Radio+Television Business Report

With shares at their lowest value in a decade, discarding the earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, investors may be intensely awaiting the latest fiscal report card for Nielsen Holdings plc.

When will the nation’s dominant audience measurement and consumer data analysis house share the company’s fourth quarter and full-year 2021 results?

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He has had a “unique” path to success. Now, 2022 NAB Show attendees will get to hear all about it, as Byron Allen has agreed to appear in a flame-free “fireside chat” scheduled for Wednesday, April 27 at the Las Vegas event — the NAB’s first since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Allen will be interviewed by retired NAB President/CEO Gordon Smith, who now serves as a special adviser to the organization.

The discussion is on the calendar for a 9:15am Pacific start.

Allen is the President/CEO of Allen Media Group and Entertainment Studios, and has emerged as a media mogul, with broadcast TV stations just one component of his empire.

It is Smith’s goal to have Allen engage in a two-sided conversation in which both the former U.S. Senator and the TV industry star “discuss the steps in their professional careers that helped them achieve success.”

The chat will serve as the centerpiece of the NAB Show Executive Leadership Series session. Allen and Smith also plan to address their respective roles as advocates and leaders in the broadcast industry and the “enduring value” of local television in an ever-changing marketplace.

Allen Media Group owns 27 television stations in 21 markets, and could grow exponentially in the coming months and years.

Allen also partnered with Sinclair Broadcast Group in 2019 to acquire 21 Regional Sports Networks (RSNs) — a story often overlooked by national media.

Meanwhile, Allen’s Entertainment Studios, which predates the owned-station operation, produces and distributes syndicated program and sells advertising for 67 broadcast and cable television programs.

THE GORDON SMITH SHOW As previously reported, the retired U.S. Senator and former NAB head will receive NAB’s highest honor, the Distinguished Service Award, at the 2022 NAB Show.

It’s known for nationally distributed digital multicast television networks such as the popular MeTV and siblings DECADES, Start TV, Heroes & Icons and MOVIES!

Now, the family of Weigel Broadcasting‘s national broadcast networks is set to expand.

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It positions itself as “a voice for the TV viewer” yet is one of the biggest pro-cable TV service provider lobbying groups Inside the Beltway. The American Television Alliance (ATVA) has made noise for its finger-pointing and one-sided blame for every recent retransmission consent dispute, citing broadcast TV owners for causing the problem despite the need for a MVPD and broadcaster to agree on a fair deal.

Now, it is sharing its thoughts with the FCC on a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking crafter to consider changes in the ATSC 3.0 licensing regime — a matter that comes following a NAB request.

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He’s the founder and Portfolio Manager of a Chicago-area investment house focused on “micro-cap value equities.”

According to his LinkedIn profile, its portfolio “is constructed through [a] in-depth, fundamental research process focused on the potential risk and return of each investment.”

Among the companies that part of his portfolio: Saga Communications.

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On September 23, 2019, the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) on Monday (9/23) released an open letter to marketing and advertising leaders imploring them to develop and executive campaigns that reflect today’s U.S. populace and consumer. 

With NBC’s telecast of Super Bowl LVI, several commercials appear to have answered the need for greater diversity in the creative. Among the standouts — spots for Google Pixel 6 and the NFL itself.

We are pleased to share once again the ANA’s letter in its entirety:

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This is the story of KZMX-FM, a Class A FM at 96.7 MHz licensed to Hot Springs, S.D. It serves a portion of South Dakota due south of Rapid City.

It shouldn’t. In fact, it was supposed to cease broadcasts on this frequency more than seven years, so another licensee could construct his 100kw FM atop Terry Peak, due northwest of Rapid City and adjacent to Deadwood, on the same dial position.

The FCC is now taking action.

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In November 2021, the FCC‘s Office of Economics and Analytics (OEA) and the Media Bureau joined together to seek comment on the procedures to be used for “Auction 112,” a sell-off of construction permits for full-power television stations.

Now, the Commission is moving forward with the auction. And, as expected, bidding will begin in June.

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Drive 40 minutes to the northeast of Buffalo Niagara International Airport, and you’ll find the town of Medina, N.Y., home to the lone tunnel under the Erie Canal. Few outside of Western New York know the small town, but it is presently on the FCC’s radar.

Why? A homeowner could be faced with “significant fines” of up to exactly $22,021 per day for what the Enforcement Bureau says is harmful interference to a Commission licensee’s LTE communications, and the resident’s refusal to allow a Bureau Agent to inspect the premises to identify the source of the interference — believed to be a TV antenna.

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The Chief of the FCC Media Bureau’s Audio Division has ruled that the licensee of a currently silent 5-watt FM translator at 96.3 MHz in the Kendall Square area of Boston can move ahead with the facility’s modification — a decision that came just months after a cancellation request was made.

The approval means GBH can proceed with an action it has wanted to do, but was met with an objection from another licensee.

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For the last several years, a Texas licensee has been seeking to operate a Class A radio station at 92.7 on the FM dial. However, that hasn’t happened because another licensee, led by Roy Henderson, has been authorized to do so but never followed through with a shift to that frequency for a Class A FM at 106.1 MHz.

This led the FCC’s Media Bureau to open a Comment and Reply Comment period to help come to a resolution on the matter.

Now, Henderson is making headlines for another matter involving the Bureau: “DKHTZ” no longer has a “D” in its call letters, as a license renewal submitted March 31, 2021 with the Commission has been granted.

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Among the fresh commercials getting a Super Bowl LVI airing on February 13 was a fun spot from a fitness center featuring Lindsay Lohan, playing at her past with a focus on the future.

