Radio+Television Business Report

Anna M. Gómez has taken action to ensure everybody knows just how she feels about the lack of a full Commission decision on the biggest broadcast TV merger in modern times — Nexstar's merger with TEGNA, which came via Media Bureau approval with the granting of rule waivers by Erin Boone.

A Broadcast Management and Monetization Conference has been woven into the 2026 NAB Show, and it's designed to serve as a hub for over-the-air media seeking revenue growth, leadership and operational insight. A session focused on NEXTGEN TV featuring FCC Commissioner Olivia Trusty is in the mix, too.

The Florida Association of Broadcasters has unveiled its 2026 inductees into its Hall of Fame, and this year two women who have made their mark in the Sunshine State's media world have been singled out with honors. One happens to be a "First Coast News" TV anchor. The other leads a radio station group.

Media performance platform VideoAmp is moving forward with an initiative designed to aid local broadcast television in its ongoing efforts to capture more data-driven media buying opportunities. It involves an integration with an automated transaction infrastructure platform.

FCC Commissioner Olivia Trusty recently took a trip to Utah and Kansas to highlight the "golden age of communications," and she took time to visit the Gray Media-owned CBS affiliate in Kansas' state capital and the headquarters of Bonneville International Corp. in Salt Lake City.

A group of nine full-power FM radio stations and five FM translators serving non-secular radio audiences across small towns and cities in Eastern Colorado and Kansas will soon be added to the roster of noncommercial broadcast stations linked to a 100kw FM in rural Copeland, Kansas. 

As Bureau Chief Erin Boone sees it, the updates reflect current application processing requirements, clarify and harmonize provisions, and remove references to outdated procedures and legacy filing systems. The R&O earned a 3-0 unanimous vote, thus removing it from the FCC's March Open Meeting docket.

The nation's largest audio content and creation company and No. 1 licensee of broadcast radio stations and the unit of the company that owns a MVPD, a "Big Four" TV network and the Peacock streaming platform have each announced that they're launching programming wrapped around the nation's 250th birthday.

Join us in Phoenix for a powerhouse lineup of creators and personalities who live and breathe Gen Z engagement every day. From TikTok to terrestrial radio, Gen Z Hispanics are shaping the future of our industry — and one dynamic Hispanic Radio Conference session will show exactly how to meet them where they are. 

For the GOP, further rule "modernization" 30 years after the passage by President Clinton of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 is of interest. For Democrats, countering consolidation by protecting diversity of voices and opposing the Media Bureau's approval of the Nexstar-TEGNA merger, is Issue No. 1.

Activists organized by Free Press gathered outside of the FCC's L Street headquarters to condemn Chairman Brendan Carr for his record on "media consolidation and threats to press freedom." A billboard on wheels accompanied the five protestors.

Just in time for the full rollout of Major League Baseball Opening Day coverage, fans that subscribe to DirecTV will have season-long access to games for nine clubs whose coverage has been assumed by MLB in the wake of regional sports network rights demises.

It's a victory in a federal court for the subscription-based satellite radio service provider, as a German entity known for its application-oriented research had sought to claim SiriusXM infringed on a patent it holds. A judge's decision puts a more than nine-year legal tussle to rest.

It's a move that Sinclair Inc. is calling "a strategic transformation" of its news operations in Tulsa, one in which it is "refocusing resources" at its two "Big Four" stations to "enhance" local programming. What does this mean for viewers of the ABC and FOX stations in the Oklahoma market?

Todd Parkin, a former head of sales for the Bally Sports regional sports network, had agreed to acquire various TV stations from Standard Media, Imagicomm, and Sinclair Inc., respectively. Now, filings made at the FCC suggest Parkin will not be moving forward with the announced acquisitions.

An AI company "advancing the connected TV ecosystem" with "contextual video intelligence" believes it has a solution for advertisers seeking clarity, control, and confidence in their ad buys. Allen Media Group is confident this newly launched product unveiled today at the IAB NewFronts will help its streaming video ad growth.

She presently serves as VP/Market Manager for Cumulus Media's Indianapolis radio stations, a role she's held since 2023. Now, this sales and management veteran has been promoted to Regional Vice President of Cumulus Central Indiana, adding oversight for stations in two other Hoosier markets.

The House Committee on Energy and Commerce, which maintains oversight of the FCC, has approved proposed legislation that would bring updates to the nation's Emergency Alert System.  Two bills were passed out of Committee, and each saw unanimous roll call votes.

A low-power television station serving the Aurora, Ill., area, has taken advantage of the FCC's December 2025 decision to lift its freeze on major change applications for LPTV facilities by moving to the heart of Chicago. It's a perfect demonstration of how a big-market move-in can result from the Commission decision.

Upon FCC regulatory approval, two AM stations and three FMs in a South Dakota market will end up in the hands of a local operator. With closing expected in early summer 2026, Connoisseur Media is moving forward with the sale of the following properties to Brookings Radio LLC.