TV/Cable News

Affirmative. Good to go. "Sí, signore!"  No matter how you say it, Gray Television simply seeks a "yes" from the FCC so it can change channels for KYES, its MyNetwork TV affiliate serving Alaska's biggest market. What is Gray's plan? We've got the details.

Could summertime bring a slew of possibilities that, quite possibly, put one in a risky situation soothed over by a reliable and dependable auto insurer? Based on the latest activity in the Media Monitors Cable Spot Ten report, that may be a good assumption.

Flush this: In last week’s Media Monitors TV Spot Ten report, a leading Reckitt Benckiser cleaning and disinfectant brand finds itself among the top 3 advertisers using UHF and VHF stations to deliver their marketing message to consumers.

With the FCC's Spectrum Auction now concluded, we knew in April that storied NBC flagship WNBC-4 in New York is heading into the history books, with programming shifting to a DT signal tied to its Telemundo-affiliated O&O, WNJU-48. Now, viewers of WNBC will not only be saying goodbye to "Channel 4," but also one of the market's most familiar 11pm news anchors—sort of.

Two FOX network affiliates and a DT-2 signal airing the NBCUniveral Telemundo Spanish-language broadcast network located in the Pacific Northwest have new local TV measurement agreements with Nielsen.

The FCC's Incentive Auction Task Force this morning calculated the aggregate amount of the estimated costs of reimbursement-eligible TV stations and MVPDs faced with new post-incentive auction channel assignments. The figure is upward of $2.1 billion.

Much has been said, and criticized, about Microsoft President Brad Smith's goal of bringing broadband connectivity to rural America via the use of free "white space" -- that buffer zone on the spectrum that is found between broadcast TV stations. The Advanced Television Broadcasting Alliance (ATBA) commends Smith’s goal of broadband to all of rural America in the next five years. But, the way Microsoft seeks to do it is flawed, ATBA argues, and it has a better solution.

With new FCC leadership comes new insight into whether or not one of the nation's largest MVPDs discriminated against Game Show Network, violating Commission rules. In 2015, an Administrative Law Judge said Cablevision did. Today, the Republican-majority FCC responded to the now-Altice USA owned Cablevision's appeal of the ALJ decision by reversing it — effectively denying GSN's complaint on a party-line vote.

Starting in July 2018, broadcasters and pay-TV providers carrying one of the top networks must provide 87.5 hours of described programming per calendar quarter. This averages out to roughly one hour per day of description on each included network.

FOX will have no need to look for new affiliation partners in some 31 markets through the end of 2019, thanks to a newly forged deal with Nexstar that for the first time covers OTT distribution of the network's affiliates.

On Tuesday, August 8, a change in command at The E.W. Scripps Co. will formally take place. That's when Rich Boehne will step aside as CEO of the broadcast media company, which owns TV and radio stations. Boehne will continue as the company Chairman. Who's taking the role of President/CEO? How much will he make?

Nexstar Media Group on Monday confirmed that it has received commitments for a whopping $3.1 billion refinancing of its outstanding Senior Secured Term Loan facilities. What did company CEO Perry Sook have to say about it? We've got the details.

Last week RBR+TVBR reported on a proposal from computing giant Microsoft to use TV white space to provide wireless broadband services in rural areas. Specifically, Microsoft wants the FCC to reserve a vacant UHF white space channel in every market nationwide, following the post-auction repack of broadcast television stations. The NAB is less than thrilled, and issued a statement on the matter Tuesday. We also have some thoughts on the matter, via a RBR+TVBR OBSERVATION.

As the neutral party working with both broadcasting companies and wireless services providers, Vertical Bridge, the independently owned tower owner and manager, believes “over the top” delivery of programming — OTT — is the freight train that can’t be stopped for creators, distributors, advertisers and sales execs. That’s why Alex Gellman, CEO and co-Founder of this Palm Beach County, Fla.-based company, is not an individual those excited about the next-generation broadcast TV standard, ATSC 3.0, should have a conversation with.

In last week’s Media Monitors TV Spot Ten report, Neutrogena soared from No. 8 to No. 1 with 18,368 spots, as did McDonald’s, which soared from No. 21 to No. 2 with 17,780 ads.