TV/Cable News

On January 26, 1997, John Huck and Carolyn Clifford served as the inaugural anchors for "FOX 53 News at 10," airing on a station operated by Sinclair Inc. Now, nearly 27 years later, this station serving Western Pennsylvania is ready to launch a live-and-local hourlong alternative to "TODAY" and "Good Morning America."

Unhappy with the rising cost of watching the handful of programs you enjoy on an over-the-top (OTT) video streaming platform, or perhaps Thursday Night Football? Now, you'll be paying to watch that content with limited commercials ... unless you're willing to pay more to erase the spots.

As 2023 came to a close, two big brands were hot on spots when it came to attracting more business through the use of Spot Cable. One is a OTT platform, ironically attracting a generation of cord-cutters and cord-nevers. The other is linked to one Dan Gilbert.

The all-cash deal is subject to certain purchase price adjustments, plus the assumption by Lionsgate of production financing loans. With the sale, Hasbro says it will continue to develop and produce entertainment based on its "rich vault" of Hasbro brands.

In February 2022, a family-owned independent broadcaster moved forward with the sale of the FOX and MyNetwork TV affiliates serving the Eugene-Springfield, Ore., market. The deal, brokered by Kalil & Co., closed in May 2022. Now, an internal consolidation of licensees linked to Cox Media Group has brought the properties directly under the company's control.

It's one of several digital multicast television networks owned and distributed by Weigel Broadcasting, the Norm Shapiro-led entity known for its ownership of The CW Network affiliate serving Chicago and the CBS affiliate in Milwaukee. Now, one of its siblings to MeTV is being added to DirecTV.

There'll be no "Great Affiliation Switch" coming for any of Gray Television's television stations that are home to such programming as "Saturday Night Live" or "TODAY."

The FCC's two Republican Commissioners are bitterly disappointed. The NAB and broadcast TV station owners are likely angered. With the 3-2 approval by Democrats of the 2018 Quadrennial Order, the "Top Four" rule for broadcast TV was tightened, not loosened. One cable TV advocacy group is pleased — suggesting retrans wars possibly influenced the Chairwoman.

The Director of Chicago Bureau Operations and a FOX News Audio update anchor and reporter have each passed away. Staff were notified of their deaths in company-wide memos distributed on December 23, which were released to the media on Tuesday.

The license renewal of a low-powered television station serving the Bryan-College Station, Tex., market will proceed, but not without a small, proposed fine for engaging in unauthorized operation of the station after its Construction Permit had expired.

A licensee that has seen Julie Huang and Matt Davidge amass a collection of low-power TV stations over the last several years could be on the hook for a financial penalty for failing to adhere to two big FCC rules.

In a first, the National Football League is allowing a telecast of one of its regular-season games to be devoid of commercials for an entire quarter. This "groundbreaking fan experience" will be shown not on broadcast or cable TV nationally, however — it is a Peacock-only game airing on Saturday.

Ryan WHO?  For those who seek an alternative to the New Year's Eve telecast airing on ABC, Nexstar Media Group may have a program that suits your fancy — if you happen to live in six mid-America states or 15 West Coast markets including Las Vegas, Nevada.

Tim Kay, Ampersand’s VP of Political Strategy, joins the InFOCUS Podcast to discuss how the fundamentals of political advertising have not changed, but politicians looking to pour campaign dollars into social or SVOD should consider “a mixed media approach” instead.  LISTEN HERE

With the calendar racing towards the 2023 holiday season, broadcast television stations who are preparing for their on-air, online and social coverage of New Year’s Eve can now consider clean and uninterrupted bug/logo/commercial-free feeds featuring official Times Square New Year’s Eve content, courtesy of Countdown Entertainment and the Times Square Alliance.