the HOT List

Forecast 2027 is closed to the press — including our own journalists. The sessions won’t be posted to YouTube. You won’t even find these lessons in our headlines e-mail the next morning. If you’re thinking you’ll catch it later for free, you won’t. The only way to hear these conversations is to invest in yourself. Be in the room.

The FCC on August 6 voted to repeal its 39% national TV ownership reach cap, replacing it with a granular, case-by-case review. The Report and Order detailing the decision was not released until Thursday, and was quietly posted on the Commission website along with statements from Chairman Carr, Olivia Trusty and Anna Gómez.

Annual employment reports will soon be gone from the FCC’s rulebook. The Media Bureau ordered the removal of the requirement that stations report workforce race, ethnicity, and gender data, bringing federal regulations in line with a Fifth Circuit decision.

In late June 2025, Gray Media filed a lawsuit against the parent of Hearst Television in a New York federal district court on the grounds the privately held owner of broadcast TV stations infringed on its trademarked name for newscast weather reports. Hearst sought to dismiss the case. That effort has failed.

On August 3, it completed its $15.8 million purchase of "ABC36," making this Lexington, Ky., station a sibling to its NBC affiliate in the Kentucky market. Approval of the deal came from the FCC after DirecTV attempted to thwart it over retransmission consent concerns. Perhaps DirecTV's Rob Thun is its Chief Soothsayer.

In April 2024, in a dispute against Dish over "Must Carry" regulations, the Senior Deputy Chief of the Policy Division sided with the owner of a station seeking distribution across the Atlanta DMA, giving the licensee a win. Now, the FCC has negated that 2024 decision, siding with the direct broadcast satellite service provider.

As of today, Gray Media's presence in Oregon is comprised of the home of "FOX 12" and its broadcast sibling known to locals as "FOX 12 Plus" until earlier this year, when it was reborn as Rose City SportsNet. Now, Gray is poised to grow a little larger in the Beaver State, thanks to a deal with SagamoreHill.

They are properties operated by Sinclair Inc. via a shared services agreement with a licensee operated by political commentator and entrepreneur Armstrong Williams. On August 20, Williams moved forward with turning that SSA into outright ownership for Sinclair. The FCC has granted the assignment of authorization request for one of the stations.

As previously argued, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro stated, the Disney unit's argument "fails because the impetus for the early renewal processing of Plaintiffs’ broadcast licenses was the need for more information to support the Commission’s antidiscrimination investigation."

The FCC head is "deeply concerned" by the position more than 60 House Democratics are taking regarding what he calls "the right of parents to know whether their sons or daughters are being exposed to controversial gender identity ideologies" in TV shows rated as appropriate for young children.

For several years, the popular refrain among many radio industry observers is that younger, Generation Z and Generation Alpha audio content consumers aren't tuning to FM radio. While that's debatable, a new study suggests Gen Z and Gen Alpha video consumers are largely tuning out local TV news — at least on TV.

The "AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act" passed the U.S. House of Representatives more than one week ago. The bill, which has wide bipartisan support, now awaits action in the Senate.  Will it happen? Bill supporters are hopeful, but one Colorado House Member wants Americans to speak up.

The woman who for more than 15 years has served as VP/General Manager of KNXV "ABC 15" in Phoenix for The E.W. Scripps Co. has been promoted to a VP of Local Media position putting her in control of the company's stations across the West.

The full Commission on Monday directed the Media Bureau to complete the processing of station renewal applications associated with five broadcast television flagged for potential rule noncompliance as it pertained to their educational and informational programming. The "why" behind the move is the biggest takeaway.

Anna Gómez last week met with representatives from two public advocacy groups who are battling the Carr Commission for a Media Bureau decision to initiate an early license renewal process for the eight ABC Owned Stations — a move the groups believe is an "unconstitutional assault on the freedom of the press."