the HOT List

The positive impact AI can bring to Radio proved to be one of the key discussion topics at the NAB Show New York's second annual executive seminar for an industry eager for new revenue streams while watching their P&L line. Among those on hand were the heads of Alpha Media and Cox Media Group's AM and FM stations.

Here's a nugget sales associates working at broadcast radio stations might want to weave into their client pitches: The current "Share of Ear" for podcasts is now greater than that for Sirius XM Satellite Radio and TV music channels combined.

Seven stations in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale DMA did not participate in the Pearl TV-directed NEXTGEN TV rollout seen at the start of 2023. Now, nearly one year after the Pearl TV-managed launch in the DMA, the ABC affiliate controlled by a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate is readying its transition to ATSC 3.0-powered broadcasts.

While TelevisaUnivision is not publicly traded, the Hispanic-targeted media company's quarterly financial results paint an important portrait as to the health of an entity squarely focused on a vitally important growth market for the U.S. How did it perform in Q3? Growth broke records, CEO Wade Davis says.

Add the Chapter 11 trustee assigned by a Nevada Bankruptcy Court to direct the liquidation sale of Royce International's entire radio station portfolio to the growing list of individuals who have filed legal complaints against Ed Stolz.

The three companies will work together on strategic business development initiatives that emphasize how the technology can help broadcasters create spec ads for sponsors on demand. The announcement comes on the eve of NAB Show New York.

Sixty-four months ago, a new entrant to radio ownership emerged. Four FM radio stations in North Carolina and a pair of FMs in Muscatine, Iowa, were acquired by a pastor with rich experience in radio sales. Now, the stations are to be auctioned off as part of a Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation.

It's hardly a surprise that the 2024 U.S. presidential election will likely bring more political ad dollars to broadcast media than in any prior political season. Just how impactful to local advertising dollars is the election-oriented activity?  Ex-political, the growth rate between 2023 and 2024 decreases by 6.4%, newly released data from BIA Advisory Services show.

California federal district judge Jesus Bernal on Thursday issued a scathing order essentially telling Ed Stolz to cease any further attempts to undo a decision to place the three FMs once-controlled by Stolz's Royce International Broadcasting into receivership. Meanwhile, a Nevada federal bankruptcy court's own auction of all of Stolz's stations is proceeding.

In May 2021, the ABC affiliate serving Southern Nevada petitioned the FCC to shift its digital broadcast channel from VHF Channel 13 to UHF Channel 26. A low-power television station using Channel 26 opposed the plan. Now, the Media Bureau's Video Division Chief has decided on the matter, and The E.W. Scripps Co. is the winner.

Brian Donlon brings a wealth of experience that includes time at A+E, CNBC and ESPN, among other locales. What's his vision for Scripps News, as it seeks to carve itself a place in an ever-competitive national broadcast news environment? We learn more in this InFOCUS Podcast, presented by dot.fm. LISTEN HERE

Title II broadband classification has been a bitter, divisive issue since former FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler made that rulemaking happen. This ushered in "net neutrality," erased by the Pai Commission on party lines. Now, with Democrats finally with a FCC majority, the road to net neutrality's return has gotten one step closer.

In February 2023, the parent of ABC Owned Stations and ESPN revealed that Disney would reorganize its media and entertainment businesses. Starting with fiscal Q4 2023, investors will finally get a look at how ESPN is doing compared to the rest of its media assets. How healthy are the ABC properties? It's still not crystal clear.

A new forecast by WARC Media puts retail media ad spend at a healthy year-over-year growth rate when examining 2023 dollars to 2024 forecasts. The data also show that retail media, primarily used to drive sales, is moving beyond paid search formats into video, audio and out-of-home through cross-channel partnerships.

The battle against Open AI LLC and Mark Walters has taken a turn back toward a Georgia state court, rather than being tried on a federal level. That's what the Salem-syndicated host and podcaster seeks. But the artificial intelligence pioneer thinks otherwise — it wants Walters' case completely dismissed.