TV/Cable News

An agreement has been reached for one of the biggest digital retailers -- and parent to a major OTT video service -- to acquire Wondery, a podcast creator and producer. Details were revealed on Wednesday afternoon.

Snapchat's purpose on smartphones may still be questioned by some, despite Radio's use of its social media platform to connect with listeners. Yet, there's no question that Snapchat's parent has had one of the hottest stocks on the NYSE since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. With Tuesday's close, it is more than $42 per share above its March 11 level.

The latest broadcast TV retransmission consent fee impasse appears to be brewing. Verizon has started to notify its customers that they may lose "some channels" in the coming days, because of "unreasonable demands" by the stations' owner. That would be Hearst Television.

A new Parks Research/Applicaster study shows that the COVID-19 pandemic has driven in-home video consumption to unprecedented levels. Nearly 3 in 10 U.S. broadband households saw a usage increase of online video services. Furthermore, nearly 1 in 5 reported an increased use of pay-TV services. Can this momentum continue into 2021?

Two of Nexstar Media Group’s broadcast television stations serving the Mile High City and surrounding area, DMA No. 16, are now serving the market with NEXTGEN TV signals. As such, Denver-Boulder becomes Nexstar's 12th market in 2020 to begin offering ATSC 3.0-powered broadcasts to those with TVs capable of receiving them.

It was a largely expected deal. And, late in the day Dec. 23, the Media Bureau told the world of its decision: It has given its OK to a transaction that will see a global private investment firm and a related media-focused operating and investment company take majority ownership interest in the biggest multimedia company targeting U.S. Hispanics.

One of Kansas' only independent broadcasters has just seen one of its two UHF television stations placed into receivership. It's a channel that serves both Wichita and Hutchinson with a host of digital multicast networks including COZI TV, Estrella TV, Bounce, LIGHTtv and NewsNet.

The National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE), the association that's gained the attention of brokers and top broadcast TV industry leaders for its annual NATPE Miami affair, has unveiled its full slate of sessions and speakers for its upcoming 2021 event. It's a four-day online affair programmed, NATPE says, "as a television business newscast."

"Segregation, Segmentation and Storytelling." That's the attention-getting hook for a February 16 NATPE virtual event designed to place a spotlight on the business of African American-focused television.

With the U.S. Supreme Court ready to hear arguments in the FCC and NAB's joint appeal of the Third Circuit Federal Appeals Court remand of its local media ownership rule revisions, the Commission is voting to preserve the status quo with respect to a Fox Corp. request for a permanent waiver allowing it to own multiple TV stations and the New York Post.

It appears the broadcast TV company that eventually merged with Tribune Broadcasting also has a desire to monetize the consumer product recommendations company that Tribune Publishing Co. put on the map.

DISH shares were off by more than 11% in the final hour of trading on Wednesday (12/16), as investors soured on the news that it plans to offer $2 billion aggregate principal amount of convertible notes.

ATSC 3.0-powered next generation television signals have been launched in the biggest DMA to date: the home of Russell Wilson, and the setting for the cinematic classic "10 Things I Hate About You."

Subscription video on demand (SVOD) consumers between the ages 13 and 49 have become more culturally literate, primarily due to Netflix, YouTube creators and social media featuring increasingly diverse and global content. In fact, more than half of Gen Zers and parents have watched a show in a language they do not speak, with Hispanics over indexing on this trend.

A wholly owned Scripps subsidiary on Monday launched an offering of $700 million of new senior secured notes and $500 million of new senior unsecured notes. The secured notes from Scripps Escrow II are expected to mature in 2029, and the unsecured notes are expected to mature in 2031. Pricing of the private offering has now been finalized.