Radio & Television Business Report

Years from now, when historians and tourists visiting the Steel City go to the nascent National Museum of Broadcasting, they'll likely see and hear invaluable artifacts relating to the birth of American radio. Thank Duquesne University in Pittsburgh for the foresight to preserve some of the radio industry's roots, and thank the Pennsylvania Department of Education for funding it. 

The Chicago and New Orleans field offices of the FCC's Enforcement Bureau are stepping into the fight to quash pirates. These newest violators are in suburban towns, and far from the urban centers on the East Coast where such activity is rampant and recidivist. 

Saga Communications is one of the media industry's darlings of Wall Street, and has regularly been a solid performer providing investors with strong dividends. How did Saga's Q2 compare to that of its peers? Capital Cube asked, and we've got the answers.

Despite vociferous opposition from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth student body, Rhode Island Public Radio is now the owner and operator of the station formerly known as WUMD-FM 89.3. The station is now WXNI, and its big signal has led RIPR to formally shed one of its other properties—an AM in the state's biggest market.

Pivotal Research Group Senior Research Analyst of Advertising Brian Wieser is at it again, as Wall Street's Wordsmith Watchdog has penned another report based on his analysis of trends associated with the use of TV along commercial share trends for U.S. media owners. Wieser examined the calendar month of July 2017, and his prognosis isn't so great for the TV industry.

Are broadcasters "abusing outdated rules to boost their bottom lines" and the main culprits behind the "blackout" of local broadcast TV channels on MVPDs and such DBS providers as DISH Network? That's what the American Television Alliance (ATVA) thinks, and this provides needed background as to why it is expressing concern with the FCC regarding Sinclair Broadcast Group's acquisition of Tribune Media, and why it met Thursday with the FCC to discuss ATSC 3.0 rollout.

Is getting a sale as good as getting "the sale"? Sales pro and Media Information Bureau contributing columnist Barrett Riddleberger says no. Why? You may have had one of our AEs sell something, but they could have easily left more on the table for the buyer to consider, while leaving dollars on the table. 

Is the 1990s simply horrible and unworthy of a radio station of its own that you can profit from? That's what some consultants may say. That's what some owners may say. RBR+TVBR's Editor-in-Chief disagrees. He believes there's a "throwback" format out there that can make you money. All it takes is thinking like a millennial.

For Whitney Media owner William O'Shaughnessy, a legendary figure in New York broadcasting, it all comes down to one key goal, and gaining influence with local leaders. If not, your radio station could just be another jukebox or entertainment purveyor ... and that's not a recipe for longevity, O'Shaughnessy says in this exclusive RBR+TVBR INFOCUS report.