TV/Cable News

Local stations have a significant opportunity to help provide a valuable platform for advertisers. Yet, stations have been struggling to convert this increase into ad revenue during the COVID-19 pandemic. Two senior leaders at Magid believe the solution relies on stations owning their coverage of the local story in a way that positions their brand long-term, with a focus on the future.

Gray Television has named GMs at four of its stations. In DMA No. 85, a promotion is seen. At the three other stations, moving up in market rank is seen. And, three of the new GMs are female.

If you thought cord-cutting was a problem for MVPDs prior to mid-March, when the COVID-19 pandemic brought its global assault to U.S. shores, you ain't seen nothin' yet. That's the gist of a new report from Michael Nathanson of Wall Street advisory house MoffettNathanson, which shines a light on just how distressing the fall-off in cable TV subscribers presently looks.

With less than 45 minutes to go in Friday's trading, Entravision Communications stock was up by nearly 10%. The gains came following the release of Q1 2020 results that show an ever-so-slight net revenue slip; a 20% surge in consolidated EBITDA; and much larger Free Cash Flow. So, why did the Hispanic-focused multimedia company swing to a big net loss?

The E.W. Scripps Co. on Friday will become the latest broadcast TV company to release its first-quarter 2020 results. One day ahead of the distribution of those numbers, the Scripps board declared a cash dividend. Is that why Scripps shares surged across Thursday morning's trading session? Perhaps. But who has snatched up SSP stock recently may be of note.

Univision Communications' inclusion in the test is designed to give the company's TV stations performance assessments of addressable ad campaign, allowing it to judge how the Nielsen tool performs with current procedures and systems.

Sinclair Broadcast Group shares were up by nearly 5% in mid-afternoon trading on Wednesday, as the media company delivered Q1 2020 results that greatly surpassed Zacks Consensus Estimate EPS predictions ... but failed to meet Zacks' revenue expectations by some $21.9 million.

The National Translator Association, which represents the interests of TV translators and low-power TV stations, is calling for a special filing window with respect to member stations "repacked" to new frequencies and effective radiated power under Special Temporary Authority. The NTA says the special window is directly related to the FCC's request for TV "White Space" comments.

The comments from the NAB ask the Commission to protect licensees first and foremost above unlicensed operations, to accept Microsoft's coordination proposal rather than seeking to streamline this proposal, and to not consider higher power operations on first-adjacent channels to broadcaster operations at this time. For other groups, it's all about bridging the digital divide.

Has the COVID-19 blues kept you away from the kitchen? Two of the nation's biggest pizza delivery brands think so. It could explain why they each stepped up their advertising efforts last week, the latest Media Monitors Spot Ten Cable report shows.

Nexstar Media Group's Board of Directors has signed off on a sizable quarterly cash dividend — a positive sign that came just before the latest setback for media stocks on Wall Street.

As a result of "negotiations in recent weeks," Cox Media Group — now with a new logo and Apollo Global Management's big investment reconstituting the company — has reached an agreement that brings KIRO-7 in Seattle back to Ziply Fiber.

Weeks of lobbying designed to woo TEGNA shareholders ultimately failed to generate enough support for a plan to seat Standard General founder Soohyung Kim and nominees selected by the investment firm on the TV broadcaster's Board of Directors. Standard General commented on Thursday's defeat by calling for unity. But, it also offered plenty of criticisms.

Elliott Management Corp. has successfully secured an "information sharing and cooperation agreement" with Nielsen, a company it has a big stake in. It's a big step for Nielsen, which saw its Q1 earnings dip slightly as COVID-19 fueled headwinds began to ravage its global business halfway through the three-month period while naming a former News Corp. digital leader to its board.

Several weeks into the COVID-19 pandemic, a clearer picture is emerging around how “shelter-in-place” orders are affecting the daily lives of American families in local cities across the country—specifically as it relates to their TV appetite. A just-released Nielsen study has much to share on the subject.