Radio+Television Business Report

Hudson MX, the provider of next-generation media buying and accounting programs for broadcast media, has launched an “enterprise solution” designed to give the half-trillion-dollar media industry “a modern, cross-media, cloud based media management platform.”

As Hudson MX sees it, FinanceAssist can replace “outdated legacy systems that previously monopolized the market.”

Described as a “one-budget, one-invoice platform,” FinanceAssist can enable agencies to manage omnichannel campaigns with “greater flexibility, efficiency and transparency.”

Hudson MX adds, “With these end-to-end capabilities, Hudson MX provides new infrastructure built for today’s omnichannel reality and can agilely evolve in-step with how the industry transforms in the future while empowering the next generation of creativity and effectiveness for agencies and the broader advertising industry.

JT Batson, CEO of Hudson MX, commented, “Legacy systems don’t support agencies and their media partners’ creativity and innovation ambitions, hampering them with artificially increasing transaction costs and high volume of work that is a distraction from delivering results to clients. As an industry, we can and must do better to fix the ecosystem’s fundamental underpinnings for the sake of our industry’s future. With Hudson MX solutions like FinanceAssist we are doing just that through an agile, digital-first platform unencumbered by legacy technology so clients can eliminate process inefficiencies, allowing them to focus on higher-impact strategic work and unlocking revenue for their businesses.”

It’s a new day for HC2 Holdings Inc., which quietly installed a new CEO in late November and has been divesting stations that it no longer deems essential to an ATSC 3.0 spectrum play launched under former leader Philip Falcone.

Under Wayne Barr Jr. as Chief Executive, HC2 has sold TV stations to Weigel Broadcasting and, most recently, to Gray Television. HC2 is adding to more TV stations to the sell pile.

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Get ready for another fiery day on Wall Street for Urban One.

The company on Thursday morning released its fourth quarter and full-year 2020 earnings. And … they’re spectacular.

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The local TV via IP service that the NAB and the Big Four TV networks despise for what they assail as a guise is entering its 31st market.

Starting March 19, viewers across the Pacific Northwest’s second-largest market can stream 39 local broadcast channels through a service operated by a non-profit entity that’s rapidly expanding across the U.S.

In an e-mail sent Wednesday to its followers, Locast revealed that Portland, Ore., is its newest market — an addition that comes as the NCAA Men’s College Basketball Tournament (“March Madness”) commences on ViacomCBS-owned properties and CBS affiliates, such as KOIN-6, owned by Nexstar Media Group.

Also viewable: Nexstar’s home for The CW Network in Portland, KRCW-32; Meredith Local Media‘s FOX affiliate, and MyNetwork TV sibling, KPTV-12 and KPDX-TV; Sinclair Broadcast Group‘s ABC affiliate, KATU-2; public media giant OPB‘s local PBS member station; and TEGNA‘s dominant NBC affiliate, KGW-8. Also available: ION Network; local feeds for Telemundo, Univision and Azteca América; and several digital multicast offerings.

The service is geo-fenced: If you’re outside of the Portland DMA as determined by your location services information, you can’t watch the stations on the 39-channel lineup.

The Portland DMA includes Clark County, Wash.; and extends within Portland to the capital, Salem, and to coastal communities including Astoria, where classic films “The Goonies” and “Kindergarten Cop” were filmed.

More market additions are on the way.

“We continue to work hard to launch more markets so stay tuned,” Locast said.

It also took care in noting that Locast is “a nonprofit” and relies on user donations “of just $5 per month” to support the ongoing operations and expansion of its “nonprofit” service.

As a non-profit, Locast believes it operates outside the scope of retransmission consent. That’s irksome to the NAB and every broadcast TV network, as their affiliates and owned stations are increasingly reliant on retransmission consent fees to offset a decline in advertising stemmed from the rise of local digital media solutions.

 

At 89.1 FM on the dial in one of the most beautiful places in the world is “Jackson Hole Community Radio.” It’s fiercely independent – so much so that KHOL-FM seeks new members by asking listeners to “support independent media.”

