Friday, July 31, 2026

Paramount Skydance

Paramount Skydance-WBD Merger Triggers S&P Downgrade

Paramount Skydance Corp. is headed for a one-notch credit downgrade at the close of its merger with Warner Bros. Discovery, and S&P Global Ratings says the combined company has a long road back thanks to an enormous debt load.
gen AI

NAB Warns Broadcasters: Blocking AI Crawlers Is No Silver Bullet

Blocking AI crawlers from scraping a station's website may seem like an obvious defensive move, but the National Association of Broadcasters is urging members to think carefully before acting. New guidance from the organization lays out four technical approaches to managing automated crawler access alongside business and editorial considerations.

Three Years On, Entravision Ends Board Pact With Ulloa’s Estate

Three years after Walter Ulloa's estate negotiated a board seat at Entravision, the agreement that secured it has been terminated. The company and Alexandra Seros, Ulloa's widow, mutually agreed to end the cooperation agreement on May 18. However, one element of the arrangement will survive.
Gavel

Nexstar Accused Of Having It Both Ways In Dueling Court Fights

Public interest groups pressing the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to unwind the Nexstar-TEGNA merger are accusing the FCC of deliberately running out the clock on judicial review, and are asking the court to either force the full commission to act immediately or hold their case in suspension.

Oscar Lifts Disney But Streaming Still Owns Nearly Half The TV Set

Nielsen's March 2026 installment of The Gauge and Media Distributor Gauge tells a familiar story with a few notable wrinkles: streaming's dominance remains largely intact, cable got a welcome shot in the arm from the NCAA basketball tournaments, and Disney had a month worth talking about.
Brendan Carr

Carr: Broadcasters Face New Era Of Public Interest Accountability

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr again pushed back over whether the agency's escalating investigation into Disney-owned ABC stations is politically motivated, insisting the early license renewal order that has rattled the broadcast industry is tied to "invidious forms of DEI discrimination" — but his remarks carry a warning that extends well beyond Burbank.
Coca-Cola

A Patriotic Commitment To Spot Cable

An all-American brand value could be fueling a renaissance in visual media advertising activity at an activity that in recent years had stumbled against Pepsico and other soft drink rivals. Today, Coca-Cola is a big Spot Cable believer, the latest Media Monitors data show.

U.S., Brazilian and Korean ATSC 3.0 Leaders Sign ‘MOU’

The agreement between ATSC, Sistema Brasileiro de TV Digital Terrestre (SBTVD) Forum and Korea’s Telecommunications Technology Association reflects what the ATSC calls a shared commitment to strengthening global interoperability for advanced broadcasting services and to accelerating international collaboration.
Jay Hiett

New In The Lou: Gray Media’s TV ‘Triopoly’ Head

Less than two weeks ago, the Media Bureau’s Video Division approved the transfer of control of a group of television stations from Block Communications Inc. to Gray Media. As of today, there's a new GM for the two Louisville stations included in that deal, and Gray's existing property in Kentucky's largest market. 

HC2 Secures A TV Property In Titletown

With CEO Les Levi signing off on the deal, HC2 Broadcasting has moved forward with the acquisition of a low-power television station serving the northern Wisconsin city that's home to the Packers.
E.W. Scripps Company

Scripps-Gray Asset Swap Closes Following FCC OK

On April 29, FCC Media Bureau Video Division Chief David J. Brown gave the green light to an exchange of broadcast television stations between Scripps and Gray, dismissing objections from cable TV industry advocacy groups over the deal. That transaction has now closed.

Still MAD As Hell Over Carr Commission’s WTXF AFR Snub

Does the FCC have a "non-discretionary obligation" to act on an Application for Review filed on March 4, 2025 by an advocacy group that believes a FOX Television Stations property in Philadelphia aired false and misleading information during newscasts at the height of 2020 U.S. Presidential Election results debate?

L.A. Rams Selects CBS Los Angeles As Its Long-term TV Partner

A new multi-year partnership has been forged between the National Football Conference team that's home to Quarterback Matthew Stafford and CBS Los Angeles, which operates two over-the-air TV stations in Southern California. It marks a shift from ABC Owned Stations' KABC-7 in L.A.

Addressable TV: An Upfront Season Solution Worth Noting

Upfront Week has concluded, and the industry trade group that says it is "dedicated to advancing addressable TV advertising and its use of deterministic identity" has gained a quintet of new supporting members while also sharing research indicating 78% of advertisers believe addressable TV will play a role in Upfront negotiations.

NBA’s Pistons Inks Coverage Deal With Scripps

NBA fans are hoping the Detroit Pistons will hang a championship banner inside Little Caesars Arena at the end of this season. On Wednesday, a different kind of banner was raised involving the Pistons, and it confirms where the team's games will be seen during the 2026-2027 season.