TV/Cable News

One of the nation's top voices on the just-completed FCC Spectrum Auction is heading to Washington, D.C. to share some of the "lessons learned" throughout the undertaking.

That's one of the key takeaways shared in a Thursday midday webinar focused on shifts in local advertising presented by top local media analyst Gordon Borrell and Corey Elliot, VP/Research of Borrell Associates.

LBI Media's Spanish-language broadcast TV network has inked new deals that will give it key access to Hispanic households in two big markets in the U.S. Southwest.

Following the FCC's spectrum auction, it became clear that smaller broadcast TV operators, or those with a small footprint in TV, would become sellers rather than acquisition players. Among the companies that looked poised to exit the TV business was Saga Communications. Now, speculation has turned to confirmation: Saga is leaving the TV business.

Lower advertising revenue from its television and entertainment units, coupled with an impairment charge, led the company merging with Sinclair Broadcast Group to a slide in Q1 net revenue and a swing to a steep net loss.

Steamboat Willie is sailing full-steam ahead, as Mickey and Belle boosted both ABC and beleaguered sports network ESPN in bringing The Walt Disney Co. fiscal Q2 results that were far from beastly. Theme parks and Disney's studio operations were to thank for the strong results.

In a major plus to consumers and companies offering so-called "over-the-top" TV service package, the CBS Affiliate Board today reached a wide-ranging agreement with CBS Corp. that will extend non-CBS O&Os beyond its CBS All Access platform. This means affiliates can now have their channels available on OTT platforms from Hulu, Google's YouTube TV and "future new entrants," with additional revenue possibilities for all.

For the company formerly known as Gannett before spinning off its newspaper division in 2015, the first three months of 2017 paint a familiar picture to those following the earnings reports of the nation's biggest publicly traded broadcast TV companies. TEGNA saw flat revenue in Q1, while its net income sagged.

The parent of three television networks originally founded by former radio station owner Bud Paxson is relocating its New York City broadcast operations to One World Trade Center in lower Manhattan.

Nexstar Media Group released its first Q1 earnings report following its merger with Media General, and on a combined basis, Nexstar had a stellar first three months of 2017. A key catalyst for the growth? Retransmission fees, the new go-to for many broadcast TV companies.

Content providers will need to seek integrated video solutions to minimize costs, streamline processes and provide growth opportunities at every step in the video life cycle. That's the key take away from a new report from video monetization technology and services provider Ooyala, produced in collaboration with U.K.-based Futuresource Consulting.

A trio of law firms say they are commencing an investigation into the fairness of the sale of Tribune Media Co. to Sinclair Broadcast Group. Is this a case of "ambulance chasing," or does a dissent group of Tribune shareholders truly want to put a stop to the biggest TV industry deal in recent memory?

Three of the top 10 slots in the Media Monitors Spot Ten Cable for the week ending May 7, 2017, are insurance companies. Meanwhile, the NBA picked up their activity as the 2017 playoffs edge closer to the championship round.

For broadcast television, the Golden Arches translates to advertising gold. There's also big new activity from two big makers of allergy medications, while a health and beauty brand finds itself in the Media Monitors TV Spot Ten for the week ending May 7, 2017.

Upon closing its merger with Tribune Media in Q4 2017, Sinclair will enjoy a whopping $4.3 billion in combined revenue, while enjoying coverage of 72% of the U.S. That's nearly double the size of the broadcast TV industry's other key players, and Wells Fargo Securities senior analyst Marci Ryvicker gives her thumbs up. Meanwhile, media brokers who spoke with RBR+TVBR see this as the beginning of a transformative time for the TV business.