Industry News

In a wide-ranging press conference, Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr had both good and bad news for broadcasters, stressing that he wants to “empower local broadcasters” while issuing stern warnings that the agency would vigorously enforce the public-interest standard when it comes to news coverage.

When Amazon shows up on TV, they’re buying trust, not just reach. TV remains the most trusted media platform — earning 56% more consumer trust than digital. And, the average TV session is 47 minutes of focused attention.

March came in like a lamb and went out like a roller coaster ride in the U.S. ad marketplace, according to just refreshed data from Guideline's U.S. Ad Tracker.

Several community organizations, including MANA – A National Latina Organization, the National Urban League, the Hispanic Federation, and the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts. are voicing their support with the effort to convince the Federal Communications Commission to modernize its media ownership rules.

The industry veteran will step down at the end of 2025 after more than 15 years of leadership at the trade association.

The news director at WOI in Des Moines, Iowa, is picked to run journalism at the Sarkes Tarzian NBC affiliate in Tennessee.

Nexstar Media Group has hired Chris Flynn to serve as the Vice President and General Manager of KRON-TV (Channel 4), its San Francisco Bay Area CW Network affiliate.

Starbucks, Burger King and Subway were among the quick service restaurants that bought the most ad spots across linear TV in the U.S. during the first three months of the year.

With 16,957 reporting dealers, the 2024 average advertising spend was $543,539 (or $705 per new vehicle sold), representing an ad-to-sales ratio of 0.74%. In comparison, the 2015 spend was $520,029 (or $633 per vehicle), indicating a 4.5% increase in total spend and an 11.4% increase in cost per vehicle sold over the past decade.

The New Jersey gubernatorial primary has already seen $51.1 million according to AdImpact. That has made it the most expensive New Jersey gubernatorial race in history. By comparison, $30.1 million was spent four years ago and $21.2 million was spent in 2017. Even more noteworthy is the record has been set even before the general election period has begun.

Elizabeth Murphy Burns, Morgan Murphy Media’s longtime president and CEO who led the family-owned media company for 43 years, has died. She was 79.

The Wings’ local game broadcasts will reach 6.3 million homes in 2025 with the addition of more Tegna, Gray and Corridor Television stations.

Despite tariff-related and economic concerns, a new survey finds 55% of advertisers plan to spend the same amount on TV and streaming advertising this year, according to new research from iSpot.

U.S. ecommerce growth for 2025 is now projected at 4.5% -- down from 7.5% -- and globally, excluding China, dropping to 6.5% from 9%.

Demand for vehicles is on the rise among middle-income Americans, according to a new "Path to Prosperity" report from Santander US. Despite rising costs, 47% are considering purchasing a vehicle in the next year.

Director of Digital Sales for the Deb McDermott-run Standard Media is Chase Cornelius. In his new role, Cornelius will oversee digital sales efforts across all markets, working closely with both corporate and local teams to drive revenue growth, and develop scalable, future-ready strategies.

The station’s veteran news executive is tapped by Hearst Television to run its New Hampshire ABC affiliate.

As professionals, we surround ourselves with advisors. In many cases, business people have developed long-standing relationships with tax accountants, lawyers and business bankers. Trusted advisors are also people with expertise the executive values and whose opinion they seek out and respect. This represents an opportunity for TV and Cable salespeople who might want to earn their way into the inner circle of their most valuable clients and prospects.

ReachTV is partnering with Nielsen to bring digital-style measurement to its airport television advertising. The move allows advertisers to evaluate airport ad buys alongside digital media, offering better insight into campaign reach and effectiveness.

It professes to be a company “powering the industry’s most successful live OTT solutions as well as hyperlocal streaming platform Zeam.” Now, Zeam Media has partnered with a provider of AI-driven products for content discovery and media options as part of a plan to increase discoverability and engagement with next-level metadata. That will come through Vionlabs’ AI technology.

Despite ongoing economic uncertainty and growing concerns over tariffs and a potential recession, most advertisers plan to maintain or even increase their TV and streaming ad budgets this year, according to new survey data from video measurement firm iSpot. The findings, released ahead of this year’s Upfronts, show 86% of brands and agencies expect their budgets for TV and streaming to either stay the same or grow in 2025. Just 14% anticipate any cuts— though iSpot cautions that figure could rise if economic conditions worsen.

