Legacy

The enterprise-class SaaS technology company that happens to be a wholly owned subsidiary of Nexstar Digital has just named its new SVP the Head of this entity. Taking the dual roles at LAKANA LLC is Karen Brophy.

Seven U.S. radio broadcasting industry companies are owed several millions of dollars from iHeartMedia. Much of it is "trade payable," but there's one company that sticks out from the others in regard to the cash it hopes to collect from the nation's top radio station operator. That would be Nielsen.

A Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing and reorganization plan isn't exactly grim news for the company widely known for its iHeartRadio App, its just-concluded iHeartRadio Music Awards and an array of superstar talent including Ryan Seacrest, Elvis Duran, and Bobby Bones. In fact, iHeart Chairman/CEO Bob Pittman praised the moves as necessary for a "highly successful operating business" to get fiscally fit.

After being called out by Entercom in the company's Q4 and full-year 2017 earnings call for nonpayment of services, leading to a $4 million write-down of revenues, United States Traffic Network (USTN) has completed a management-led buyout of the company. The buyout was spearheaded by its President.

In the Hawaiian islands, KWHE-14 in Honolulu is known for its "ohana" television offerings. Found on Oceanic Spectrum and Hawaiian Telecom systems across the state, KWHE is known for its mix of classic syndicated family-oriented sitcoms and a slate of religious and ministry programming, including The Dr. Sumrall Teaching Series. Could changes be on the way for KWHE? No. But, there may be some changes at a simulcast partner based on the island of Maui, which is being sold by KWHE's parent.

Larry Strumwasser has been named GM of the NBC, The CW Network, MyTV Network and Estrella TV affiliates serving Southern Nevada. He joins this big TV broadcasting company's Las Vegas stations after previously serving as a GM in Milwaukee.

Of all the questions Media Information Bureau columnist Ken Benner is frequently asked, there's one in particular he finds particularly vexing: "What is your problem with the FCC?" Benner has no complaints about the Commission, he explains in this latest column. Rather, he's less than pleased with parties external to the Commission that have made lives a bit more difficult for broadcasters — and their bank account balances needlessly smaller. He's particularly frustrated over the FCC's public files rules.

A Malvern, Pa.-based company that connects businesses with on-air, online and on-the-go traffic technology and provides local content, traffic information, advertising, and interactive marketplace solutions to media partners and businesses nationwide played a key role in Entercom's dip. This revelation came in a detailed account of what happened to the company in Q4 2017. "Lackluster" leadership at the former CBS Radio was also a factor, Entercom head David Field said.

Pivotal Research Group Senior Research Analyst for Advertising Brian Wieser has penned a report following his firm's review of weekly national TV viewing trends for both news and sports, based on live+same-day viewing data through the ninth week of 2018. The two genres together accounted for some 23% of all national TV viewing during 2017. But, they're not in sync with their growth.

The Hispanic Radio Conference is March 13-14 in Miami at the Intercontinental at Doral. If you haven’t committed to be part of a historic event yet, or haven't added your voice yet to the Hispanic radio chorus, there is still time to join forces with Hispanic radio broadcasters from across the country who will come together to discuss, debate, and direct the future of Hispanic radio.

Data-driven media marketing, programming and content intelligence provider NuVoodoo Media Services certainly thinks so. Its latest NuVoodoo Ratings Prospects Study reveals a sharp rise in smart speaker ownership since August 2017. What does this mean for AM and FM stations with streaming audio? NuVoodoo found that 48% of likely PPM participants now own a smart speaker.

In a 22-page submission made Monday (3/5) to the FCC, the American Cable Association (ACA) submitted Reply Comments in the FCC's docket on the Electronic Delivery of MVPD Communications by asking the Commission to adopt its proposal to permit cable operators to deliver all Subpart T subscriber notices and privacy notices to a verified e-mail address, subject to certain consumer safeguards, and to allow all such notices to be sent on an “opt-out” basis.

Nielsen has unveiled its latest tool designed to help marketers best determine where their target audience will be when marketing and advertising messages are meant to reach them. Now available is Advanced Audience Forecasting, designed to give clients forecasts of TV audiences defined by "advanced audience segments," which have been gaining traction in the marketplace.

Orban has added the OTV-2.0/5.1 to its line of openGear products. This plug-in card operates on Ross Video’s openGear  platform for live TV, OB trucks, television networks and production facilities.

The wheels of the Federal government are moving the re-authorization of the Federal Communications Commission closer to approval. Top Democratic and Republican leaders in both the House and Senate have reached "a bipartisan, bicameral agreement" that also spurs the deployment of next-generation wireless services. The next step is a House vote on Tuesday for "RAY BAUM's Act."