Headlines
Inside the $182B Local Ad Market: What 2026 Tells Us About Where Local Is Headed
Local advertising is entering one of its most complex and opportunity-rich periods in decades. As we outlined in our 2026 Local Advertising Trends Report, we estimate that $182 billion will be spent on local advertising this year. But the headline number only tells part of the story.
Mergers & Acquisitions
Station Trading Roundup: 3 Deals, $2,325,000
The purchase of WYLN-CD Hazleton, Pa., by Lighthouse Support tops the latest list of TV station transactions submitted to the FCC for its approval, according to BIA Advisory Services.
The Detroit News to be acquired by USA TODAY Co., owner of Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Co., owner of the Detroit Free Press, will acquire The Detroit News and continue to publish it separately, it announced Monday.
Television
Why Big Station Groups Could Survive - And Thrive
TV station groups -- especially dominant large ones -- will continue to thrive in years to come.
BEAD’s Rural Broadband Expansion: A Warning For Small Market Owners
Is the newspaper problem of “news deserts” coming to broadcast? What can station owners do now to prepare?
Radio
From Nerve-Wracking to Reassuring: How Radio Connects During Tax Season
Most Americans don’t circle Tax Day on their calendar with excitement. Instead, it lingers in the background — wedged between work deadlines, family schedules and the constant mental note of “I really need to do my taxes.”
The Untapped Sales Category Sitting Right Off the Interstate
In most radio sales departments, the same categories get worked over and over again — auto, healthcare, retail, and restaurants. They’re solid. They’re dependable. But they’re also crowded, competitive, and often price-sensitive.
Tech
TEGNA, With Nexstar Deal Pending, Debuts Mobile App
With a blockbuster, game-changing — and potential rule-changing — merger agreement with Nexstar Media Group awaiting regulatory scrutiny and hopeful approval, TEGNA has moved ahead with the launch of new local TV station-aligned mobile apps across 50 markets.
FCC
February 2026 Regulatory Dates for Broadcasters – EEO Reports; ATSC 3.0 and Earth Station Rulemaking Comment Deadlines; Class A, LPTV, and TV Translator Rules Effective Dates; Political Windows; and More (If the Government Does Not Shut Down)
While most of the country is currently frozen, February promises to heat up with several regulatory dates and deadlines broadcasters need to be aware of.
FCC Move Would Permanently Kill-Off Houston Rimshot FM
The FCC is moving to permanently erase the FM allotment once occupied by KJOJ-FM (103.3), closing the book on a station that for decades played a strategic — if often turbulent — role as a rimshot into the Greater Houston radio market.