WTHR and WALV, Tegna’s MeTV affiliate in the market, will air 18 games, giving fans across central Indiana access to watch the Fever as they fight to return to the WNBA playoffs. Last season, WTHR’s coverage elevated Indiana Fever viewership to new heights. Fever games on WTHR were watched in nearly two-thirds more homes than nationally televised matchups, boasting a 63% household ratings increase over national network games, according to WTHR.

To stay competitive, broadcasters must implement the right strategy and offer advertisers something that the likes of YouTube cannot: a superior, scalable, and seamless ad experience delivered to an engaged audience. Dynamic ad insertion (DAI) has now become the gold standard. It presents a holistic monetization solution that transforms broadcaster platforms into advertising powerhouses. But how can broadcasters use DAI to bridge the gap to the future of ad monetization?

In its fourth-annual State of Video Technology report, Atomik said nearly 80% of consumers want brand communications to involve video products, and they’re open to the idea of those videos being created using AI tools.

National advertising sales specialist Katz Media Group has promoted from within to fill the roles of VP of Political Sales and Director of Political Sales, respectively. PJ Stack takes the Vice President slot, while Kevin McTigue becomes Director.

Taking the CPO role is Michael Kim. Kim was previously Senior Vice President of Product at Samba TV and, before that, served as Chief Product Officer at Simulmedia.

Global consumer media usage, including all digital and traditional media channels, increased 2.4% in 2024 to an average of 57.2 hours per week.

The Chicago sales veteran will lead ad sales across all the Nexstar CW affiliate’s local, national, political and digital platforms

He adds oversight for Standard Media’s ABC affiliate to his previous duties as director of sales on May 1.

Major League Pickleball (MLP) and Gray Media today announced local media partnerships that will provide expanded distribution in multiple MLP team markets during the 2025 season, bringing professional coed team pickleball to more local fans.

The impact of TV is evident, as 85% of 58 first-time pharmaceutical TV advertisers—from their FDA approval date through 1/31/25—saw their highest brand search volume once their TV campaign launched.

Digital ad platforms offer new opportunities to target and measure audiences, monetize content.

BIA Advisory Services has named Senan Mele as Vice President of Forecasting and Data Analysis, succeeding Nicole Ovadia, who Radio Ink has learned has exited the company to pursue a new opportunity after three years in the role.

Sunsetting ATSC 1.0, reducing paperwork, EEO and other areas, and updating EAS are among the many NAB proposals.

Tegna’s ABC affiliate WANT Memphis and WLMT (CW) have promoted Christina Ailsworth to news director, effective April 20.

Take one quick glance at the latest Media Monitors Spot Ten TV report, and you’ll clearly see that pharmaceutical brands are sending dollars to broadcast TV.

For teams, the OTA broadcasts reach a much bigger audience than they had with RSNs, helping to drive ticket and merchandise sales as well as overall fan engagement. And for local stations, the live games have yielded a significant ratings improvement over the programming they replaced as well as a strong advertiser response.

The FCC’s Media Bureau seeks feedback on the NAB’s two-phase transition plan and related proposals. The notice invites comments through May 7, with reply comments due by June 6​.

Wholesale used-vehicle prices were lower in March compared to February. The Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index (MUVVI) dropped to 202.6 in March, a 0.2% year-over-year decrease. This is also lower than February’s level, CBT News reports.

Denver television station branded as “9NEWS” will continue as the “Hometown Television Partner” of the city’s National Football League franchise.

Modernizing ownership caps, NextGen TV, tax issues, protecting investments in local content are among the top priorities in the 119th Congress.

TV and media investment in ad spending for women’s sports more than doubled in 2024 (139%) versus the year before -- to $244 million, according to EDO Ad EnGage.

“As we witnessed throughout the pandemic, holidays such as Easter are especially meaningful for Americans during times of uncertainty,” NRF Vice President of Industry and Consumer Insights Katherine Cullen says in a news release. “During this time of economic uncertainty, consumers are prioritizing their Easter celebrations, and retailers are ready to help them enjoy this special occasion with loved ones.”

Comscore received a new accreditation from the Media Rating Council (MRC) for its national and local TV measurement service covering households with demographic data, the first step toward becoming accredited for persons-level viewing data.

“We’re not looking for a handout here from Washington,” NAB President and Chief Executive Curtis LeGeyt said in a recent interview. “We are just looking for the ability to compete on a level playing field.”

