Monday, June 29, 2026

The Virtual Newscast: Future Worry Or Sci-Fi Fodder?

With much conversation about generative artificial intelligence allowing radio stations to have "hosted" air shifts via a ChatGPT platform, a nascent tech company is promoting how it can produce a newscast for television — or any streaming platform — fully synthetically. Should TV industry leaders fret, or laugh?

Scripps Selects Jaromin’s Successor At WKBW

Two weeks ago, The E.W. Scripps Co. parted ways with Marc Jaromin. It marked a change in leadership at WKBW-7 in Buffalo, the ABC affiliate that had been led by Jaromin since October 2019. Now, with Lyn Platinga a regional VP/GM overseeing the station, a Station Manager for WKBW has been selected from within.

NEXTGEN TV Lassoes An El Paso Lighthouse

Five of the leading broadcast television stations serving the only market in the Lone Star State on Mountain time have launched NEXTGEN TV broadcasts, with a Sinclair FOX affiliate serving as the market's "lighthouse" for ATSC 3.0 powered transmissions. 

Erie News Anchor’s Death By Suicide Confirmed

Emily Matson, a key member of the “Erie News Now” reporter and anchor team, took her own life and was struck by a train in Fairview, Pa., on Monday.
Mike Spruill

Spurill Returns To Nashville For Bigger WKRN Role

He was GSM of WKRN-2 in Nashville before taking on a bigger role for Nexstar in Southwest Missouri. Now, this revenue-generating local TV vet with experience in Orlando and Houston is heading back to Music City USA.

Four Diginets Arrive In Columbus, Ga. On O&O Property

The parent company of some of the first digital multicast television networks in the U.S., originally assets tied to the now-defunct Luken Communications, has fired up a low-power TV station with five of its offerings in a mid-sized city in the Peach State.

Retail and Pharma: The Spot TV Pacers

The latest Spot Ten reports for broadcast TV and cable television have been released by iHeartMedia-owned Media Monitors. What's the story for Spot Television? Retailers are as active as ever across the holiday shopping season, while two big pharmaceutical brands continue to spend.

NewsNet Parent Buys Again With Drucker Deal

Colorado-based David and Penny Drucker have signed off on an agreement that will see its five over-the-air facilities licensed to Ketchikan TV and a low-power TV station owned by their Denver Digital Television LLC transferred to the fast-growing entity seeking to build a group of owned stations devoted to 24/7 newscasts.

Price Revealed In Red River TV Station Sale

One week ago RBR+TVBR shared the news regarding the sale of KVRR-15 in Fargo, full-time satellites KJRR-7 in Jamestown, N.D. and KBRR-10 in Thief River Falls, Minn.; and FOX-affiliated sibling KQDS-21 in Duluth, Minn.-Superior, Wisc., to Coastal Television. We know now the price paid.

Hitachi Kokusai Cameras Help New Studio Shine

Hitachi Kokusai has completed one of the first deliveries of its new SK-UHD7000-S2 broadcast cameras to a major Mid-Atlantic PBS Member station through Digital Video Group, a longtime partner. The cameras were an essential component of the public broadcaster’s recent turnkey production studio upgrade at its headquarters.

Broadcast TV Could Enjoy a Healthcare Ad Burst

According to a just-released study from SalesFuel and BIA Advisory Services, hospitals and offices of physicians, dentists and chiropractors are top spenders in the healthcare marketing realm. For 2024, billions will go into local advertising — and over-the-air TV is a top media channel when it comes to spending.

Study: Over-The-Air TV Antenna Interest Remains Strong

According to a fresh report from Parks Associates, one in five U.S. households with internet access in the home possess a television antenna. At the same time, 12% of these households do not have a TV antenna but plan to purchase one within the next six months.

Two Vice ‘FAST’ Channels Added to AMG’s Local Now Platform

Allen Media Group’s Local Now free streaming service has forged a partnership with VICE Media Group, a move that sees two VICE FAST channels added to the platform.
Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom lit up at night

Activist Investor Gets Notable Support In Disney Board Fight

Nelson Peltz has proven to be a thorn in the side of Bob Iger and The Walt Disney Co. for some time, and just days ago launched a proxy fight with the company in the hopes that shareholders will vote him onto the Board of Directors. Peltz just picked up the endorsement of another key investor in Disney.
Beau Ferrari, fornerly of NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises

New Parking Spot For Ferrari As Ex-News Head Returns To Lead Telemundo

In a somewhat surprising move, NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises has made a change at the top, with the man who has served as its Chairman "transitioning" to a role as a NBCUniversal senior advisor. With Beau Ferrari no longer in the role, it is being given to the man whose resume includes a stint at the helm of Noticias Telemundo.