Radio+Television Business Report

American Public Media has promoted from within to fill the role of VP/Head of Sales and Underwriting — a key revenue-generating role at APM and Minnesota Public radio.

On October 31, RBR+TVBR first reported on the sale of a Rock station serving Bangor formerly owned by acclaimed author Stephen King, by Rock Lobster Radio LLC. On Monday, details of the deal that will see Mix Maine Media owner and President Jay Hanson add the FM to his stable of stations were revealed.

In March 2018, it was one of four FM radio stations divested as part of the company's Chapter 11 reorganization petition, and placed in a trust overseen by veteran media broker Elliot Evers. It eventually wound up back in Cumulus Media's hands, only to go silent in March. Now, a buyer has been found.

A media lawyer based at a top Washington, D.C. communications-focused law firm and the woman who serves as Chief Communications Officer of Beasley Media Group have been elected to the Board of Trustees of The Media Institute.

The DIRECTV app includes access to its Genre Packs, free ad-supported TV (FAST) channels, and "Signature Packages," as well as on-demand content and a personalized viewing experience directly through the TV.

He formerly served as Market Manager of the radio stations in Bakersfield formerly licensed to Alpha Media and now owned by Connoisseur Media. Now, he's heading north on California 99 to serve as VP/Market Manager of Cumulus Media's radio stations serving the Stockton and Modesto, Calif., markets.

Following a French employee works council consultation process, the parties would immediately execute a purchase agreement. The transaction would be expected to close in the first half of 2026, subject to customary regulatory approvals and closing conditions.

The first weekly looks at the play count for commercials airing on broadcast and cable TV stations, respectively, from Media Monitors are out. At Spot Cable, there's an auto insurance specialist that has soared to the top. That said, there's one brand that saw big gains last week at both Spot TV and Spot Cable.

David Ellison is fighting back against Netflix and its proposed $72 billion takeover of Warner Bros. — including HBO Max and the HBO cable TV channels — by commencing an all-cash tender offer that would see Paramount acquire all of Warner Bros. Discovery's outstanding shares at a valuation of $30.

The big takeaway for the three-month period ending September 30? Ad revenues soared and enjoyed the fastest pace since the final stage of the post-COVID rebound in the first quarter of 2022. That said, broadcast media's performance was a bit different.

In one week, customers to Verizon Fios cable TV services in two cities where Cox Media Group owns stations could be left in the dark. That's because the TV stations' owner and the MVPD can't seem to be in agreement on terms for a new retransmission consent accord.

With The E.W. Scripps Co. under a hostile takeover attempt by Sinclair and Nexstar Media Group awaiting a regulatory nod for its industry-changing proposed merger with TEGNA, Gray Media is moving forward with an initiative that adjusts that media company's indebtedness, with repayment due in seven years.

The association, which serves to promote and support agricultural and rural lifestyle broadcasting, also welcomed Ag News Daily podcast host and AgCulture Marketing CEO Delaney Howell as President-Elect; and Farm and Ranch Media Broadcaster Susan Littlefield as Vice President.

The Media Bureau of the FCC on Friday shared its new compliance date for revised sponsorship identification requirements for foreign government-provided programming from a Second Report & Order linked to MB Docket No. 20-299.

The New York Festivals Radio Awards provides a platform to celebrate creative storytellers from around the world. For 69 years, NYF has recognized both innovation and exceptional quality in broadcast audio content across all genres and platforms since 1957.

The radio industry is rolling out new in-car measurement of audio content consumption, and the Radio Advertising Bureau is giddy about it. Why? This "will dramatically change how broadcasters prove value to advertisers," the organization insists.

How will Netflix convince federal regulatory agencies to get their respective approvals of the $82.7 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. and its HBO assets? Are their red flags potentially thwarting Ted Sarandos from making the deal with David Zaslav? MoffettNathanson analyst Rob Fishman has his thoughts.

There's an industry shift in media and entertainment companies' perspective on how to store their file footage and archival data, with some 85% of respondents to a first-ever global "State of Media Archiving" survey noting they plan to shift to "a horizontally integrated approach to their asset and media management."

Who are the best tech-focused leaders in radio and television? Industry leaders are chiming in and offering suggestions as we consider nominations for the fifth annual "Broadcast Media's Top Tech Leaders." Time is running out, as the nomination window closes Friday, December 5.

He was a Democrat who served as a Commissioner on the FCC until departing earlier this year. Now, he has resurfaced at a entity that has little to do with grain elevators and anything depicted in the classic film Footloose.  That's because Grain Management is a private investment firm.