Headlines
Senate Commerce Committee Sends AM Radio Act To Floor Vote
The AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act of 2023, with no further debate or discussion and with wide bipartisan support, has been passed by the Senate Commerce Committee and is now poised for a full floor vote in the upper body of Congress.
Kids Boost ‘Non-Traditional’ TV Viewing 90% In June, Says Nielsen
So strong was children’s increased viewing last month that it drove overall TV viewing growth of 2.2%
Mergers & Acquisitions
Deal Digest: EMF Buys Second FMs In Houston And Shreveport
Educational Media Foundation has filed a $3.1 million deal to buy “Country Legends 97.1” KTHT from Urban One.
Report: BMI Placing Itself Up For Sale, Again
Performance rights organization BMI (Broadcast Music Inc.) has reportedly renewed efforts to sell itself and has enlisted Goldman Sachs to gauge interest from potential suitors, including private equity firms.
Television
Is Disney Trying To Reset The Playing Field In TV?
Bob Iger is not a man who speaks off the cuff, so his recent comments and subsequent “damage control” about selling ESPN and ABC were not likely a misstep, but probably a more calculated means of generating interest and discussion over the state of traditional television.
Radio
Tech Companies Agree To Make Watermarking Part Of AI’s Audio Future
Some streaming ads are already being created using AI-generated voices and as artificial intelligence technology improves, there will likely be new uses for the tool.
ICYMI: Why Do So Many Radio Ads Suck?
Admit it: you’ve heard plenty of radio ads that suck. Forget about making you remember the client, they make you remember the other preset buttons exist.
Competitors
Everything We Know About Sinclair's Plan To Dump Bally Sports After Buying It For $10.6 Billion Just 4 Years Ago
Back in August 2019, Sinclair shocked many by spending $10.6 billion to buy the Fox Regional Sports Networks or RSNs. These networks have now been renamed to Bally Sports and are in the middle of an extremely messy bankruptcy that will lead to the complete jettison of the business from Sinclair.
Digital
Google Sued Over Allegedly Inflating Video Ad Metrics
A purported class action claims the search giant misled advertisers about its "TrueView" ad program by making the ads muted, autoplaying videos and serving them on unlisted sites in violation of its promised standards.
Verticals
Deepfake Ads Pose A Political Season Minefield For Radio
Perhaps you’ve heard an audio deepfake of a politician on social media done for laughs – maybe it’s former President Trump singing ABBA’s “Dancing Queen” or President Biden talking about the Barbie movie – but radio stations should be very careful when it comes to deepfake advertising.
