TV/Cable News

As competition heats up, virtual service providers such as Hulu with Live TV, AT&T Inc.'s DirecTV NOW and Sony Corp.'s PlayStation Vue "are racing to add live local stations to bolster channel lineups and lock in subscribers." That's the conclusion of a just-released report on the rapid growth of "skinny bundles" -- and what is bringing in consumers -- from Kagan, a group within S&P Global Market Intelligence.

The latest Media Monitors Spot Ten Cable and Spot Ten TV reports are out, and the freshest look at MVPD-based ad activity shows that, once again, auto insurance specialists are actively using cable television networks to reach consumers.  But, the gap between Progressive and Liberty Mutual Insurance this week is wider, while GEICO, Allstate and the General are quiet.

Gray Television has commenced an underwritten public offering, subject to market and other conditions, of 15 million shares of its common stock pursuant to an effective shelf registration statement. In addition, Gray expects to grant the underwriters an option for a period of 30 days to purchase up to an additional 2.25 million shares of common stock.

NewsNation, the Nexstar Media Group-owned cable news network, has launched a NewsNation-branded connected-television app. It's available across a variety of major platforms, including Roku, AppleTV, Amazon Fire, Android TV and Samsung devices. The new apps enable NewsNation to more Americans — in particular cord-cutters or cord-nevers.

The Commission on Thursday has given its approval to a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that explores ways to enable multichannel video programming distributors, such as cable and satellite providers, to communicate with their subscribers in more efficient and less costly ways. 

"We're still here." That's the message SVB Moffett Nathanson, the esteemed Wall Street financial house that has emerged as one of the most influential when it comes to the broadcast media industry, shared early Sunday. It confirms that the placement into FDIC receivership of Silicon Valley Bank on Friday has no direct impact on their operations.

After more than three decades in Montgomery County, Md., just to the north of the Nation's Capital, Discovery Communications has been lured by the bright lights of Broadway, the ad shops of Madison Avenue and the wizards of Wall Street. Come 2019, the media company's global headquarters will move from Silver Spring, Md., where it has been since 2003, to New York.

The owner of WISH-8 and WNDY-20 in Indianapolis is busily preparing an appeal of a U.S. District Court decision that presents a victory to both DirecTV and Dish Network, and dismisses twin racial discrimination claims filed against the companies by DuJuan McCoy and his Circle City Broadcasting. 

Univision Communications has given company veteran Jessica Rodríguez a much bigger role at the Hispanic and millennial-focused media company. But she’s not giving up her current role.

What are the latest numbers when it comes to subscriptions to cable/satellite and streaming services among U.S. Hispanic consumers? What do Hispanic consumers plan on doing when it comes to their pay TV and streaming services in the near future? The answers to those questions were delivered in a webinar conducted Wednesday morning by Horowitz Research.

The Incentive Auction Task Force and the Media Bureau have just provided 60 days of advance notice regarding the opening of a displacement application filing window for low power television stations, TV translator stations, and analog-to-digital replacement translators (DRT) that were displaced by the incentive auction and repacking process.

Sinclair Broadcast Group's television stations and investigative teams have been honored with a total of three National Headliner Awards, including first place in the Environmental Reporting category.

Gray Television released its Q4 2017 earnings results on Monday, and net revenue dipped 2% while net income soared. But, it is the Q1 2018 results that investors may already be focused on, given reports of lackluster ratings for NBC's coverage of the Winter Olympic Games. Coverage from PyeongChang, South Korea was forecast to deliver beaucoup dollars to broadcast TV—and Gray is predicting double-digit growth compared to Q1 2017.

It's a new report that provides metrics on TV app usage — streaming to the glass — for more than 20 streaming apps at the local market level. And, it is being brought forth by Nielsen. 

There is one company that stands out from the pack with respect to TV station acquisitions. Since the end of the FCC's spectrum auction, the Philip Falcone-led HC2 Holdings has been rapidly snapping up television properties — the majority of them low power properties. In the latest deal to involve HC2, a Class A facility in Tennessee that is presently silent is being snapped up.