This season, WKYC will simulcast 10 Guardians games on free broadcast TV throughout the Cleveland area, which the baseball team says allows “a larger audience of Guardians fans to watch.

TV sports analyst Lee Berke said sports content distributors still can’t completely reach loyal and casual fans without broadcasters and other traditional TV providers.

New tariffs may be throwing the car buying marketing into a period of uncertainty, which could require more dealer advertising to help shoppers sort things out.

A recent project found a 60%-plus discrepancy between data from a major currency measurement company and an ACR-ad supported measurement provider, raising urgent questions for the TV industry.

In the new filing, the NAB said, “[G]iven dramatic changes in the video and advertising markets since 2017, the…(NAB) now urges the Commission to expeditiously conclude this rulemaking and completely repeal the outdated and competitively harmful national broadcast TV ownership restriction.”

After investing nearly $900,000 in ads on the YouTube platform several months ago -- 10 times more than any prior campaign -- the company came away with sobering results. “We wanted to see if YouTube could replace TV,” McCambley told attendees at the recent MediaPost Retail Summit in Scottsdale, Arizona. “The early signs suggest it can’t.”

The Wisconsin Supreme Court election on Tuesday has become the most expensive judicial race in U.S. history, surpassing $98 million in spending as of Tuesday, per the Brennan Center for Justice.

The bipartisan members of the House of Representatives, led by Rep. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.), expressed their desire for deregulation in a letter sent to Carr on Monday. They seek immediate action to update ownership regulations they label as outdated, and as such hurt local TV and radio stations.

The acceleration in deals between station owners, pro teams and their leagues, including engagements prompted by the surging popularity of women’s sports, attests to growing optimism that OTA broadcasters are the key to the way forward.

The looming April 3 import tariffs triggered a rush of U.S. car buyers in March, delivering double-digit sales gains for several major brands as consumers moved quickly to beat potential price hikes.

Phil Lane announced that he is retiring from KPRC 2 Houston as Vice President and General Manager effective April 11, 2025.

With the recent MRC accreditation for Nielsen’s Big Data + Panel product now in place—and its legacy panel-only measurement set to sunset in the fourth quarter—advertisers, media buyers and TV sellers are bracing for major change ahead of the upfront season.

Despite being an off-year for federal elections, the ad tracking firm AdImpact reports overall political ad spending this year is outpacing the level of spending four years ago. It says $146 million has been spent through March, which is $37 million more than during 2021.

I’m often asked, “How do I close more business?” In the past, closing meant overcoming objections, watching for buying signs, and wrangling for the upper hand. But in today’s world, the best way to close more business is simple: bring back outstanding creative—so on-target and so compelling that the real question becomes not “Do you want to advertise?” but “How soon can we begin?”

Circle City Broadcasting’s WISH-WNDY Indianapolis said the stations will be the official broadcast partners with the United Soccer League’s Indy Eleven for the 12th year in a row. Fans will have a free over-the-air option to watch a minimum of 15 matches this season.

He’s held the dual roles of President/GM of the company’s flagship ABC affiliate serving New England’s largest market and as a regional VP overseeing the company’s stations across the region. Soon, he’ll be relocating from Boston to New York and rising to the role of Executive Vice President at Hearst Television. 

President Donald Trump has ordered a 25% tariff on all vehicles built outside the U.S., starting April 3, according to a March 26 executive order reported by Automotive News.

Aquila, the Association of National Advertisers’ (ANA) cross-media measurement venture, has signed Comscore to be the service’s TV data provider.

It’s not a secret to market observers that pharmaceutical companies have embraced broadcast television and national spots to help build brand awareness and grow sales.

The Arizona Diamondbacks have announced a new broadcast distribution agreement with TEGNA’s 12News (KPNX) in Phoenix to air ten Friday night games during the 2025 season.

ABC’s split with Berkshire-Hathaway’s WPLG Miami is a harbinger of things to come for local stations. It’s also a prime opportunity for stations to super-serve communities with local content and reaffirm their value.

She will oversee the Telemundo station’s news production, operations and editorial across TV, streaming and digital media platforms. She succeeds the retiring Helga Silva.

Hyundai Motor is investing $21 billion to expand U.S. manufacturing. The company will also spend $9 billion to expand production of Hyundai, Kia and Genesis vehicles in the U.S.

