accountability" for the FCC.

There's an urgent need to "modernize" the FCC's "outdated" broadcast ownership rules. While those words could have easily come from former Chairman Ajit Pai, they were delivered at a Wednesday luncheon by the President/CEO of the National Association of Broadcasters.

Two days ago, TEGNA promoted Tom Cox to Chief Growth Officer — a sign that a company that was once poised to become an entity within Standard General is not only thriving but looking to expand. Now, TEGNA has confirmed that its next Chief Content Officer is Adrienne Roark, who is leaving CBS News & Stations.

The FCC's Media Bureau, just days before President Biden left office, dismissed a Petition to Deny the license renewal of a FOX Television Stations property on the grounds that it aired content during the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election cycle it believes is false and misleading. The petitioners are appealing that decision.

Four digital multicast broadcast networks owned and distributed by Sinclair Inc. will be seen on a group of television stations held and operated by the nation's No. 1 owner of TV properties, thanks to a freshly signed agreement announced today.

He's a Cuban immigrant who serves as an Army Reserve Ambassador in California, where his full time job is as President/CEO of Meruelo Media, the licensee of radio and television stations owned by entrepreneur Alex Meruelo.  Come February 28, he'll be relinquishing his leadership role at the Meruelo-helmed operation.

The leading trade association advocating for the nation's local broadcast TV industry has released a new study investigating multimedia usage and effectiveness. The top finding? TV, viewed on the TV screen, has the highest reach and time spent of all media platforms studied, for all age groups and categories measured.

The E.W. Scripps Co. has promoted the leaders of its Detroit and Salt Lake City stations, respectively, to the twin roles of Regional Vice President of Local Media. In these roles, they will continue as general managers for their home local television stations as well as overseeing a regional group of Scripps local stations.

The publicly traded broadcast television company formerly known as Gannett has widened the role of the individual who directs its mergers and acquisitions and business development needs by having him take control of its distribution negotiations and retransmission consent talks with MVPDs.

Across Thursday, talk of a potential carriage fee impasse between YouTube TV and Paramount Global escalated, with each company expressing their views on the terms of a new agreement publicly with their respective consumers. At 8pm Eastern, a "blackout" by law of most of the CBS News and Stations' parents channels was prevented — for now.

Voting concludes TODAY for this year's honors. Haven't made your selections yet? Do it today, as RBR+TVBR is calling on the broadcast media industry to help our leadership team in selecting the top-ranked individuals who oversee free-to-air broadcast TV stations across the U.S.

An individual who participated in a 1997 FCC broadcast auction will be held liable for a default payment to the Commission after failing to pay a final lump sum payment for a TV station construction permit. But Todd Robinson will be getting back a big chunk of a deposit that's been held by the Commission.

In the weeks since President Trump was sworn in as U.S. President, "DEI" programs across the corporate landscape have been shelved, or greatly muted, out of concern that the federal government could come knocking. For Comcast, questions are being asked by FCC head Brendan Carr. Top Democrat Geoffrey Starks is seething.

The six radio brands serving St. Louis owned by the nation's largest owner of broadcast radio stations have a new leader, and it is a longtime community figure who began her career as a morning show producer at KSD Radio in St. Louis.