TV/Cable News

Urban One President/CEO Alfred Liggins III didn't mince words when discussing the lackluster performance of its pay-TV TV One network. He admits its needs "a restart," and a rebound from disappointing ratings is already underway—thanks to a comedian known for his outrageous sweaters who has been battling negative press for months.

It was a punishing Q2 for the company formerly known as Radio One, and in mid-morning trading shares were off a steep 24% before ending the day unchanged. In a conference call with Wall Street analysts, company head Alfred Liggins III noted that the Houston cluster is "stabilizing" and that June was a great month for its radio stations. Unfortunately, Houston was down in Q2—as were four other key markets.

The broadcast TV company formerly known as Gannett saw adjusted net earnings that surpassed the consensus estimate from Zacks by two cents per share. Total revenue also came in ahead of estimates, despite a dip in operating income and higher expenses.

Rumorville has been filled with stories surrounding the fate of wireless telecommunications company Sprint. The latest tale to surface may have some legs, however. According to Japan's Nikkei, it's not Charter Communications that's a likely merger partner. Instead, it's DirecTV's biggest competitor — putting AT&T on notice.

The individual charged with negotiating complex carriage agreements with MVPDs and "OTT" platforms for Tribune Media won't be sticking around once its merger with acquirer Sinclair Broadcast Group closes. That's because he's joining Nexstar, in a big pick-up for the broadcast TV company founded by Perry Sook.

LBI Media's Spanish-language Estrella TV broadcast TV network has landed its newest affiliate. The agreement brings it to Wichita, via a digital multicast agreement with a local owner.

Broadcast radio and TV staff at The E.W. Scripps Co. need not worry about a new owner. That's because Scripps Networks Interactive, the former cable TV division of Scripps spun off as its own company in July 2008, is the entity that Discovery Communications is acquiring in a multi-billion-dollar stock and cash transaction.

It's turning out to be a grey and gloomy Monday for Silver Spring, Md.-based Discovery Communications. As Wall Street digests the news that the pay-TV giant is acquiring Scripps Networks Interactive (not to be confused with broadcast radio and TV owner The E.W. Scripps Co.) for $14.6 billion, Discovery reported adjusted net earnings that missed analysts' estimates by three cents per share. The double whammy led to a sell-off of "DISCA" shares, which finished down 8.2% on very heavy volume.

With the pressure on at car and truck details going into the final week of a very important month for sales, dealer associations across the U.S. opted to use spot television to lure consumers into showrooms and to sign and drive away with a new vehicle. In last week’s Media Monitors TV Spot Ten report, half of the Top Ten is represented by auto dealer associations.

With students set to return to school in one week in Hawaii and over the next several weeks in much of the U.S., families are still in the midst of summer holidays both near and far from home. Trivago is well aware of this, in addition to the planning now underway for the busy winter holiday season. The result of this awareness can be seen across cable TV.

What’s the legislative and regulatory future for retransmission consent? That's what the Digital Policy Institute at Ball State University sought to answer in a webinar held Thursday morning from its Muncie, Ind., main campus. With significant escalation in the prices paid by MVPDs to carry TV stations choosing the retrans option, and disputes leading to "blackouts" of channels dominating the headlines for much of the start of 2017, some believe its time for a change. Others say leave it up to market dynamics, including several webinar participants.

Record fiscal results. That's the front-and-center takeaway that Meredith Corp. provided to shareholders on Thursday, as the owner of broadcast TV stations across the U.S. swung from a steep net loss to net income of 95 cents per diluted share in its final quarter of fiscal 2017. The company also provided guidance for Q1 and full-year fiscal 2018. Will its lifestyle brands outperform its TV properties?

The Tibetan mandala is a tool for gaining wisdom and compassion and generally is depicted as a tightly balanced, geometric composition. Now, Univision Communications has committed to its own Mandala as it seeks to retain its tightly balanced ad sales efforts.

Nielsen's National Out-of-Home Reporting Service will now featue metrics for one of the nation's most prolific pay-TV news network, and for its sports-focus brethren. The announcement comes following Tuesday's news of the addition of “eligible TV viewing” from Hulu and YouTube TV to Nielsen’s Digital in TV Ratings service.

Multicultural millenial-focused FUSION TV has joined with more than 60 other leading companies, public interest groups and associations in launching a non-profit organization focused on breaking down barriers of entry for underrepresented content creators and those working behind the scenes in media and entertainment.