After 43 years of service, Morgan Murphy Media President-CEO Elizabeth Murphy Burns will retire from her day-to- day leadership position. She will become chair of the company’s board of directors.

Television broadcasters are poised to see ad revenue growth this year when compared to other off-election years but face the dual challenges of encouraging viewers to climb aboard the NextGen TV train and rethinking traditional ingest, traffic, master control and playout workflows to cash in on streaming and FAST channel opportunities.

All four have extensive involvement in the broadcast industry that they want to use to highlight the importance of local stations.

Top brand advertising fell into a similar top category with that of men's live TV sports programming -- automotive ($27.2 million), pharmaceutical ($26.2 million), internet/telecom ($25.6 million), financial services ($24.5 million), insurance ($20.6 million), food/beverage ($20.5 million) and retail ($14.9 million).

Top engineers from the local broadcast world gathered for the TVNewsCheck webinar IP Networking and ROI in 2025, to discuss their stations’ different approaches to the 2110 migration. The consensus was that 2110 technology is definitely ready to handle all of a broadcaster’s routing needs, but that a station’s decision to invest in it is strongly predicated on its finances as well as the age and condition of existing HD-SDI infrastructure.

Looking ahead, ad growth is expected to average around 3.5% annually over the next few years, slightly lower than prior estimates. While this isn’t a major downturn, it does mark a slowdown from the faster growth the industry has come to expect.

The Indianapolis Indians (the Triple-A baseball affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates) announced that 15 games from Victory Field will be broadcast live to fans across Central Indiana during the 2025 season in partnership with Nexstar Media’s WXIN (Fox59), WTTV (CBS4) and The Dot in Indianapolis.

KDKA-WPKD Pittsburgh GM Chris Cotugno will retire next month and will be succeeded by Julie Eisenman.

The 2025 Media Comparisons Study, conducted by GfK/NIQ and commissioned by TVB, confirms that broadcast television remains the most effective medium for reaching registered voters.

Cox Media Group (CMG) Jacksonville TV, which includes WFOX and WJAX (WJAX is owned by Hoffman Communications and operated by CMG), announced that John Palmer will become its new director of sales on March 17.

WISC Madison and WKBT La Crosse/Eau Claire will broadcast the games to viewers in southcentral and western Wisconsin free for the viewer bringing local Major League Baseball games back to local TV.

For the first time, Atlanta Braves fans will be able to watch two Spring Training games in Spanish on Telemundo this March. As an extension of its broadcast deal to exclusively air 10 Atlanta Braves Spring Training games in 2025, Gray Media will air two of these games simultaneously in Spanish across its 21 Telemundo Affiliate Stations across the Southeast.

The FCC on Tuesday granted a waiver of its local ownership rules to permit Gray Media to acquire KXLT-TV (Fox) in the Rochester, Minn., television market, where Gray already owns KTTC (NBC). Gray said the action “represents the first FCC approval of a new combination of two full-power, top-four ranked, same-market television stations in over five years.

According to the report, 68% of consumers said TV is the top platform for exposure to advertising, and TV’s influence is felt across all categories, ages, demographics and ethnicities.

Broadcast TV remains valuable, particularly through local news programming. According to Locality’s Local Lift report, 43% of viewers view brands advertised during local news more favorably. This trust and credibility make broadcast an essential component of a dealership's localized advertising approach.

Cabieses is the fifth news director in the Hearst Des Moines CBS affiliate’s 70-year history. She succeeds Allison Smith, who left the station in December 2024.

Linear television remains the most important influence — by far — among a variety of different media platforms, through all stages of consumers’ purchase decision process.

New survey finds 82% of respondents cited linear TV ads influence in online search selections.

Tegna Inc. today appointed John Treviño president and general manager of WKYC, its NBC affiliate serving Cleveland, effective March 24.

Of the $168 million spent, it says about $79 million is allocated to 2025 race and about $89 million is allocated to 2026 races.

New research is proving that TV advertising is not just a top-of-funnel play—it’s an integral part of a performance-driven marketing strategy.

Curtis LeGeyt expanded on the organization’s current full-court press to get the FCC to deregulate ownership rules to allow broadcasters to compete with digital platforms more effectively. “We are prioritizing the need to modernize the FCC’s ownership rules, both national and local, to ensure that broadcasters are not continuing to compete with one arm tied behind our backs,” he explained.