The spot is the signature component of a campaign that has increased its use of Spot TV in the last week.

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Aside from a new effort from one of the nation’s biggest pharmacy chains, there’s little movement of note in the latest Media Monitors Spot Ten Radio report.

Is that a good thing?

For some, the static nature of the report suggests brands that are investing in radio are committing to the medium, with Indeed, Progressive, DuckDuckGo and Wendy’s among the brands favoring Spot Radio of late.

For others, however, greater activity from these brands’ peers, and from brands in other categories, could still be seen — something that could push the iHeartRadio promotional spots out of the report altogether.

Walgreen’s is new at No. 9 this week, while Babbel and ZipRecruiter are also seen on the latest report.

With roughly four hours to go before NBC’s coverage of Super Bowl LVI was to begin, Mediacom cable TV service subscribers in the Minneapolis-St. Paul DMA, Arizona’s Prescott Valley region, and the home of the NFC Champions from 1994-2015 have regained the opportunity to watch the “Big Game” without having to resort to “rabbit ears” or other alternatives.

It ends a 409-day “blackout” due to the absence of a retransmission consent agreement, and comes just days after an agreement with DISH was reached — an action that only further suggests that a TEGNA takeover by Standard General in partnership with Apollo Global Management is coming soon.

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MIAMI — Spanish Broadcasting System (SBS) has filed a petition for declaratory ruling with the FCC that would allow foreign investors to indirectly own up to 49.9% of the Hispanic media company’s equity in the aggregate.

Should that happen? The Media Bureau wants to know.

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As the court-appointed receiver of three radio stations tied to Ed Stolz, Larry Patrick was directed by a California federal district judge to move forward with the sale of Stolz’s three FM radio stations licensed to Royce International Broadcasting. The action, the judge said, was necessary in order to provide past-due royalty payments tied to the airplay of music on those FMs.

Then came Stolz’s bankruptcy filing, in a Nevada court. As RBR+TVBR reported this week, the Nevada Federal Bankruptcy Judge — in an oral ruling — paved the way for Stolz to regain ownership of the properties.

Paperwork reflecting the unwinding of a deal engineered by Patrick has now been filed with the FCC.

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Some companies do it to award shareholders. Others to it to attract them.

For Nielsen, the latter appears to be the incorrect response from Wall Street of the decision by its Board of Directors to declare a quarterly cash dividend.

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As RBR+TVBR was first to report on Thursday (2/10), Spanish Broadcasting System (SBS) has successfully negotiated a purchase of Rhythmic Top 40 “Power 95.3” in the Orlando market and Alternative “97X” in Tampa-St. Petersburg — stations that an Elliot Evers-administered trust needed to spin by Tuesday.

With the former Cox Media Group FMs now set to become Spanish-language properties in two hot growth markets, the only remaining question until now involved the value of the deal.

We now have an answer.

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The voice of broadcast media Inside the Beltway has released an overview of what it considers to be the most important policy issues facing local television and radio stations during the 117th Congress.

What’s the No. 1 policy priority for the NAB?

The advocacy group on Friday released its 2022 Broadcasters’ Policy Agenda, and the top agenda item is “Preserving Local Journalism in the Age of Big Tech.”

“As Congress considers the competitive challenges and antitrust concerns raised by digital platforms and their impact on local news and information, it should support laws and policies that recognize and uphold broadcasters’ unique and essential role in democracy and a free press,” the NAB says.

The No. 2 item: the Local Radio Freedom Act, the concurrent resolution of House and Senate members to oppose any proposed legislation — including the musicFIRST-supported “American Music Freedom Act” — which would impose a new royalty fee scheme on broadcast radio. In the House, the LRFA has 211 co-sponsors; in the Senate, the LRFA enjoys support from 23 co-sponsors.

The NAB comments, “Strong congressional support for local radio was also made clear in the 2018 enactment of the Music Modernization Act, legislation that did not contain a performance tax and benefited songwriters, legacy recording artists, producers, digital streaming services and music listeners. Broadcasters stand ready to work with Congress and the music industry on a balanced music licensing proposal that promotes innovation and recognizes the benefit to artists and listeners of radio’s free, locally focused platform. Congress should stand up for local radio station listeners by opposing a performance tax.”

Also on the priority list: increasing diversity in broadcasting, and “preventing harmful changes to advertising tax treatment.” On the latter topic, the FCC says, “Under the U.S. tax code, advertising is treated as an ordinary and necessary business expense deductible in the year it is incurred. In the last few years, some in Congress and in state legislatures have proposed changes to the tax treatment of businesses’ advertising as a means of raising revenue. These modifications would have a devastating impact on radio and television stations, as well as local newspapers, by discouraging businesses from advertising. Local media rely on ad revenue to serve their communities with essential news, emergency information, sports and entertainment programming. The proposed changes also raise significant First Amendment concerns and ignore the important consumer benefits that advertising provides.”

Thus, the NAB believes Congress should oppose legislation that modifies the tax laws to make advertising more expensive for businesses.

Lastly, the NAB wants congress to dedicate itself to “ensuring broadcast ownership rules reflect the competitive marketplace.”

“Broadcasters urge policymakers to support the FCC’s modernization of radio and TV ownership rules to reflect the current marketplace and account for the rise and increasing influence of digital media,” the NAB says.

WEST PALM BEACH, FLA. — On February 10, 1986, she began her career at The E.W. Scripps Co.-owned NBC affiliate that’s long dominated the ratings across the Treasure Coast and the Palm Beaches.

Now, 36 years later, she’s preparing to relocate to North Carolina and enjoy retirement, concluding a career that has involved just one television station.

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