Radio+Television Business Report

A formal proceeding launched Wednesday by the Commission will offer a "QC" checkup, if you will, of the customer service providers of cable, broadband, satellite TV, and voice services give their customers. A new Notice of Inquiry seeks information on current customer service practices and is designed to benefit consumers.

In late August, RBR+TVBR first reported on the acquisition of an FM and Class D AM sibling to a buyer that's "driven," as the newly formed media company is led by the owner of a Chevrolet dealership in Stratford, Tex. Now, Corey Naugle is adding another FM station — this one some 75 miles southeast of Stratford — to his newly formed Driven Media.

The first NEXTGEN TV launch in the Caribbean is on its way, as the first phase of a ATSC 3.0 deployment strategy has been completed thanks to the ongoing efforts of Maine-based Sinclair Inc. subsidiary Dielectric.

The individual who served in the role today held by Adam Symson between 1985 and 1998 has died at the age of 89. Larry Leser is being remembered by many across the industry, including former Scripps head Rich Boehne, who calls Leser "a brilliant strategist, decisive and never afraid of taking risks.”

If it were up to automakers such as GM, Ford and Toyota, any U.S. legislative mandate requiring them to include an AM radio in every vehicle's in-dash entertainment system should be stopped. And, they've collectively spent millions of dollars to prevent the legislation from forward advancement on Capitol Hill.

As September began, it became known that Mike Carr would be transferring from Fresno to run the ABC Owned Stations sibling serving Houston. Now, Carr's successor has been revealed. 

Connected TV advertising measurement and delivery platform Innovid is teaming up with Alltold, a "responsible technology pioneer building AI to understand bias, stereotypes, and inclusion in creative content," for a report that shares "the state of representation" in Connected TV spots.

Pat Roberts, President/CEO of the FAB, discusses the vital importance of live and local broadcasters to Florida in this conversation we share as the 2024 hurricane season nears its close, and our Fall 2024 magazine readies its completion with a feature on two Florida TV stations' efforts during Hurricane Milton.

A three-way partnership between a trio of Hispanic men who have teamed to form BMax Media in the Baltimore suburb of Dundalk, Md., have agreed to purchase an AM radio station that's long been associated with a longtime local broadcast ministry.

Four individuals, including a child, have died as a result of a helicopter accident that led to the collapse to a radio tower in Houston, crippling broadcasts for two TelevisaUnivision FMs. The FAA is investigating; the FCC may be next. According to KTRK-13, the red aviation obstruction lights at the top of the structure "have a history of not working."

Public media stations in Hawaii, Kentucky, Missouri, and South Dakota will receive a total of up to $1.7 million from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to upgrade their equipment to provide enhanced emergency alerting. With these grants, CPB has awarded funding to 35 public media stations in 19 states via the NGWS grant program.

The FCC’s Privacy and Data Protection Task Force has unveiled additional partnerships between the agency’s Enforcement Bureau and state partners on privacy, data protection, and cybersecurity enforcement matters. 

Thank the return of National Football League match-ups and NCAA college football games for bringing significant consumption gains for media companies in September, with Disney reclaiming the top spot in Nielsen’s Media Distributor Gauge for the month.

The two-way pact begins within the next week. Eligible SiriusXM subscribers will begin with those who are "Platinum VIP," with additional tiers gaining ESPN+ access in November.

The Mike Hulvey-led Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB) has finalized its new slate of officers and directors, approved unanimously last week during its Fall Board of Directors meeting in Maryland. Named Chair of the RAB Board is the Chief Operating Officer at Townsquare Media. 

In March, Joyce Slocum died after a long illness, leaving Texas Public Radio with a leadership void. Now, San Antonio-based TPR has announced who its next President/CEO will be. Getting the role is the VP of Community Engagement and Strategic Initiatives at KPCC-FM, which broadcasts as "LAist" to Southern California.

TelevisaUnivision's third-quarter 2024 performance in the U.S. bested that of Mexico. It is thanks to retransmission consent revenue gains, and big political ad dollar growth. This positions new CEO Daniel Alegre, who has a tech background, in a positive spot as further monetization of digital assets appears likely for the Hispanic media Goliath.

Real-time graphics and live production specialist Vizrt has appointed a Chief Commercial Officer to bring together its commercial teams in one unified organization. Earning the role is a six-year company veteran.

ZTransform, which has in recent years built out studio and office space for broadcast stations including KNKX in Seattle, has a new Senior Design Engineer. He has led engineering teams on projects for CNN, Amazon, Facebook/Meta, Time Warner Cable, Seattle Mariners, Carolina Hurricanes, NFL Network, and Microsoft Studios.

An Arkansas Christian institution offering bachelor's and master's degrees with a focus on faith is agreeing to purchase a silent Class A radio station that will celebrate its 35th birthday with a forthcoming resurrection. It is a property the father of Rep. Steve Womack silenced in June due to his declining health.