TV/Cable News

Standard Media Index (SMI) has freshly compiled ad spend data for the prime-time Emmy Awards and for "Premiere Week" at the nation's television networks. What did SMI find? Nothing terribly surprising: Revenue is down.

With discussion heating up that NBCUniversal's Peacock will abandon a subscription tier and stick with an ad-supported platform, there's much anticipation -- and apprehension, for some -- as to what will transpire for video-fueled media in 2020. If you're a broadcaster or MVPD operator, this report is essential reading.

There's a new CEO: Peter Markham. There's a new COO: former CFO Brian Kei. Yet, LBI Media's past struggles continued this week, with the FCC's Media Bureau affirming an August 2016 decision largely tied to its past management's decision making.

Steven Roberts has experienced a lot in the last 10 years as a broadcast media owner Where legacy media and new media are heading is his topic of focus today, as he served as the moderator of a MMTC Access to Opportunity Conference session devoted to monetizing the platforms of the future.

In September, RBR+TVBR learned from a well-placed source that HC2 Holdings Inc. completed its first tranche of financing. On October 24, the parent of HC2 Broadcasting quietly announced that the issuance of $78.7 million of new notes is now complete.

Despite what prognosticators may tell you, traditional television is still the most popular video medium and the best way for brands to achieve reach. That's the conclusion of NCSolutions SVP of TV and Programmatic Solutions Tom Eaton, a 7 1/2 year Nielsen veteran.

On Friday, Oct. 18, one of the biggest changes in the history of broadcast television impacted stations serving the Cincinnati market. Viewers hardly noticed ... and that's great news, because they weren't supposed to. The post-spectrum auction repack was a huge success.

A pair of retirement parties are on tap at two Gray-owned stations, with the first one likely happening right now. As of Nov. 1 the Gray-owned NBC affiliate in one North Carolina market will see a leadership change. Then, come Jan. 31, the only GM an NBC affiliate in Virginia has ever had will be saying goodbye.

There's no need for viewers to worry about a "great affiliation swap" of FOX network programming in six cities, thanks to a new multi-year affiliation agreement announced Monday by the Fox Corporation.

The online video market as a whole is working "to put the nail in the coffin of broadcast TV," says a just-released State of Online Video report that purports to reveal that over-the-top video delivery vehicles are making headway. Is this report yet another biased look at digital TV?

New research from management consulting firm Activate shows that average video watching time has surpassed 5 hours per day, with "all growth" coming from digital video, while traditional television declines. Is it "fake news," or something broadcast TV's C-Suite needs to review and react to?

An LPTV station serving a portion of Northeast West Virginia demanded that Dish Network and DirecTV carry its signal in the DMA serving this section of the state. The DBS providers filed respective opposing statements. Now, the Media Bureau of the FCC has spoken.

Emily Barr, the Graham Media Group CEO and the NAB's Television Board Chair, wants Congress to abandon any thoughts on STELAR reauthorization. "Local broadcasters continue to believe that STELAR should expire at the end of this year, as Congress intended," she told key Senators on Wednesday.

Commenting on the decision to declare a healthy shareholder dividend, TEGNA EVP/CFO Victoria Harker said, "TEGNA continues to create value for our shareholders through our operational excellence, rigorous financial discipline, and execution on key strategic initiatives.” 

A MVPD with a 23-state service area has selected the MOBITV CONNECT Platform to power its new TV service, CCiTV, providing TV programming to customers "when they want, where they want, and how they want it."