Legacy

With the clock ticking and a widely expected Chapter 11 restructuring agreement likely arriving within 48 hours, iHeartMedia CFO and President/COO Rich Bressler and Chairman/CEO Bob Pittman are likely meeting with EVP/Chief Communications Officer Wendy Goldberg on just how — if at all — the company will share its financial decisions and choices. When it comes to skipping interest payments (and executive bonus pay), the dissemination vehicle is the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. 

In the Italian language, "Tedesco" is the word that in English means "German." It is therefore a bit fitting that Marie Tedesco, the CFO of Beasley Broadcast Group, will be motoring from Naples (Florida, not Italy) to Palm Beach on Monday for a big Deutsche Bank event.

Nexstar Media Group stock climbed into positive territory during the midday hours on Tuesday, after dipping into negative territory in an early investor response to the company's just-released Q4 2017 earnings results. However, that gain couldn't hold, as NXST shares dipped 20 cents, to $73.55, at the Closing Bell. The loss came despite beating Wall Street estimates on its revenue and income.

Here's something 2018 NAB Show attendees may wish to make note of: Dielectric, the manufacturer of antennas and RF systems for TV and radio broadcasters, will present a variety of spectrum repack antennas engineered to deliver next-generation broadcast standard signals. 

When leadership comes together at one time and on one stage, whether you are in Hispanic radio or compete with Hispanic radio in your market, you’ll want to be there to hear what they have to say and to ask your questions. This was the inspiration for the first Hispanic Radio Conference and the 2018 Hispanic Radio Executive Leadership Roundtable promises to be one of the most powerful presentations being prepared for attendees.

Nearly one month ago, Emmis Communications revealed that it is exiting one of its most profitable markets. On Thursday, RBR+TVBR independently confirmed that Becky Domyan will succeed John Sheehan at the helm of Entercom’s St. Louis stations. It is now known how much Emmis will be pocketing from its departure from the Gateway City.

Here comes another paper conservation effort from the FCC. The Commission has moved forward with a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that proposes to eliminate a broadcast filing requirement and instead rely on publicly available information in its periodic reviews of broadcaster employment practices.

From baseball to football, and from basketball to motor sports, Hispanic consumers are "major league" fans. They represent a huge opportunity for sports teams, their merchandise, their venues — and their broadcast media sponsors. Still, many radio stations are unsure as to how to connect with, or fully tap into, the growing Hispanic sports market and its vast potential. A Hispanic Radio Conference session will go a long way toward providing big answers on "deportes" delivery.

Don't think Super Bowl LII is a big trigger for automotive dealers' Q1 sales efforts? Think again. The latest Spot Ten TV report from Media Monitors shows that Chevrolet — and three other auto dealer associations — greatly accelerated their TV spots following the "big game" won by the Philadelphia Eagles. Interestingly, one auto dealer association decreased its spots for the week ending Feb. 18.

"Value investing is easily one of the most popular ways to find great stocks in any market environment," notes Zacks Equity Research. "One way to find these companies is by looking at several key metrics and financial ratios, many of which are crucial in the value stock selection process." With that, Viacom's Class B shares were put to the test. Is it a good choice for value-oriented investors right now?

From podcast and pureplay to broadcast streams and innovations still incubating, what’s the digital audio forecast? What’s hot today, and what’s on the horizon tomorrow? How are these digital options being consumed, measured, and monetized successfully? One Hispanic Radio Conference panel has plenty of answers — and some provocative commentary that might have you wondering if your stations are ready for the future.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee has scheduled a markup for Wednesday afternoon (2/14) that will include a reauthorization of the FCC — and an amendment that would establish an all-important repack fund "to address the apparent shortfall in funding available."

If you seek any of the FCC's Commissioners on Friday, you no longer need to wait until they return from the Presidents' Day Federal holiday on Tuesday, Feb. 20. Each of the Commissioners had been called to testify this week before the powerful House Energy & Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Communications and Technology to discuss the FCC's budget. But, the Subcommittee just cancelled the gathering.

There's a 250-watt FM translator on the Florida Panhandle that is authorized to rebroadcast a Class C religious AM station licensed to Pensacola. Unfortunately, it may not be broadcasting from the location it is authorized to use. Even worse, the Enforcement Bureau has a complaint indicating that the translator was originating programming content, rather than retransmitting its associated full-power station.

Cumulus Media CEO Mary Berner this week assailed the radio industry for doing a poor job of touting its benefits to advertisers, declaring that Radio "needs to grow a pair" and should get aggressive in its fight for ad dollars. Two days later, Cumulus is faced with the surrender of thousands of dollars in precious revenue to the FCC. The reason? Five of the company's stations have repeatedly failed to abide by the Commission's rules on public inspection files.