Headlines
Brendan Carr Has Big Ideas On The FCC — And Critics Across The Spectrum
A spate of recent actions suggest the appointee of President Donald Trump is seeking to expand the agency’s purview to tackle a perceived liberal bias in the media and tech industries — even as critics question the FCC’s authority to do so.
Mergers & Acquisitions
FCC OKs Gray’s Purchase Of KXLT Rochester, Minn.
The FCC on Tuesday granted a waiver of its local ownership rules to permit Gray Media to acquire KXLT-TV (Fox) in the Rochester, Minn., television market, where Gray already owns KTTC (NBC).
Sinclair sells five TV stations to Rincon Broadcasting
Sinclair, Inc. is selling five of its local broadcast television stations to an industry executive who once oversaw advertising sales for the company’s line-up of Bally Sports-branded regional networks.
Guel Won’t Sell A Lone Star State LPTV Property
An assignment of authorization filing made with the FCC in mid-October 2024 has been dismissed, putting an end to a deal that would have seen the sale of a low-power television station serving San Angelo, Tex.
FCC
Smile FM Is Denied Bid to Keep Multiple Detroit-Area Licenses
The FCC has ruled that Michigan contemporary Christian noncom radio network Smile FM would have to surrender its existing Class A FM station south of Detroit for its mutually exclusive Class B FM CP to be granted a license.
Gray Asks For Two More VHF-to-UHF Undo Moves
The FCC has moved ahead with two Notices of Proposed Rulemaking that will effectively unwind an effort from Gray Media to shift a pair of its television stations from VHF signals to UHF channels, as the company has run out of time to do it.
CTV/OTT
Fox & ESPN Launching Standalone Streaming Services Later In 2025
With Fox and ESPN launching a DTC service among the biggest trends in 2025. The dedicated sports streaming bundles could spell the end of the pay-TV business model.
Fox won't cannibalize cable with new streaming service, exec says
Fox Corporation has no plans to ruffle the feathers of its cable and satellite television partners when it releases a new direct-to-consumer streaming service that includes its sports and news channels later this year, a company executive promised on Monday.
Media
How Media Companies Can Thread A Needle On DEI
Amid the executive orders and FCC actions targeting DEI, it still makes sense to find ways to meet employees where they are to support them.
NAB, RTDNA Warn FCC Review Could Have Chilling Impact On Radio.
The National Association of Broadcasters, CBS, the Radio Television Digital News Association and other press organizations are urging the Federal Communications Commission to end its investigation in whether a New York TV station should have its license potentially revoked for a segment on “60 Minutes” that draw the fire of President Trump concerning the editing of an interview with then-Vice President and then-Presidential candidate Kamala Harris.