TV/Cable News

CBS Corp. late Thursday recorded a strong Q2 that beat Wall Street estimates. What does our favorite Wall Street wordsmith, Pivotal Research Group's Brian Wieser, have to say about that? A "not impressed" meme would have sufficed, based on his take of the company's results. That said, he's convinced that Viacom's reunification with CBS is a done deal.

Ronan who? After-hours trading for CBS Corp. started out negative as word surfaced that The New Yorker could be printing a second Ronan Farrow-penned piece featuring the company's Chairman/CEO Les Moonves and more accusations of sexual misconduct. That may very well swing into a big gain on Friday, as CBS recorded a strong Q2 that beat Wall Street estimates. 

Concerned about the growth of subscription video-on-demand services? You should be. While the majority of consumers view video content from a variety of sources, the percentage of people using only Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video and other subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) services surged between 2017 and 2018, NPD Group data show.

Doubling it up is turning out to be the hottest trend of the summer — and perhaps 2018. Loosened FCC television station ownership rules have led several companies to add a second station in a market where it already has a presence. Add Perry Sook's Nexstar Media Group to the companies taking advantage of this Commission "rule modernization."

It's no secret that Sinclair Broadcast Group and Tribune Media very much wanted FCC Chairman Ajit Pai to hold back on issuing a Hearing Designation Order and sending their proposed merger to an Administrative Law Judge. But, how Sinclair sought to sway Pai, and its maneuverings, had only been the stuff of hearsay. We now have a clear picture of Sinclair's efforts to postpone the HDO. An unconfirmed call between Pai and Sinclair's EVP/General Counsel, Distribution and Network Relations was part of Sinclair's failed attempt.

Charter Communications' lengthy retrans fee battle with Northwest Broadcasting led the city government of El Centro, Calif., to strike back with legislation designed to penalize the MVPD. Charter took the city to court. While this matter is resolved, all eyes are on Albany, N.Y., which has told Charter that it has two months to cease Spectrum operations in the Empire State.

RBR+TVBR on Monday reported on the acquisition of an affiliate of The CW that carries MeTV and MyNetworkTV programming on its digital subchannels by a company with a formidable presence in New England. This deal would, if approved by the FCC, create a duopoly in Maine's biggest market. Terms including the price and escrow payment have now been disclosed.

Cox Media Group's Kim Guthrie has made it clear in comments made exclusively to RBR+TVBR that its radio stations aren't for sale, and that it wants a merger or partnership for its TV stations, rather than a full-blown divestment. That hasn't stopped the rumormongers from suggesting that Guthrie is not being truthful, and a new hire by Cox Enterprises has only fueled such talk among industry observers.

It's been one month since Univision‘s two broadcast networks and Galavisión were dropped from DISH Network, by law, in the absence of a new retransmission fee agreement. According to DISH, Univision renewal talks are "in an apparent deadlock." As such, DISH believes the three channels will never return.

On July 16, Gray Television broke ground on a new 30,000 square foot facility that will house the CBS, NBC, MyNetworkTV, The CW Network and Antenna TV stations serving the Augusta, Ga., market. While that facility is expected to be completed in late 2019, Gray has just celebrated the opening of a brand-new facility housing its two stations in a South Dakota market.

A detailed article appearing late Friday in The New Yorker that details alleged sexual misconduct by CBS Chairman/CEO Les Moonves continued to wreak havoc on the company's stock. One Wall Street financial house downgraded CBS shares over the matter, while CBS's Board of Directors opted to hire outside counsel for a probe of Moonves, who isn't going anywhere.

In April, Ironwood Communications closed on the sale of a full-power UHF facility licensed to Lewiston, Maine, to ION Media Networks. Ironwood is in a selling mood once again and it selling an affiliate of The CW that carries MeTV and MyNetworkTV programming on its digital subchannels. The buyer is already in the market, which would create a newly permitted duopoly.

It was a very unsettling lunch hour for CBS Corporation shareholders, and the next week likely won't be any more pleasant. Just before Noon Eastern, it became known that The New Yorker will publish an article that includes sexual misconduct allegations against CBS CEO Les Moonves. CBS's independent directors responded by saying they are "committed to investigating claims that violate the company's clear policies."

With enforcement of the FCC's Equal Employment Opportunity rules getting a boost through its shift to the Commission's Enforcement Bureau, the message to broadcasters couldn't be more clear: posting job vacancies in a non-discriminatory manner is a serious violation. A family-owned Bayou State TV station has learned this the hard way, as it had been faced with a possible monetary forfeiture. What's the penalty?