TV/Cable News

An emu can't fly, but Liberty Mutual Insurance is soaring ahead in the ever-competitive auto insurance specialist category when it comes to advertising activity at Spot Cable. That's the latest takeaway from the Media Monitors Spot Ten Cable report for the week ending January 26, 2025.

"We believe that linear TV's decline in the U.S. is irreversible," Naveen Sarma, U.S. Media and Entertainment Managing Director for S&P Global Ratings. Here's the good news: "There is no immediate cliff," Sarma said.

How will the final three months of 2024 fare for Sinclair Inc., the broadcast TV station licensee that is shepherding the transition to ATSC 3.0 and is also the parent of companies ranging from Dielectric to Main Street Sports Group, parent of the FanDuel-branded regional sports network operation? All will find out on February 26.

The company led by Hilton Howell Jr. and Pat LaPlatney will share its results with analysts and investors during an 11am Eastern earnings call on that Thursday, following calls from Nexstar (at 10am Eastern) and TEGNA (at 9am Eastern). What can investors expect to hear from the Gray C-Suite?

As a matter of fact, she's staying on with Hearst Media Production Group (HMPG) for forthcoming new projects. That said, "Matter of Fact with Soledad O’Brien" will conclude its tenth and final season in national syndication in August.

The NBA's Charlotte Hornets will benefit from added availability of five of its upcoming games, thanks to an agreement that will see a simulcast of FanDuel Sports Southeast games on stations owned by Gray Media and Capitol Broadcasting across the team's territory.

"We are proud to recognize the remarkable achievements of our exceptional leaders through these well-deserved promotions," Sinclair President/CEO Chris Ripley said as more than one dozen individuals at the publicly traded company have new positions to start the year.

In mid-September 2024, RBR+TVBR shared that Lynn Beall, who serves as TEGNA’s EVP/COO of Media Operations, is agreeing to depart “after a significant transition period" in the middle of this year.  Could the company's Q4 and full-year 2024 earnings call for analysts and investors be Beall's curtain call before exiting?

The NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers will simulcast five upcoming telecasts on Rock Entertainment Sports Network and on Gray Media-owned WUAB-43 in Cleveland. It's another instance in which a free-to-air television station is regaining live pro sports action after years of relegation to regional sports networks.

In 2024, Sinclair Inc. and APTS shared that the company that's helping bring the ATSC 3.0 broadcast TV standard to life would provide carriage of APTS member stations for free in markets where Sinclair has deployed NEXTGEN Broadcast Service and a public television station has not. The third launch under this arrangement has come to fruition.

Say what you want about addressable advertising and OTT — linear television continues to attract key brands seeking to build their sales and revenue. Last week, this saw one big quick-service restaurant chain long-focused on pizza delivery step up its efforts at both Spot TV and Spot Cable.

The December 2024 report of The Gauge, Nielsen's monthly snapshot of total broadcast, cable and streaming consumption that occurs via television, is out. And, it could lead broadcast media executives to search for that one last drop of rum-fueled Egg Nog that may still be in the breakroom refrigerator. 

Bringing live and local newscasts includes detailed reports from staff meteorologists — an increasingly important feature of stations in markets across the U.S. where weather threats may lead many to broadcast TV. For Allen Media Group, a change is coming, and it will see an adjustment to how the weather is presented on its local newscasts.

The entity that owns and operates the main PBS Member stations across the state of Louisiana is asking the FCC to give the OK to upgrade a Monroe, La.-based property to a UHF broadcast facility.

For some Wall Street investment pros, a decline in return on capital employed (ROCE) and a decreasing amount of capital employed is a recipe for a company in decline. For financial bloggers at Simply Wall St, less profit from its investments and decreased total assets could negatively impact Entravision in 2025.