Thursday, May 21, 2026

Universal Ads Adds Koddi As A Connected TV Partner

A Fort Worth, Tex.-based commerce media platform for enterprises has entered into a strategic partnership with Universal Ads, giving brands the ability to create, buy and measure ads across premium video. The agreement brings TV advertising to Koddi’s platform for the first time. The benefit?

The Spot TV Dominance Continues For John Morgan

A generation ago, John Morgan was likely just a familiar name to radio listeners in parts of Florida. Today, his voice, visage and brand messaging can be found across a wide swath of the U.S. That's thanks in part to a huge investment in spot television that continued as April turned to May, based on Media Monitors data.

Allen Media Group, YouTube TV OK Carriage Deal

A host of free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channels and The Weather Channel will continue to be available to users of the YouTube TV virtual MVPD television service, thanks to a new agreement signed by the Alphabet Inc. property with the Google subsidiary. 

FCC Tosses DirecTV Effort to Block Gray/Allen Media Deal

DirecTV filed a petition to deny the $171 million transaction that would see 10 Allen Media Group TV stations wind up in the growing stable of the second-largest broadcast television licensee in the U.S.: Gray Media. Erin Boone's replacement as acting Media Bureau Chief tossed DirecTV's plea. The deal's closing came late Friday.

New England Public Media Agrees To GBH Merger

They have collaborated for the past seven years. Soon, they will be one entity, as GBH and New England Public Media (NEPM) began the month of May by revealing plans to merge operations. The merger is expected to be complete in summer 2026.
Catherine Badalamente

For Graham Media Group, A Good Q1 For Revenue

With a diverse group of businesses ranging from the Kaplan educational brand to a restaurant group in the Nation's Capital, Graham Holdings Company has released its Q1 2026 earnings report. How did its collection of broadcast TV stations with historical ties to the Washington Post and Newsweek fare?

Sinclair Beats The Street On Q1 Revenue, Swing To Profit

With a focus on its broadcast stations' programming and ratings, Sinclair Inc. CEO Chris Ripley on Thursday released first quarter 2026 results that beat analysts' revenue projections as the media company that also owns tower firm Dielectric and has a key role in the ATSC 3.0 rollout reaffirmed its full-year fiscal guidance.

FCC Moves Forward With ‘Audible Crawl Rule’ Update

The FCC on Thursday unanimously voted to amend its "Audible Crawl Rule" and eliminates what the NAB, TV stations owners and the FCC all agree is "a technically unworkable provision" while ensuring that people who are visually impaired continue receiving the critical emergency information they need.
Jeff Winemiller

Winemiller Scores A Three Rivers LPTV Deal

His Lowcountry 34 Media has emerged as a major operator of low-power TV stations and even had a 2026 NAB Show floor booth in the Las Vegas Convention Center. Jeff Winemiller sees money in LPTVs, and that explains why he's invested in a property serving Pittsburgh.

A LeGeyt View Of The ABCs Of FCC Regulatory Policy

NAB head Curtis LeGeyt has chimed in on the FCC's call for The Walt Disney Co. to participate in an early license renewal proceeding, giving the owner of ABC Owned Stations until May 28 to comply with a Order issued on delegated authority by the Video Division Chief  — two administrative levels below the full Commission.

‘CW Sports’ Gets Streaming Boost With ESPN App Deal

The exclusive streaming home for all CW Sports live events offered by The CW Network will now be the ESPN app, thanks to an agreement announced on April 29 by the unit of the Walt Disney Co. and the broadcast network controlled by majority owner Nexstar Media Group.

An Early License Renewal Order Comes To 5-Hour Energy Founder

The Video Division of the FCC's Media Bureau has issued an Order to a broadcast television station owner linked to the creator of 5-Hour Energy liquid supplements to file early license renewal applications for its stations, following an investigation for compliance with its obligations as a licensed broadcaster.

Free TV Networks Closes Another New Distribution Deal

Free TV Networks (FTV), acquired by NBCUniversal spinoff entity VERSANT, has signed its fourth distribution agreement of the year, extending its FAST channel portfolio as the company accelerates its free, ad-supported channel lineup.

Spot TV Kings: Pharma Brands and an Accident Attorney

The latest Spot Ten TV report courtesy of Media Monitors shows that, once again, a prominent accident attorney specialist is again dominating when it comes to spot play. The other takeaways? Three Pharma brands are seen in the latest report — a reflection of their continued dominance as an ad category at Spot Television.
John Kozack

TelevisaUnivision Welcomes Back Kozack As Natividad Exits

Tim Natividad has exited just shy of 11 months in his role as President of U.S. Advertising Sales and Marketing, sources close to the matter tell RBR+TVBR. Who is taking the role has raised eyebrows, as the job is going to an individual who left TelevisaUnivision in December 2025 for a position with Allen Media Group.