An ALJ Hearing: The Ultimate Deal Killer?
Veteran D.C. communications attorney Erwin Krasnow was just as surprised as many of the brokers and attorneys RBR+TVBR contacted following the release Monday morning of a statement from FCC Chairman Ajit Pai that reveals he has "serious concerns" over Sinclair Broadcast Group's planned merger with Tribune Media. A draft hearing designation order was circulated by Pai. Is this a "deal killer?" Krasnow had some things to say about that.
FCC Chairman Puts Sinclair-Tribune In Jeopardy
At 11:15am Eastern, Sinclair Broadcast Group and Tribune Media Co. each saw their shares plunge in value, setting up a tumultuous day on Wall Street. What happened? FCC Chairman Ajit Pai shared his feelings with the world about the marriage of Sinclair and Tribune. He has "serious concerns."
Looser Rules Allow Gray Grab By Raycom
Here's a deal that's full of American Spirit, fueled by FCC "modernization." Raycom Media has forged an agreement with a longtime shared services agreement partner that would give it an Iowa TV station it could not legally obtain 15 years ago, when it owned another crosstown station. At the same time, Raycom is grabbing The CW affiliate serving the capital of the Old Dominion. Both stations will eventually wind up in the hands of Gray Television.
Did FOX Get Two Big License Renewals?
The license renewal of two of Fox Television Stations' biggest properties — granted in 2007 by the Commission — was challenged by The Voice for New Jersey; and the Office of Communication of the United Church of Christ, Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, and Free Press. Did these groups stand a chance in seeking Applications for Review?
Radio: The ‘Surprise’ Choice Of SMBs
Here's a new bit of data, courtesy of Borrell Associates, that will certainly jump start your week: Traditional media is more popular with small and medium-sized business owners than some of the most commonly used forms of digital media. This includes AM and FM radio, advertisers say.
Cox Media Group’s ‘Legendary’ Marconi Chance
The finalists for the 2018 NAB Marconi Radio Awards, honoring radio stations and on-air personalities for excellence in broadcasting, have been revealed. While the winners will be announced September 27 at the 2018 Radio Show in Orlando, Cox Media Group is already in the driver's seat.
All Prometheus Petitions Dismissed … But One
Three groups have made it known that they aren't too keen with the rapid expansion of FM translators — often coming at the expense, as they see it, of community-oriented LPFMs. As such, they've been waging a fight against the latest round of translator applications. On Friday, the FCC addressed the objectors' Petition for Reconsideration for all pending translator applications — 994 of them in total. All but one were tossed.
Court Orders Stolz To Pay Past-Due ASCAP Royalties
Ed Stolz is widely known in the radio industry as the man who continues to seek to negate the sale of a radio station in Sacramento to Entercom consummated more than 20 years ago. Now, he's under a federal court order to pay ASCAP license fees over several years for three of his radio stations.
An Investment That Requires ‘A Leap Of Faith’
Entercom sure is getting a lot of attention from Wall Street and financial houses across North America, thanks to its merger with CBS Radio. But, is that all good? Gregory Vousvounis, a full time investor mainly focused on U.S. equities, writes for Seeking Alpha that Entercom "will be a multi-bagger" over the next three to five years. That depends on a few things, including prayers.
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A ‘Positive Alternative’ For A Class D AM
A not-for-profit entity based in the city that is home to Virginia Tech University has agreed to take on the license of a 1kw daytimer with an FM translator that's presently dark. It's a donation, and the entity set to take over these facilities will likely be more pleased about the translator than the fully licensed AM it is being gifted. Why? Location, location, location.
Sinclair, Tribune Sink On Wall Street
Blame the FCC Chairman for dual nose-dives for Sinclair Broadcast Group and Tribune Media in Monday's trading. Within moments of the release of a statement from Ajit Pai that put the companies' merger into question, investors went into sell mode. At the Closing Bell, SBGI was down nearly 12%, while Tribune was off by close to 17%.
Entravision’s Margain Gain: A Mexican Client Lure
Some may want a wall. Others may prefer a clear path to "El Norte." Count Entravision Communications among those that prefer the latter — at least when it comes to bringing Mexican brands and companies closer to U.S. Hispanic consumers.
TV News Directors’ Shifting Digital Habits: Social Soars
Broadcast journalists aren't exactly neophytes and hardly Luddites when it comes to their embrace of technology. They're catching up with their viewers' and listeners' news consumption habits by innovating in strategic ways on a multitude of platforms. But, how they're connecting to consumers is changing. Two big digital media players are decreasing in importance. This is the key finding of newly conducted research conducted by the RTDNA and Hofstra University.
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The Big Leap At TV For Auto Insurers
It's no secret that automotive dealer associations have turned to spot television, especially toward the end of an important sales month, to boost traffic at retailers. For the week ending July 15, it wasn't the car or truck shop that was dominating the Media Monitors Spot Ten TV report. Rather, it was the auto insurer.
From Job Search To Wellness, Radio’s The Healthy Choice
There's some hot new activity from two disparate brands that's worth noting on the latest Media Monitors Spot Ten Radio report. A newly launched campaign from a leading employment need website puts a brand in the top 10. At the same time, a leading pharmacy has stepped up its efforts and is also among this week's top 10 users of spot radio.
Auto Insurers Soar To The Top At Spot Cable
There's a new No. 1 at the top of the latest Media Monitors Spot Ten Cable report. But, there's no change of what the top advertiser category is for spot cable. The auto insurance category remains hot, and it's just a matter of what brand is outdelivering its competitor with respect to weekly spot play count.
Comment Date Schedule Finalized On Class C4 NOI
On June 5, the Commission released a Notice of Inquiry in the matter of proposals for a new FM radio broadcast class. This would create a Class C4 radio station, in addition to modifying the requirements for designating short-spaced assignments. The FCC is now ready to receive your comments on the proposal.
Internet and digital news for the broadcasting industry.
Tribune Uses Technology For ‘Always Open’ Ad Sales
Regardless of what transpires between Sinclair Broadcast Group and Tribune Media -- if anything, given the revelation by FCC Chairman Ajit Pai that he has deep concerns over a merger of the two companies -- Tribune hopes it will remain highly attractive to advertisers thanks to a new programmatic advance it introduced July 11.
Behind The Redwood Curtain, To Fill A Source Switch Need
A CBS affiliate serving Humboldt and Del Norte Counties, in the far northwest corner of California, was looking for a streamlined, non-hardware solution for switching between live and recorded content. It found just what it needed: a software solution that doesn't require an external router to change playout sources.
CPB Funds PRX Podcasting Development Project
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting has awarded PRX $1.5 million to fund a second round of Project Catapult, the podcasting development project that identifies and develops new talent while building public media’s capacity to create content across platforms. Project Catapult focuses on rural, Southern and Western public media stations.
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