Headlines
Buyers Keep Trading Radio Stations As FCC Rule Changes Loom
There remains hope among many broadcasters that the Federal Communications Commission will adopt new local radio ownership rules in the months to come that could allow operators to remake some clusters.
Funding Cuts Begin Pushing Public Broadcasters To Consider Station Sales.
The loss of federal funding has led most public radio and television stations to take a fresh assessment of their spending and what it might take to survive the new financial reality. For some stations, one option they may need to consider is taking stock of which signals they want to keep and which may be better monetized through a sale.
Mergers & Acquisitions
Analyst: Consolidation Isn’t a Quick Fix for TV-Station Ad Woes
Larger station groups will still face an ongoing shift of ad dollars from TV to digital, according to Madison & Wall
Nexstar, Gray Media Try Glass-Steagall Repeal Strategy to Gain FCC Merger Approvals
Do the rules shape the industry or does the industry shape the rules? The answer is evolving at the FCC in a TV station industry power play that looks a lot like the successful effort by Wall Street banks to repeal the foundational Glass-Steagall Act a generation ago.
Television
Are We Happy With Where Broadcast TV Is Today?
It’s unrealistic to think broadcasters can keep doing things the same way for the next decade against the litany of threats the industry faces.
Can nonprofit news work on local TV? A Pennsylvania partnership aims to find out
“This is a nut that no one else in the country has cracked — how to translate what nonprofit newsrooms are doing for commercial TV.”
Radio
Radio Ads Drive Fast-Food Restaurant Visits
Whether consumers are hankering for a Big Mac, Burrito Supreme or Frosty, radio advertising for quick service restaurants has proven effective for bringing them to the drive-thru.
FCC
This Week in Regulation for Broadcasters: August 4, 2025 to August 8, 2025
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 Delays Filing Date for Biennial Ownership Report While Considering Its Value – What Other Broadcast Regulatory Obligations May Be Under Review?
Last week, as we noted in our last regular summary of the prior week’s regulatory activity, the FCC’s Media Bureau announced that it had waived the requirement for broadcasters to file their next Biennial Ownership Reports while the FCC considers whether to even continue to require the use of this form.