The November election was supposed to have ushered in a brave new world of media and entertainment M&A, but so far not so much. Strategy consultants are always looking at some variation of enhancing the “people, process and technology” infrastructure for their clients. Under that all-encompassing rubric, if there isn’t a short-term megadeal to solve all problems, there are still some significant areas of action we can and should expect to see come to the forefront in the months ahead.

The St. Louis Cardinals and Gray Media will broadcast at least 10 games, airing on KMOV (CBS) and Matrix Midwest in St. Louis, on Gray-owned or syndicated third-party television stations in Missouri, Illinois, Tennessee, Arkansas, Iowa, Indiana, Kentucky and Oklahoma serving nearly 7.5 million television households.

“Our latest forecast indicates that local advertising is showing resilience, despite the ongoing changes in the economic landscape,” said Nicole Ovadia, BIA VP of forecasting and analysis. “Although we expect core advertising to remain stable, we’ve adjusted our outlook to account for various market factors like interest rates and consumer sentiment and significant changes in media consumption patterns that are driving digital growth.”

What are some of the skills required to excel in a station leadership role today? How does one get the necessary training and skills? These were some of the key questions asked during a TVB webinar presented last week that offered women tips and suggestions on what to do if they want to be a General Manager at a broadcast television station.

The 2025 NAB Show will showcase advances dominated by AI that seem better suited than ever to the needs of TV station owners and everyone else in media and entertainment.

“Expect to see the consumer options available and coming soon to retail, interactive functionality that allows local stations to take full advantage of both the over-the-top and over-the-air capability of ATSC 3.0 and a variety of methods for local insertion of metadata to greatly enhance the audio and video services for viewers," ATSC President Madeline Noland said.

The Ad Council unveils “Agree to Agree,” an expansive new campaign rooted in what we have in common to spur nonpartisan action around gun violence epidemic.

Eric Lerner, WNBC president-G, said: “WNBC looks forward to continuing the tradition of broadcasting the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and giving our viewers a front-row seat to the world’s largest celebration of Irish heritage."

Over the past two decades, Facebook, Google and Instagram have built engaged communities, leveraged first-party data, and developed self-service ad platforms. What can broadcasters learn from their playbook?

The campaign will include national advertising, outreach to lawmakers and a visit by more than 500 broadcasters to the nation’s capital.

FCC chairman Brendan Carr said Thursday that he aims to “re-empower” local TV stations, and he suggested that Congress consider tighter regulations on content moderation processes for social media giants.

Jim Parker adds additional duties as Vice President / General Manager for Allen Media’s KADN / KLAF-TV (FOX/NBC/MyNetwork) in Lafayette, LA.

Local Connected Television advertising firm Madhive has forged a partnership with Polk Automotive Solutions from S&P Global Mobility that seeks to create a vibrant local Connected TV marketplace for the U.S. auto industry.

Reinventing the over-the-air broadcast model finds executives focusing on one similar -- yet different -- streaming segment: FAST. TV station executives now hope FAST will help them pull back some local advertising dollars that have gone to big digital-first platforms like Facebook and Google.

Waymark, a provider of AI video creation technology, is expanding its local advertising partnership to include CBS Stations. Through its partnership with Waymark, CBS’s owned stations will now offer their local advertising partners Waymark’s technology, allowing instant and affordable video creative that overcomes traditional barriers to video advertising.

“The bottom line is simple: Next Gen TV is here, and it is delivering real benefits. But to realize its full promise, the FCC must take decisive action – just as it has in past technological shifts. The time for half-measures is over,” NAB said in a 31-page petition for rulemaking that underscored the complex task ahead for the agency and the nation’s 1,767 full-power TV stations.

Through the partnership, TiVo will provide Scripps with video and linear schedule TV metadata to support Scripps’ internal data quality and automation initiatives. The addition of this data will help Scripps streamline its data processes to deliver improved analysis and insights across its organization.

“Macy’s is excited to grow our partnership with NBCUniversal as the appetite for our content continues to grow,” Sharon Otterman, Macy’s chief marketing officer, said in a statement. “This is a significant expansion of our long-standing relationship that will increase the visibility of Macy’s and all our content offerings.”

Circle City Broadcasting’s CW affiliate WISH Indianapolis today named Erika Facey assistant news director.

