the HOT List

The Supreme Court of the United States on Wednesday morning heard oral arguments on what has emerged as a major administrative law question: Should it overrule, or "clarify," a 1984 decision holding that federal courts should defer to an agency's reasonable interpretation of an ambiguous law?

As Wednesday began, the independently-managed and unconsolidated subsidiary of Sinclair Inc. revealed that it plans to emerge from bankruptcy as a "going concern" and continue its operations, as a Restructuring Support Agreement with Diamond's largest creditor groups has been agreed upon. Amazon is involved ... as is a big Sinclair Inc. payment to DSG.

Nearly two years ago, Cumulus Media received a hefty NALF from the FCC for not adhering to its Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) regulations at 4 FMs and 1 AM serving the Albany, Ga., market it used to own. Now, the Commission has spoken with just a slight reduction of the financial penalty.

For the past five years, Jim Howard has served in the role of chief executive of Marketron, known for its broadcast media ad revenue management products. Now, he will shift back to the role of Board Chair as Jimshade Chaudhari takes the CEO post. Concurrently, Marketron REV has been sold.

Comcast Corp., which failed to reach a fresh retransmission consent agreement with Mission Broadcasting, went to the FCC to address its concerns that all of the carriage agreement discussions were not conducted "in good faith." Now, the Commission has spoken — and it agrees with the Xfinity parent's assessment.

The resolution of the impasse that began Nov. 30, 2023 came just in time for viewers of TEGNA stations in Cleveland to watch the Texans' convincing win over the Browns in a key National Football League playoff game.

RBR+TVBR President/Publisher Deborah Parenti saw first-hand how AI "was front and center at virtually — and we use that word in both meanings — every display and booth at the show." Meanwhile, iHeartMedia was in Las Vegas but not as a CES exhibitor. Rather, top brass joined Meta and MediaLink for a VIP dinner.

The Radio + Television Business Report's information-filled all-new Winter 2024 Special Report is now available, and this full-color 32-page digital magazine — distributed to RBR+TVBR premium subscribers — is a must-read. What awaits you in RBR+TVBR's Winter 2024 Special Report?

As 2023 came to a close, Gray Television announced it had reached a sports rights deal that brings 10 New Orleans Pelicans NBA games to broadcast television, with Gray's WVUE-8 in New Orleans the originating over-the-air station for these telecasts. Now, a home in Lafayette, La., has been secured.

Sinclair Inc. has reached a comprehensive multi-year distribution agreement with Verizon for carriage on FiOS TV. The agreement covers local television stations in 10 markets, Tennis Channel and YES Network.

A free music video streaming app for TVs will be made available to a vast majority of smart TV owners. What wasn't previously known is how one of broadcast television's biggest companies — and one of the key pushers of NEXTGEN TV — is backing ROXi as a partner.

The NAB appears to have picked up on the industry-wise buzz by sending out a marketing e-mail on Day One of CES gushing about what's to come once the NAB Show begins in April.  "Try to contain yourself…ok, scratch that. It’s time to full-on freak out!," the NAB exclaims in promoting "Brand-New Cool" for its own show.

Scripps has signed a local advertising deal that will feature the use of a Detroit-headquartered company’s AI technology across all 61 of its owned and operated broadcast stations.

RBR+TVBR has confirmed that a breach of contract suit filed August 16 in a California federal district court by a creator of "viral hit shows" and podcasts against Audacy Inc. has been resolved.

The evolution of The E.W. Scripps Co.'s local leadership for its broadcast television stations continues, as the Cincinnati-headquartered company has named Station Managers for its properties in Southwest Florida, the capital of the Sunshine State, and in Oklahoma's second-largest market.