Headlines
With Election Coverage, Local TV News Gets A Last Run At Trust
This year’s election offers television stations an opportunity to rebuild trust with viewers by super-serving them with substantive coverage of the candidates and a forum for debates.
Analysts Agree: Audacy Bankruptcy Stems From Overpaying For CBS Radio.
Analysts and media brokers expect Audacy’s bankruptcy restructuring to proceed much like earlier ones undertaken at Cumulus Media and iHeartMedia, with Tideline Partners media broker Greg Guy saying, “The industry has been through this before.”
Mergers & Acquisitions
Sinclair’s David Smith Buys Newspaper ‘The Baltimore Sun’
David Smith, executive chairman of Sinclair, has acquired The Baltimore Sun from Alden Global Capital, the investment company that has been criticized for buying newspapers, selling their assets and cutting their staff.
Imagine Communications Acquires Marketron REV Sales Platform for TV Broadcast
Company expands advanced advertising platform to encompass broadcast sales and order management
Radio
Tennessee’s ELVIS Act Would Protect Voices From AI Misuse.
The voices of Tennessee’s radio broadcasters, as well as those of its singers and actors, would be protected from the misuse of artificial intelligence under the state’s new Ensuring Likeness Voice and Image Security (ELVIS) Act. The first-in-the-nation bill, introduced in the state legislature last week, would update the state’s Protection of Personal Rights law, which currently protects name, image and likeness.
Appeals Court Sides With FCC In Case Over Whether Kentucky AM License Should Be Canceled.
Kentucky broadcaster Gerard Parks has been dealt another setback in his effort to revive the license for “Gospel 710” WEKC, Williamsburg, KY. This time it comes in court.
Tech
Smart-Device Ownership Up As Radio Grows Again In The Home
As radio builds on smart-device integration to make inroads back into the home, international market research and consulting firm Parks Associates unveiled new insights at CES 2024, delving into the growth of internet-connected devices per household in the US.
Media
Report Suggests Ad Market Has Finally Begun To Stabilize
An analysis of global forecasts from Axios predicts a more stabilized ad market over the next five years, with expected growth in North America at 4.2% for 2024, down from 5.6% in 2023.
Cable, Streaming Usage Rose in December, Nielsen Reports
Shares fall as kids take to video-game consoles
CTV/OTT
NBC Claims Streaming Crown, Angers NFL Fans
Comcast's Peacock stream of Saturday's Dolphins-Chiefs Wild Card playoff garnered 6% more viewers than in 2023, but exclusivity ticked off viewers