Headlines
Broadcasters Nexstar, Sinclair, Gray and Scripps in Talks With the NBA and NHL, Looking to Step in on Abandoned RSN Deals
With bankrupt Diamond Sports Group possibly ditching unprofitable NBA and NHL agreements, and WBD exiting the regional sports channels biz, Disney/ESPN, Apple, Amazon and Google have also kicked the tires on acquiring local TV rights
Gray, TelevisaUnivision Buck Broadcast’s Downward Trend To Post Gains
While total revenues were down so far in this political off-year, Gray Television topped its general-market peers with a 4% year-over-year increase in 2Q core advertising.
Mergers & Acquisitions
Proposal To Sell Three El Paso Stations To Mexican National Clears First FCC Hurdle.
Several radio groups, including Cumulus Media, iHeartMedia and TelevisaUnivision, have secured permission from the Federal Communications Commission to become 100% foreign owned, while Alpha Media has a pending request to join their ranks.
Station Sales Week of 8/11
A group of staffers are acquiring Country “T100” WCLT-FM, AC “Kate 98.7” 1430 WCLT/98.7 W254CT, and Rock “The Big Lick” 104.7 W284CH Newark OH from Douglas Pricer. General Sales Manager Thomas Bunyard will acquire a controlling 51.3% stake of the company for $1.357 million.
Television
Back To The Broadcast Future: TV Stations Want To Air Local Sports
With local TV stations' core-advertising still in trouble, major TV stations are going old-school for a remedy: Looking to make deals with big professional sports leagues to air games on regular broadcast/over-the-air TV.
Primetime TV Ad Dollars Fall 5% in Upfront, but Streaming Eases Pain
Madison Avenue pulled hundreds of millions of dollars out of primetime TV and sent them to streaming venues in the industry’s recently completed “upfront” market, the latest sign that one of the media sector’s most stable mediums is in an era of severe flux.
Radio
Radio Has Been Maui's "Only Lifeline" As Wildfires Rage
Communities in Hawaii are grieving and looking toward a long recovery after last week’s devastating wildfire in Maui which claimed more than 90 lives and destroyed the historic town of Lahaina.
Women On The Radio
We talk a lot about where radio is going at this time when it so obvious the industry is at a critical crossroads. Identifying new trends as well as the lasting vestiges of the past are all part of the challenge moving forward.
FCC
This Week in Regulation for Broadcasters: August 7 to August 11, 2023
Here are some of the regulatory developments of significance to broadcasters from the past week, with links to where you can go to find more information as to how these actions may affect your operations.
FCC Approves Annual Fee Proposal That Will See Stations Pay Less In 2023
The Federal Communications Commission has created a new tier of stations as it has approved the outline for how much each radio station will pay in annual regulatory fees.
Sales
Unlocking The Door to Sales Success - Part Two
In sales, success isn’t merely a stroke of luck; it results from deliberate skill development, continuous training, and an unwavering commitment to self-improvement.