the HOT List

On December 11, 2019, a radio station owner and "true cowboy at heart" died at the age of 77, ending a 50-year fight with Type I Diabetes. Paperwork now with the FCC seeks its approval of a transfer of control from his estate to his widow. Only, this appears to have occurred more than three years ago.

It was rolling along as another typical quarterly earnings call, held one week after the company released its third quarter earnings results. Then, just after the last e-mailed question from a financial analyst was answered, a big surprise came from Spanish Broadcasting System's longtime day-to-day leader. But. he's not exactly leaving.

While Urban One CEO Alfred Liggins III willing to discuss long-term financial plans, now that Richmond voters have shot down a casino resort proposal for a second time, CFO Peter Thompson offered a glimpse at the company's Q4 pacings while looking back at the first half of 2023. The final quarter of 2023 is lackluster, at best.

Today, Patrick Communications is no more, as Susan Patrick's acknowledgment of federal tax fraud came with her pleading guilty to filing a false tax return. On Thursday, the Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Tax Division of the Department of Justice told a Maryland federal district court that prison time is warranted.

Entravision Communications, which has its roots in Hispanic-targeted broadcast media properties, has received a proposed fine from the FCC for violations of its rules. The company now has the opportunity to appeal, seek a reduction of, or pay the fine, in the thousands of dollars.

As expected, Miami ABC affiliate WPLG-10 transitioned to a new facility with ATSC 3.0-powered NEXTGEN TV broadcasts joining those of other stations in the market that unveiled NEXTGEN TV signals 11 months ago. The bigger news, however, involves the FOX affiliate controlled by the Ansin family's Sunbeam Television.

What is being described as “a leadership realignment” in the Markets Group of the nation’s No. 1 radio station owner by number of stations is underway, the company announced on Monday. What does this mean for iHeartMedia, across its 160 Markets and 860+ radio stations?

"After 17 months of frustration and expenditures," low-power TV industry entrepreneur "SuperFrank" Copsidas has pulled the plug on the broadcast TV standard tied to the rollout of NEXTGEN TV at the first station in Boston to embrace the technology.

What's the outlook for all-things audio, as offered in the latest global forecast by media from MAGNA? After escaping a rather dismal 2023, 2024 appears to be looking up — ever-so slightly — on a global level. The domestic data, however, isn't so bright.

When it comes to the role of Letter of Credit holder and Swing Line Lender for Audacy Inc., with respect to its credit facility, JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. has held the role. That changed on Wednesday, when the financial institution resigned, leading the audio content creation and distribution company formerly known as Entercom to appoint a new agent.

A new internal memo leaked to a TV industry blog offers additional insights into the structural evolution underway at Scripps' local broadcast TV stations, with the General Manager role officially eliminated in seven markets. Concurrently, Station Managers are being welcomed in Omaha, and in Lansing, Mich.

A fresh retransmission consent accord between TEGNA and DirecTV could not be reached as the prior one lapsed. And, as is representative of nearly every carriage fee dispute, each side is blaming one another as viewers will be prevented from enjoying a bevy of programming in key markets across the U.S.

Mike Hulvey will work with longtime industry figure Erica Farber to ensure “a smooth and successful transition during the next few months;” her last day with the RAB will be April 30, 2024.

While respected analyst Brian Wieser doesn't have a rosy outlook for audio, including radio, for 2023 or 2024 when it comes to advertising growth, another report — courtesy of Deloitte — presents a potentially more promising forecast for the audio entertainment market. 

For the three months ending September 30, Spanish Broadcasting System saw lower year-over-year operating results. But, as the company explained late Wednesday with the release of its Q3 2023 report, there were two key reasons for the decline.