the HOT List

Chatter over whether or not President Trump will soon fire the lone Democrat on the FCC could soon reach a fever pitch, as the Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee — Texas Republican Ted Cruz — has revealed a nomination hearing for Danielle Thumann will be held on Thursday.

A TEGNA-licensed NBC affiliate ultimately under the ownership of Nexstar Media Group has told an Ohio federal district court judge that the firing of a photojournalist was justified and did not violate the station's collective bargaining agreement with a key workers' union.

In another move that solidifies TEGNA's "hold separate" status as a California federal district court judge considers whether its regulatory approved merger with Nexstar Media Group is a violation of antitrust law, its Sr. VP and Head of Sports Rights and Sr. VP of Revenue is rising to the role of Sr. VP and Group GM for TEGNA Media. 

The E.W. Scripps Co. has introduced a new Local Media leadership structure, something it calls "the latest step in its companywide transformation to reorient the business around consumers’ changing media habits." The changes result in the elimination of more than two dozen positions at the broadcast TV station ownership group.

A pair of progressive political action groups, along with a collection of viewers of ABC stations, have responded to formal opposition to their request to become plaintiffs alongside The Walt Disney Company in its ABC-focused federal lawsuit against the FCC being argued in U.S. District Court.

Seven broadcast television stations owned by Byron Allen-led Allen Media Group won't be giving up their ABC Television Network affiliations anytime soon. A new multi-year agreement is now in place.

A Los Angeles-headquartered multimedia company rooted in U.S. Hispanic media that today derives the majority of its income from digital advertising solutions on Tuesday quietly gave birth to a free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channel devoted to "noticias." It boasts a four-anchor delivery scheme.

Brendan Carr, appearing Sunday on FOX News Channel's "Sunday Briefing," suggested the issuance of a FCC Public Notice reminding broadcast media licensees of their obligations regarding "fake polls," in particular those he believes are intended to suppress voters ahead of the November midterm elections. 

On procedural grounds, the U.S. Supreme Court put the breaks on a decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit that would have prohibited anyone other than a political candidate from eligibility for the Lowest Unit Rate afforded by broadcast media when buying election-based advertising.

Nearly one year ago, a plan to create a duopoly in Southern New England by acquiring the non-licensed assets of the station formerly branded as “ABC6,” in Providence, R.I., was put into motion by Sinclair Inc. Now, the company is moving ahead with converting a SSA and JSA with the station's licensee to outright ownership. 

Federal District Court Judge Loren L. AliKhan has been asked by none other than U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro to toss a First Amendment violation claim filed against the Federal Communications Commission by ABC and its parent, The Walt Disney Company. 

Low-power television station licensee HC2 Broadcasting has emerged as one of the biggest champions of 5G Broadcast technology. Now, it is agreeing to purchase the first low-power TV station to test the alternative service to ATSC 3.0 in the Boston market — putting HC2 in the driver's seat on a quest for 5G Broadcast.

As RBR+TVBR first reported on September 2, a booming Top 40 station, along with its Classic Rock and Country siblings, are poised to leave the Cumulus Media stable. Information including the price Cumulus agreed to sell the trio of FM radio stations for are now known.

For a quarter-century, she was a senior sales executive at Hearst Television’s Sacramento pair. In August 2020, a promotion was earned, making her President/GM of Hearst's NBC, ABC and Estrella TV channels in the Monterey-Salinas market.  Now, this longtime California local TV executive is planning her retirement.

It's a trend likely to spread beyond NBCUniversal Local television stations in the San Francisco Bay Area and, now, North Texas: the time slot formerly held by the now-concluded Kelly Clarkson Show will soon be taken by another station-produced newscast. This one will have a unique quality about its news delivery.