TV/Cable News

For television viewers in the Texarkana, Ark./Tex., market, a Class A digital TV station has provided "life-changing" non-secular programming for several years. Now, the future of this property is in question thanks to its sale.

George S. Flinn Jr. is widely known across the media broadcasting industry for his ownership of radio and TV stations in Mississippi, the Memphis market, and in Arkansas. Now, he's paring back his television assets. Concurrently filed deals indicate that he's parting ways with several of them, with all going to the same non-secular operator. Could a political bid be why?

In a major move involving one of the nation's top TV stations, the man who has served as VP/News for ABC Owned Television Stations' KABC-7 in Los Angeles since May 2015 will be celebrating his five-year anniversary in the role by going North Carolina. He's just been appointed President/GM of a station he spent 17 years at, as News Director.

On May 14, RBR+TVBR shared the news that Bill Fine will retire as President/GM of WCVB-5 in Boston, considered by Hearst Television to be its flagship property, at the end of June. Fine was only the fourth President and GM of WCVB since its 1972 sign-on. The fifth President/GM for WCVB will now start his duties July 1. And, he's coming from Pennsylvania.

In this RBR+TVBR Coronavirus INFOCUS podcast, S&P Global Market Intelligence Robin Flynn offers a sneak peak at the now-virtual Kagan Media Summit. What are three key broadcast TV industry executives seeing with respect to Q2 ad revenue? How are retransmission consent fees driving dollars for over-the-air television? Find out in in this penultimate episode. LISTEN HERE

J.D. Power has released its finding of a "pulse survey" that delves into their viewing preferences, usability challenges and future plans for using subscription-based video on demand services. What does it show? Streaming has become important to consumers "stuck at home" due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And, it will likely stay that way.

Four broadcasters have successfully flipped the ATSC 3.0 switch on NEXTGEN TV service in Southern Nevada, a move that comes with the release of a Spring 2020 Progress Report by the Advanced Television Systems Committee. The Sin City signals were placed on the air by Nexstar Media Group, Sinclair Broadcast Group, and The E.W. Scripps Co.

Employees of The E.W. Scripps Company, and select communities where it does business, are benefiting from a gift from the Scripps Family Impact Fund. The fund is giving $1.6 million to three initiatives, including two related to the company and its foundation.

The search for the next VP/GM at Cox Media Group's CBS affiliate serving the Seattle-Tacoma market is over. The news of a new leader at KIRO-7 comes just three days after the media company now tied to Apollo Global Management revealed its current leader, Greg Bilte, would retire as of June 30.

What's the preliminary financial cost of the COVID-19 pandemic to U.S. local TV advertising? According to new data from BIA Advisory Services, it's some $900 million less than what had been initially anticipated for all of 2020.

As RBR+TVBR first reported on May 13, Ariel Roblin has been selected to succeed the retiring Elliott Troshinsky at Hearst Television's KRCA-3 in Sacramento. We now know who is replacing Roblin back at the top-rated Hearst property in Nebraska Roblin is exiting from.

Should television viewers some 100 miles to the northeast of Atlanta that subscribe to DISH Network and AT&T’s DirecTV be able to receive that market’s TV stations? That question was posed to the FCC some 20 months ago, and it said yes. An application for review involving the three Georgia counties involved was filed. The FCC has just rejected that request.

CBS today unveiled its new 2020-2021 prime-time programming lineup featuring one new comedy, two new dramas and 23 returning series. Additional new series will be announced at a later date. Here are the details.

 The OTT service created, owned and operated by Sinclair Broadcasting Group has become the inaugural home for the Bob Ross Channel -- a dedicated platform for classic presentation of the paint-at-home legend who has found a new audience among Millennials and Gen Z consumers.