To learn more about this unique station and the continued importance of local non-commercial radio in the U.S., RBR+TVBR Editor-in-Chief Adam R Jacobson spoke with knewjack, a.k.a. Jack Catlin, KHOL’s Music Director, in this new InFOCUS Podcast presented by DOT.FM.

Listen to “The InFOCUS Podcast: Jackson Hole Community Radio” on Spreaker.

The Media Bureau has extended a temporary freeze, originally announced on
March 20, 2020, on the acceptance of any AM minor change application that conflicts with the most recently licensed facilities of four now-deleted AM radio stations in the St. Louis market.

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Sinclair Television Group has announced that it intends to amend and extend the existing term loan B-1 tranche under its credit agreement.

This, Sinclair says, includes the incurrence of new term loans in order to refinance such term loan B-1 tranche.

This tranche currently has a maturity date of January 3, 2024.

The goal for Sinclair is to reach new term loans which will provide for, among other things, a maturity date that is seven years after the effectiveness of the amendment.

Sinclair notes that this credit facility amendment is subject to market and other customary closing conditions.

 

RBR+TVBR EXCLUSIVE

On Tuesday, it was widely reported that Global, the U.K.-based media company that boasts such British radio brands as Heart, Capital, Radio X, LBC, Gold and Classic FM, wants a greater stake in iHeartMedia.

In fact, its Washington-based counsel wrote to the FCC to advance regulatory approval for the acquisition of nearly 50% of non-voting equity in iHeart — five times what iHeart sought from the Commission.

RBR+TVBR has now learned that there’s a bit more to the story: iHeartMedia found itself in violation of FCC’s foreign ownership rules only after learning of Global’s initial investment.

What a company does when faced with a situation may be the biggest new concern for every publicly traded radio or TV entity in the U.S. today.

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She’s enjoyed a career in news and journalism that includes three decades of service at ABC News, rising to SVP/News, a role that saw her lead newsgathering across ABC’s news bureaus worldwide; business, law and justice, medical and investigative units; and ABC News Radio. 

Now, this longtime ABC executive who has also handled affiliate relations needs has been selected as the first head of The E.W. Scripps Co.‘s national TV networks business, starting April 12.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — The FCC on Wednesday moved forward with a plan to seek comment on procedures for the auction of 100 MHz of mid-band spectrum in the 3.45–3.55 GHz band — spectrum that can be used to facilitate 5G deployment across the contiguous United States.

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For years, the leading advocacy group focused on U.S. Hispanic marketing, advertising and public relations was known as the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies. To broaden its appeal, a name change to the Culture Marketing Council was made.

As of today, the “Hispanic” is back in the forefront for this Washington, D.C.-based group.

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“With Hispanics fueling U.S. culture shifts and population growth, the Culture Marketing Council: The Voice of Hispanic Marketing is sharpening its focus, re-invigorating its advocacy for Hispanic marketing, and rebranding,” the group says.

Introducing the Hispanic Marketing Council (HMC).

“At a time when intentional approaches via segment marketing have never been more critical, the HMC continues to be the only organization devoted to promoting the critical role of Hispanic marketing, media and specialist firms in today’s marketplace,” it says.

With a population of 60 million and growing, Hispanics accounted for about half of all U.S. population growth between 2010 and 2019, according to Pew Research. They are also the country’s second largest racial or ethnic group, behind non-Hispanic whites (NHW).

While commanding $1.9 trillion in buying power, “corporate focus on the Hispanic audience continues to lag,” the HMC says.

“Hispanics continue to be the largest underserved audience that fuels demographic changes, cultural transformation and economic growth in the U.S. Segment marketing is critical, and brands must realize Hispanics are a crucial part of the American mainstream with Hispanic marketing as a core practice for achieving sustainable market relevance and growth,” said HMC Chair Gonzalo Del Fa, President of GroupM Multicultural. “As we are the only organization representing Hispanic marketing subject matter experts, we felt it necessary to sharpen our focus and further clarify and crystallize our name—for both marketers and our own member constituency. The Hispanic Marketing Council needs no tagline and allows us to be specific about the power of our leadership and expertise.”

