the HOT List

Automotive is up for the fourth consecutive quarter. That said, "Subscription" revenue, a.k.a. retransmission consent dollars, saved the day for TEGNA in Q2 ... as did a hefty merger termination fee paid for by Soo Kim's group.

On tough comps due to a banner 2022 for political advertising, Sinclair Broadcast Group widened its loss in the second quarter of 2023. That said, the company's revenue beat the consensus estimate of analysts polled by Yahoo! Finance.

The CW Network is extending, and expanding, its network affiliation agreement with Hearst Television. The accord keeps the network in six markets where Hearst stations enjoy affiliation agreements, while a new CW affiliate for Hearst bows on Sept. 1.

Nexstar Media Group has issued an open Request for Proposals seeking "a next-generation audience measurement partner capable of providing data that accurately reflects the scale and power" of its national and local media businesses. It's a direct shot at Nielsen, with Nexstar now aligning itself alongside NBCUniversal by expressing the need for "innovative new products."

Eight esteemed current and former radio industry professionals will be inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame as part of its 2023 class. They include longtime air personalities, one esteemed local market leader, a familiar vote to NPR listeners, and Radio Ink and RBR+TVBR President/Publisher Deborah Parenti.

With Wimbledon now concluded, Kantar U.K. Commercial Director for Sport Andrew Brember couldn't help but notice the change in sports viewers’ behaviors and how events that were once broadcast on linear channels only are becoming available on all platforms and all screens, making cross-media audience measurement crucial to stay on top of the game. But, is the U.S. an anomaly?

The Nexstar Media Group-controlled television network will be the lone place to view the NASCAR event, starting in 2025. It is a seven-year deal, which sees The CW broadcast 33 live NASCAR Xfinity Series races annually, along with practice and qualifying events each weekend.

The AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act of 2023, with no further debate or discussion and with wide bipartisan support, has been passed by the Senate Commerce Committee and is now poised for a full floor vote in the upper body of Congress. Interestingly, Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) changed his vote to a 'No,' preventing S.1669 from passing unanimously.

The nation's "Big Four" networks are being joined by Fubo, Warner Bros. Discovery, Roku and the two major Spanish-language television groups with the formation of a coalition that aims to upend swelling support to extend retrans to vMVPDs. It comes in response to the recent creation of The Coalition for Local News.

Resetting expectations, refocusing inward and recharging growth. That's the key takeaway from pwc's just-released report offering perspectives from its Global Entertainment and Media outlook for 2023–2027. What does pwc have to say about broadcast media, in particular?

Pivotal Research Group analyst Jeffrey Wlodarczak has lowered its price target for SPOT, which trades on the NYSE. For investors, that's bleak news, as it is even lower than where Spotify shares landed on Tuesday after a dismal trading session and subsequent Wednesday bounce-back.

He led the low-power TV licensee once known as HC2 Holdings that in August 2021 changed its name to Innovate Corp. as the successor to Philip Falcone. Now, Innovate is coping with the sudden loss of President/CEO Wayne Barr Jr., who has died.

On Oct. 1, 2020, he rose to President/COO with the signing of a new deal that concludes at the end of 2023. It is now known that Tom Carter will not be putting his signature on a new contract and will leave Nexstar at the end of 2023. His successor? The former President of Operations and Distribution at FOX.

The FCC's Media Bureau has moved forward with the codification of an Order that adopts a Consent Decree resolving the unauthorized transfers of control of a trend-setting Alternative FM serving Southern Vermont and New York's Capital District. As such, the owner of WEQX is agreeing to resolve the issue civilly, and without a forfeiture.

On July 5, Hawaiian Telcom lodged a complaint against Nexstar Media Inc. with the Federal Communications Commission. Nexstar wanted that completely removed before a deal was made. The two appear to have come to a solution on the terms.