Headlines
Appeals court speeds up Standard General, Tegna proceeding
Standard General is getting an accelerated proceeding from the DC Court of Appeals after filing a lawsuit against the FCC that in part seeks to overturn the commission’s move to send the firm’s proposed acquisition of broadcaster Tegna to an administrative law judge for further review.
Nielsen Cancels Radio Ratings Service In Seven Markets.
Nielsen will discontinue its radio ratings service in seven diary markets effective with the start of the spring 2023 survey. The radio metros being cancelled are Abilene, TX; Elmira-Corning, NY; Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL; Lake Charles, LA; Olean, NY; Rapid City-Spearfish, SD; and Wichita Falls, TX.
Mergers & Acquisitions
Deal Digest: Bustos Media Buys A Fourth Tucson Station; Chicago Translator Sold.
Station sales in Arizona, Indiana, Oregon, and St. Louis. Translator sales in Chicago and New Mexico.
Rosenzweig Stations Pass To Trust After Owner’s Death
The owner of three stations serving the Antelope Valley of Southern California died on February 7. As such, his daughter now holds her late father’s attributable interest in the properties.
Television
Six Stations Launch NextGen TV In San Francisco
KGO, KPIX, KNTV, KTVU, KDTV and KRON are now broadcasting with ATSC 3.0 technology.
Edison: AM/FM Streams Edge Out Ad-Supported Streaming Audio Services Among 25-54s.
Listeners aged 25-54 spend more time listening to AM/FM radio streams than to ad-supported streaming audio services.
Tech
Disney, Microsoft Say Meh to the Metaverse
Disney and Microsoft both closed projects tied to the metaverse this month, while Facebook parent Meta focuses on artificial intelligence.
For Master Control, Broadcasters Lean On Hardware And Hubs
TV stations are still putting most of their dollars into on-prem hardware for master control functions, with their cloud investments aimed at OTT and disaster recovery. Pictured: Imagine recently partnered with Vizrt to integrate its cloud playout software with Vizrt’s live production tools.
Verticals
As Auto Ads Return, Audacy Says Buyers Will Need Some Post-Pandemic Adjustments.
Forecasters are predicting automotive advertising is poised for a comeback this year, and there is a good case for those dollars to head toward audio, says Audacy in a new playbook for ad buyers.
NRF Forecasts A More Normal Increase In Retail Sales This Year.
“In just the last three years, the retail industry has experienced growth that would normally take almost a decade by pre-pandemic standards,” NRF President Matthew Shay said. “While we expect growth to moderate in the year ahead, it will remain positive as retail sales stabilize to more historical levels.”
Sales
Dealing With Change in Media Sales
It’s human nature to both want change to happen, and rue the day it does. The 12th annual State of Media Sales presentation was a mixed bag of good and bad news for advertising sales.