JOIN US ON SEPTEMBER 22-23, 2021
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10 Minutes from Miami International Airport! An easy ride to every major Hispanic media and advertising agency office! Great restaurants right down the road!

LOOK AT WHO’S ALREADY COMMITING TO THIS YEAR’S EVENT!

DON’T WAIT: REGISTER NOW! FCC Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, speaking at the 2018 Hispanic Radio Conference (Photo: Radio Ink)

A data driven, direct response agency with headquarters in Sheldon, Conn., and offices in Chicago has signed a multi-year agreement to become a new client of Nielsen’s National and Local TV measurement services in all markets.

Barrington Media Group signed the deal on Tuesday. It offers advertising services to clients in the insurance, healthcare, consumer products, and business services verticals.

David Hohman, Managing Director of Nielsen Media Demand Side at Nielsen, commented, “We are confident Nielsen’s measurement and planning capabilities will help support Barrington Media Group’s business objectives, furthering the company’s goals as a data and analytics agency that takes pride in campaign-driving insights.”

 

Not so long ago, Mike O’Rielly found himself the victim of a White House plan to reform Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. A strict constitutionalist, the Republican FCC Commissioner found himself at odds with the Trump Administration’s desire to apply an eraser to a rule that states “no provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider.”

O’Rielly’s nomination for another term as a Commissioner was rescinded. Enter Nathan Simington, who reportedly played a role in the White House plan to redo Section 230.

With Simington at the Commission, and Chairman Ajit Pai signaling a Section 230 rule review would commence, all eyes were on the Republican leadership at the FCC on when, not if, it would act at Trump’s behest.

Then came the November 2020 presidential election. Trump today is in Palm Beach, Fla. Pai has yielded the FCC’s Chairman role to acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. With little chance of Section 230 reform coming under Rosenworcel’s watch, Congress has opted to act in what is being called a “bipartisan” show of support.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — A longtime Washington, D.C. media executive known to many as “Andy O.,” has died at the age of 92.

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The U.S. broadcast station industry, in particular television companies, enjoyed record 2020 political revenue.

Now that those dollars are in the past, broadcast media has what Kagan analyst Justin Nielson calls “a transitional year” ahead.

This means investors and C-Suite leaders should keep those seatbelts fastened, and keep expenses under control while cash reserves are in a tight and locked position.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — After a 2018 false incoming missile alert freaked out Hawaiians, The National Defense Authorization Act for 2021 required the FCC to adopt rules to strengthen emergency alerting in various areas.

The Commission today moved forward with meeting that goal by adopting a NPRM to ensure that more people receive relevant emergency alerts.

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Do you have something to say to the FCC about Gray Television‘s proposed acquisition of all of Quincy Media, Inc.‘s TV stations?

Here’s your chance to voice your opinion, before it is too late.  Please Login to view this premium content. (Not a member? Join Today!)

Shares of iHeartMedia stock catapulted upward in one of the company’s biggest-ever buying sessions on Wall Street.

As the Closing Bell rang on the Nasdaq GlobalSelect Market on Tuesday, IHRT was up by more than 11% from Monday.

The reason? There are two.

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In April 2020, a Class A FM licensed to rural Effingham, Kansas, some 65 miles from Kansas City International Airport was in the headlines as its owner sought FCC approval for a silent STA extension.

Now, that licensee — Cumulus Media — is selling that station.

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On January 26, Nassau, Bahamas-based Honeycomb Investments Ltd. (now named the Global Media & Entertainment Investments Trust) snapped up a total of 9,631,329 shares of iHeartMedia stock.

This gave the entity 8.8% attributable interest in iHeartMedia, leading sleuths to connect one of the key individuals involved in the investment to one of the biggest commercial radio station owners in Great Britain.

Now, this company that boasts such brands as Heart, Capital, Radio X, LBC, Gold and Classic FM wants a greater stake in iHeartMedia. And, its Washington-based counsel has written to the FCC to advance regulatory approval for the purchase.

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