Radio+Television Business Report

Some 53 months and two weeks ago, Audacy pulled the plug on the Top 40 format and "NOW" branding for an FM radio station in Los Angeles in favor of a simulcast of its Class A 50kw all-News AM. Now, the company has decided to end the simulcast by directly going after iHeartMedia.

An AM/FM simulcast offering spoken word programming that includes The Mike Gallagher Show, Sean Hannity and a locally hosted "Going Home" show in the 5pm hour is being spun. Who is buying these stations, which serve small cities south of Abilene and northeast of San Angelo, Tex.?

The Video Division of the FCC's Media Bureau has issued an Order to a broadcast television station owner linked to the creator of 5-Hour Energy liquid supplements to file early license renewal applications for its stations, following an investigation for compliance with its obligations as a licensed broadcaster.

Four items appear on the FCC's May Open Meeting agenda, including an order to modernize the Disaster Information Reporting System, where outage information is reported during emergencies. Brendan Carr offers a preview of all that's up for discussion on May 20.

It's Official: The FCC is proceeding with a rare early review of the broadcast licenses held by The Walt Disney Co. A direct threat to ABC Owned Stations, the possibility of a license renewal denial by the FCC yielded an irate response from the lone Democrat on the Commission.

Free TV Networks (FTV), acquired by NBCUniversal spinoff entity VERSANT, has signed its fourth distribution agreement of the year, extending its FAST channel portfolio as the company accelerates its free, ad-supported channel lineup.

Shifting program delivery from satellites to IP-driven technology solutions was a topic of significance at the 2026 NAB Show, which concluded last week. Among the companies offering a path to reliable internet-fueled, software-based broadcast quality program flows is Synamedia.

From microphones, wireless microphones, conference room solutions, earphones and headphones, in-ear monitors, Shure has been a brand of note for more than a century. Now it is moving forward by making a minority investment in a startup developing next‑generation experiential audio technology.

Known across the media industry for its revenue management and CRM products, Matrix forged a strategic partnership with Microsoft through the Cloud Accelerate Factory, an elite program that provides selected companies with a zero-cost investment of Microsoft’s architecture and development resources.

 Audio-Technica has introduced two new MS (mid-side) stereo broadcast microphones: the BP350ST-UB and BP350ST-UL. Both mics are built to give users a wide range of stereo image options with the mid-side capsule arrangement, making them ideal for professional broadcast, production and field recording applications.

Veritone, Inc. has launched a new component for its "VERI AI" agent, one that is "designed to transform how media and entertainment organizations interact with their vast audio and video archives, shifting from slow, manual keyword searches to an intuitive, conversational intelligence model."

After weeks of collecting entries from dozens of college radio stations from across the nation, Telos Alliance, in conjunction with the College Radio Foundation, revealed that the 20-watt Class D FM operated since 1977 by Wright State University students is the recipient of a new Omnia.11 FM+HD audio processor.

“We delivered solid performance this quarter highlighted by the continued expansion of ViX and our linear distribution business, all despite a competitive U.S. sports programming backdrop.” That's how Daniel Alegre, Chief Executive Officer of TelevisaUnivision, describes the company's first quarter 2026 earnings report. 

The woman who serves as Manager of Integrated Marketing and Project Management for Urban One, parent of both Radio One and syndicated audio content arm Reach Media, has been named President-Elect of the Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio, Inc., non-profit organization.

Just days after Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison enjoyed a dinner with the Chairman of the FCC and the Commander-in-Chief, the FCC has established a pleading cycle seeking public comment on whether or not the CBS Stations parent can exceed current limits on its foreign equity interest holders.

Some 40 years ago, they were among the most listened-to spoken word stations in the nation. Today, they operate in a vastly different landscape, leading Cumulus Media to rethink who should program two of its big-signal Golden State AM radio stations. The stations' new Program Director was announced on Monday.

It's a 250-watt facility with a signal covering the state capital of Washington and communities including Skokomish and Shelton. Soon, it will be under the ownership of a new licensee, pending regulatory approval.

The latest Spot Ten TV report courtesy of Media Monitors shows that, once again, a prominent accident attorney specialist is again dominating when it comes to spot play. The other takeaways? Three Pharma brands are seen in the latest report — a reflection of their continued dominance as an ad category at Spot Television.

Tim Natividad has exited just shy of 11 months in his role as President of U.S. Advertising Sales and Marketing, sources close to the matter tell RBR+TVBR. Who is taking the role has raised eyebrows, as the job is going to an individual who left TelevisaUnivision in December 2025 for a position with Allen Media Group.

When it comes to deal volume, there was a slight decrease in 2025 compared to 2024. Perhaps that’s not a fair comparison, however, as a major radio station deal that came at the close of 2024 titled the scales. Had that transaction not transpired, Kalil & Co. would have been at the top. In 2025, there was no such down-to-the wire nail biting.