Radio+Television Business Report

Accessible emergency information requirements are at the heart of a waiver extension request that has been made alongside a Petition for Rulemaking submitted by the NAB with the FCC, an action designed to clarify rules pertaining to aural representations of visual, non-textual content such as radar maps and other graphics on a secondary audio channel.

Canadian regulatory policy regarding AM/FM "radio processes" have been under fire from fiscally challenged publicly traded companies that have been selling properties or, in some cases, shutting down stations altogether. It now appears the CRTC is ready to consider a "modernization of radio processes."

From technological innovations that could impact the future of local TV to the FCC under forthcoming Chairman Brendan Carr, Deutsche Bank Director of Equity Research Ben Soff shared the Wall Street viewpoint on how linear TV could benefit during a TVB Executive Summit session held Thursday. This podcast offers coverage of that discussion.

She's presently the Chief of the FCC's Media Bureau and may not be in the role come January 21. Nevertheless, Holly Saurer today is an influencer when it comes to broadcast media regulatory policy, and that likely explains why the head of the LPTV Broadcasters Association last week met with her and key colleagues to discuss the group's priorities.

How valued is artificial intelligence to The E.W. Scripps Company? The publicly traded company has put into place a leadership team the company says will "guide the acceleration of the company’s artificial intelligence strategy" in the coming months.

Brendan Carr has issued a formal missive to the CEOs of Meta, Alphabet Inc., Apple Inc. and Microsoft seeking an explanation as to how their "NewsGuard" works and how it is squelching viewpoints, resulting in "censorship." It sends a clear message that the forthcoming FCC Chairman has zero tolerance for what he views as free speech impediments.

Rogers Sports & Media is selling to My Broadcasting Corp. its 26kw Class B Adult Contemporary CKOT-FM "Easy 101.3" — today modeled largely after Rogers flagship CHFI-FM in Toronto — and 7.8kw Class B CJDL-FM "Country 107.3" in Tillsonburg, Ont. Both stations reach London, Ont. Also being sold is an Ottawa rimshot FM.

The latest Media Monitors Spot Ten TV and Spot Ten Cable reports have been released by the iHeartMedia-owned ad tracking service, and for the week ending November 24, two big brick-and-mortar retailers each seeking to grow their online sales were the spot play leaders at broadcast TV.

The Media Bureau is reminding prospective applicants of an NCETV filing window, which opens a week from Wednesday. The window will be open for a week, and because of this filing opportunity a temporary application freeze will commence on December 3, the FCC says.

In a transaction RBR+TVBR first reported on November 14, WMAY-AM & FM and WNNS-FM & WQLZ-FM in the Springfield, Ill., market are being sold by Mid-West Family Broadcasting to Woodward Communications Inc. Details regarding the purchase price have now come to light, thanks to the filing of an asset purchase agreement with the FCC for regulatory approval.

As of today, some 18 NBCUniversal-produced free ad-supported streaming television channels are coming to subscribers of the "sports-first" virtual MVPD service that's using to stop Venu Sports from ever reaching the starting line. The first four, available now, are aligned with Telemundo.

FOX "took full advantage of its multiplatform TV footprint" — and ability to engage viewers across linear networks — during the month of October, leading it to a company best finish in the year that Nielsen's Media Distributor Gauge has been produced by the audience measurement company.

Few have heard of tiny Hayward, Wisc., due south of Superior. Here, a Class A FM known until September as "The Cabin" and its FM translator companion are being sold. The buyer is known for progressive-leaning spoken word programming heard on stations across Wisconsin.

In another move that expands the radio station licensee's nontraditional revenue streams, Galaxy Media is revving up its revenue engines and looking forward to fast ROI by acquiring one of Central New York's biggest indoor automotive expos.

Some 80% of digital ad professionals now utilize Artificial Intelligence-based products  for media buying and campaign management. That's according to new findings released by ad sales automation and workflow software producer Frequence, recently acquired by connected TV ad platform Madhive.

A 35-year career focused on radio and advertising will be coming to a close for the President of Eastman Radio, a Katz Media Group arm, as he has announced his retirement. Tucker Flood will depart at the end of the year, KMG announced late Friday.

Three FM stations and an AM sibling in Springfield, Ill., are being bought by Woodward Communications Inc. To close the deal to meet current FCC local ownership limits, it is divesting WCVS-FM, with Tideline Partners signed on as the broker. A buyer has been found, and for a recently acquired FM in Bloomington, Ill., too. 

It's been a topic of discussion in industry circles over the last several years. Now, it is official: One of NBCUniversal Local's most prominent news anchors, a fixture of live over-the-air television in the New York Tri-State area since 1974, will officially retire following the 6pm newscast on WNBC-4 in three weeks.

Mike Agovino is joining a fellow radio industry veteran — San Diego's Mike Glickenhaus — in growing partnership development at a company launching an omnichannel media commerce platform that connects supply-side and demand-side partners through an open marketplace.

Travel up Highway 14 from Santa Clarita and you'll reach the Antelope Valley, sandwiched between Bakersfield to the west and Victorville to the east. Here, L.A. FM radio reception is sketchy. This could explain why Educational Media Foundation is agreeing to purchase a 3kw Class A facility that is presently offering Country music to listeners.