the HOT List

Four television stations operated by Sinclair Inc. via a shared services agreement with a licensee operated by the political commentator and entrepreneur are poised to become owned-and-operated properties — the latest in a wave of SSA-to-purchase deals submitted by the company helmed by Chris Ripley.

Many across the media industry are mourning the unexpected loss of José Alberto Suárez. For nearly 17 years, he was a pivotal executive within the Telemundo Station Group, rising from Director of Digital Platforms to become President/GM of Telemundo stations in Orlando, Tampa and Fort Myers-Naples.

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr responded to a lawsuit filed on Tuesday by The Walt Disney Company designed to put a halt to the early license renewal of eight ABC Owned Stations and Disney's First Amendment violation claim regarding "The View" and its status as a "bona fide" news program. He did so on FOX News.

As the Disney-owned unit that includes ABC Owned Stations sees it, it is being targeted by a Commission under the direction of Chairman Brendan Carr and influence of the Trump Administration as part of a campaign to silence free and independent voices in journalism.

Cumulus Media has dramatically reduced payroll through the reduction-in-staff of individuals across the U.S. Now, the company today led by CEO Mary Berner has issued its Q2 2026 results — all but certain to be the last it shares as a public company. How did the company once tied to the Dickey brothers fare?

Noting that both Nexstar Media Group and TEGNA "take seriously the concerns" expressed by DirecTV in regard to their compliance of a preliminary injunction ordering a "hold separate" state of affairs between the two TV station ownership groups, a freshly filed status report shows where Nexstar is on reconstituting TEGNA's Board of Directors.

Documents produced by Nexstar in a retransmission consent complaint brought against it and two shared services providers in March 2023 by DirecTV have been criticized by the plaintiff in the federal legal battle as being deficient. Still, DirecTV believes there's another data that tilts the ongoing price fixing claim in its favor.

An Emmy-winning journalist, multimedia reporter and producer who worked at the ABC affiliate in Detroit owned by The E.W. Scripps Co. until three years ago has unsuccessfully appealed a gender discrimination case filed against the company and its CEO, Adam Symson.

Net income declined for the radio station owner in the second quarter, as did its net operating revenue, as Chief Financial Officer Sam Bush disclosed that the company has sold its residential home used for Saga business in the picturesque Lido Key neighborhood of Sarasota, Fla.

It's another move that signals the death spiral of the regional sports network distributed by MVPDs that continue to experience subscriber roll drops in an era of streaming and renewed over-the-air TV consumption for pro sports fans. Cox Media Group has landed a pair of multi-year NBA local broadcast rights deals.

If good things come to those who wait, Beasley Media Group shareholders may be particularly pleased with the company's second quarter results, which the company released on Wednesday after a short delay. While net revenue and operating income were down, adjusted EBITDA rose on a big swing to net income.

Paperwork has been submitted with the FCC that would allow Sinclair Inc. to convert a shared services agreement to outright ownership of the broadcast television station branded as "CW46" in the Saginaw-Bay City, Mich., market. It would create a "triopoly," as Sinclair already owns two stations and controls two of the "Big Four" networks available in the DMA.

For Frank Copsidas, the head of the LPTV Broadcasters Association, 5G Broadcast as a new standard for Class A and low-power TV stations is all about public safety and — importantly in the Carr Commission era — the public interest. He explains this evolved viewpoint in a new request for rulemaking being filed with the FCC.

Here's the good news when it comes to the Q2 earnings report from iHeart: revenue increased by more than $43.5 million in the three-month period ending June 30. Here's the not-so-pleasant news regarding iHeartMedia's Q2 performance: A net loss slightly lower than last year's $83.48 million finish was logged.

As key Washington, D.C., lawyers who spoke with RBR+TVBR see it, there's little consensus on whether Trump FCC Commissioner nominee Danielle Thumann Severs will get the Senate's OK. These legal pros also differ in opinion on whether a recent Supreme Court ruling gives President Trump the ability to create a GOP-only FCC.