TV/Cable News

Despite facing revenue shortfalls, budget cuts and unprecedented operational challenges, local TV stations aired more news in 2020 than ever recorded. That's the finding of a new RTDNA newsroom survey that also reveals 2020 saw a record amount of local TV news for the second year in a row. In addition, a record number of stations are running local news.

Alphonso Inc., recently rebranded as LG Ads, has successfully won a patent dispute with the developer of a content recommendation engine and viewer tracking application designed for Smart TVs regarding the use of television audience data for targeting viewers on digital devices. It concludes 5 1/2 years of litigation, including a 2018 ruling in Alphonso's favor.

"The equity markets have transitioned from looking to buy COVID winners in early to mid-2020 to seeking re-opening plays post the announcement of new successful vaccines last November to this current amorphous period of aimless drift," notes Analyst Michael Nathanson. "In our world, the question is what should media and internet investors do now?"

Mike Woods joined Amagi right before the pandemic in February of 2020 as SVP of Product. In this InFOCUS Podcast, presented by dot.FM, Woods shares how the cloud-based automation, playout, and delivery tool company is working with broadcast media companies so they can benefit, not fret, over digital video delivery platform growth. LISTEN HERE

Jordan Cowan is a known figure skater who once practiced in Culver City, Calif. Today, he's skating among the dancers with a Sony HDC-P50 camera and Canon HJ14 lens for a reality TV series now airing in the United Kingdom. The U.S. could be next to embrace this tech device.

AMC Networks is in the midst of what MoffettNathanson analysts call "a pivot from legacy linear networks businesses to direct-to-consumer platforms." Yet, as the respected financial research house has emphasized in the past, "the economics of this pivot are vastly different for each company." What does this mean for AMC?

The net proceeds of the offering are intended to be used for general corporate purposes, including refinancing of indebtedness, the DBS operator-turned-5G player revealed early Monday. It's more good news for a company with its stock price at its highest levels since January 2018.

The offering is part of the financing for the proposed business combination of Grupo Televisa with Univision's businesses, announced on April 13.

As a significant shareholder in TEGNA, Soohyung Kim and his Standard General has, for more than a year, sought to convince those holding company stock that it is on the wrong growth path. Thus, board of directors nominees it presented warranted shareholder approval. Those efforts have failed to gain the support of TEGNA investors once again.

News, in Spanish, credible news, has become essential to people’s lives. How is CNN en Español meeting this challenge in the U.S. as a global news organization? Cynthia Hudson shares all in this InFOCUS Podcast, presented by dot.FM. LISTEN NOW!

Taboo until a 2018 Supreme Court verdict, online sports betting isn’t technically a new ad category. But with just over two years of a track record, few would challenge its advertising status as a golden goose, especially within the local TV industry, Nielsen notes in a newly released study on how online gaming ads are boosting free-to-air television revenues.

Convergent TV advertising platform Beachfront has completed a national addressable TV ad execution with VIZIO that it says adheres to the technical specifications of Open Addressable Ready (OAR), the consortium founded by VIZIO to establish an open standard for addressable advertising on connected TVs.

The Burbank, Calif.-based company calls the move "another important step" in its digital transformation and expansion of its content distribution in the streaming and digital universe.

It's despised by the nation's "Big Four" networks and the NAB isn't quite fond of it, either. That's not stopping Locast from rolling out its not-for-profit "donation"-fueled model of delivering local TV stations via an IP-based delivery platform in yet another market.

Television stations such as market-leading ABC affiliate WFTV-9 in Orlando and top-rated radio station including "96.9 The Eagle" in Jacksonville have just gained a collection of digital siblings. It's thanks to a deal that sees Apollo Global Management, which holds the purse strings for Cox Media Group, acquire what will soon no longer be known as Verizon Media.