the HOT List

From XR glasses, stretchable TVs, smart microwaves, and even a robot sloth bag charm, there's much to digest across the 2025 CES event in Las Vegas. For the VAB, cutting through the clutter can start with the latest usage data on the 16 most-common connected devices today. 

“Lyn is a seasoned local media leader, committed to operational excellence, strong financial performance and leading teams to deliver quality, objective journalism,” EVP of Media Broadcast Operations Dean Littleton said. “This new role will allow her to work closely with all of Scripps’ local stations, our employees and the communities Scripps serves.”

A coalition of local television broadcasting companies have come together to form a joint venture dedicated to providing high-speed data transmission services — a key benefit of the new ATSC 3.0 digital TV broadcast technology — to clients across the U.S.

Gigi Sohn, who withdrew from consideration to become a FCC Commissioner after two failed attempts by the Biden Administration, has published commentary in a broadband-focused blog suggesting the lame-duck Commission move ahead with an effort to challenge the license renewal of a Fox Television Stations property in Philadelphia.

Thanks to Gray Media, select games featuring the 2019 Stanley Cup Champions are heading to over-the-air television in a host of markets where the National Hockey League team's fan base is the biggest.

FCC watchers and D.C. pundits are buzzing with the possibility that more, not less, Washington regulation over virtual MVPDs such as Hulu + Live TV — which will soon merge with Fubo in a multi-million deal announced early Monday — is on the way. It all stems from the adoption of a Report and Order by the Commission on December 31.

When FOX Corporation, Warner Bros. Discovery and ESPN parent The Walt Disney Company teamed up to create the forthcoming Venu Sports, "sports first" vMVPD Fubo went to federal court to try to stop the deal. Now, it appears that won't happen — Fubo is being acquired by Disney. Details and confirmation of the deal arrived Monday.

It was released on the final day of 2024, and adopted on December 30 — just in the nick of time to make the FCC's 2024 Communications Marketplace Report timely. And, it may take a lot of time to pour through it all. No less than 11 individual PDFs were distributed, including a principal document of more than 500 pages.

A Federal Appeals Circuit on Thursday negated the Rosenworcel Commission's 3-2 vote that brought back the controversial rules first introduced by the Commission during the leadership of Tom Wheeler. Soon-to-depart Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel commented on the ruling, which the forthcoming Carr Commission will likely applaud.

As part of a multibillion-dollar merger between Charter Communications and John Malone's Liberty Broadband, a former CBS affiliate serving Alaska's biggest market is seeing a change in its ownership structure. This requires FCC approval — even though an October 2024 deal was struck to sell the property to Alaska Public.

Led by CEO Ken Harrison, Waterstone has made its mark with Christian-themed charity groups through grants and fundraising. Now, it is a major shareholder of publicly traded Salem Media Group.

Flags are at half-staff and a National Day of Mourning is scheduled for Thursday, January 9, in honor of the 39th president of the United States. James Earl Carter Jr., known as "Jimmy" to all, has died at the age of 100. His legacy at the FCC under Chairman Charles Ferris, who died in February of this year, is tremendous.

There will be no "great affiliation swap" in some 25 DMAs across the U.S., thanks to a freshly signed agreement between a major broadcast TV station ownership group and The Walt Disney Company. Incoming FCC Chairman Brendan Carr earlier this month expressed his concern that such deals were heavy-handed, in favor of ABC's parent.

Before Altice USA and its Optimum brand of cable TV services, there was Cablevision Systems, known across Westchester County and Long Island as a MVPD powerhouse that was also parent to the "News 12" local cable news operation. The man responsible for creating all of it is now being remembered by both broadcasters and cable TV leaders.

Brendan Carr has gained attention for a letter sent December 21 to the CEO of The Walt Disney Company that addresses one of the more understated concerns of local TV station owners across the U.S.: affiliation agreements and the dollars paid to ensure network programming remains on these over-the-air homes.