Hearst Television’s ABC affiliate WCVB Boston is the exclusive local broadcast and streaming partner of the Boston Marathon with exclusive race coverage simulcast on Hearst Television New England sister stations: WMUR Manchester, N.H.; WMTW Portland, Maine; and WPTZ Burlington, Vt.

The former KUTV Salt Lake City director of sales and marketing has been tapped by Morgan Murphy Media to oversee its Wisconsin CBS affiliate.

FAST, CTV apps and streaming products allow broadcasters to combine reach with hyperlocal targeting, advertising leaders from NBCU, Gray Media, Hearst Television and more told a TVNewsCheck webinar last Thursday.

Ford Motor has told suppliers it will delay the launch of its new model F-150 pickup, a perennial top-seller for the automaker and golden goose for parts makers. General Motors has said its Super Cruise hands-free driver-assist technology offers an opportunity to gauge whether consumers are willing to pay for an ongoing subscription to access vehicle software. Kia is launching its drive for a bigger market share in the battery-electric-vehicle market with the debut of its compact family car, the EV4. Toyota is claiming a vehicle application breakthrough in hydrogen fuel-cell technology with the release of its third-generation powertrain system. The Chevy Camaro’s revival is reportedly being considered at General Motors, but those plans recently hit a roadblock, according to GM Authority. 

With more than three decades of experience in news leadership, local TV station management and innovative content development, Roark joins Tegna from CBS News and Stations, where she oversaw daily editorial content, managed CBS-owned stations in New York and Boston, launched weather across the network and led the group’s data journalism team.

Darrell Franklin will transition from his long-time KFDX-KJTL Wichita Falls, Texas, 5, 6 and 10 p.m. evening co-anchor role with Carney Porter to become the Nexstar Media Group NBC affiliate’s news director.

LeGeyt once again called on the FCC to eliminate the ownership cap of a single station group reaching 39% of American homes and to abolish rules that “largely prevent TV broadcasters from owning two of the top four-rated broadcast stations in a media market.

The analysis found that the industry challenges are being met with creativity, resilience, and a forward-thinking approach, showcasing the industry’s commitment to adapt and thrive. The momentum of change brings with it an excitement for what’s next and a renewed belief in the potential of local broadcasting to engage and serve communities in impactful ways.

Mike Murri, vice president and general manager of E.W. Scripps’ stations WXYZ and WMYD in Detroit and Merri Hanson, vice president and general manager of KSTU in Salt Lake City, have been promoted to regional vice presidents of local media.

The veteran local media executive will oversee the NBC-Telemundo duopoly as well as NBC Sports Philadelphia.

The 2025 Media Comparisons Study once again confirms the power of television and continues to highlight broadcast TV as the top medium for both viewers and consumers, not only on a TV set, but across all devices.

Gray Media picks the former sales manager of KHBS-KHOG Fort Smith, Ark., to oversee its NBC-CBS duopoly in Alaska.

Study highlights new approaches to measurement, currency and data collaboration that can help broadcasters expand their business.

Nissan Chief Executive Makoto Uchida said the talks had changed focus from setting up a joint holding company to making Nissan into a subsidiary of Honda.

For nearly 10 years, he served as President/General Manager of WCAU-10 and WWSI-62, the NBC and Telemundo O&Os under NBCUniversal serving the Delaware Valley. Now, he’s in the Windy City taking the VP/GM role formerly held by Paul Rennie, who retired in 2023.

Electric vehicles will retain the same share of U.S. retail sales as last year, the result of tariff and incentive uncertainty, according to projections by J.D. Power, and reported by Automotive News.

The multi-year deal includes local TV and OTT measurement for stations in six markets across the U.S.

The new election cycle is underway, and there’s already plenty of ad dollars being placed. While it’s unlikely to top the massive $11.1 billion record-setting total during the presidential cycle, AdImpact says $61.1 million worth of ads have already aired in the current cycle.

Tony Lamerato will be responsible for driving revenue-generating initiatives across Scripps’ local advertising markets.

The WNBA’s Atlanta Dream and Gray Media have renewed their partnership for the 2025 season. The Dream season will tip off on the road against the Washington Mystics on May 16.

Fubo said it will distribute its linear Fubo Sports network via over-the-air stations in more than 100 markets nationwide including such major markets as New York, Los Angeles and Chicago.

Scripps’ Vice President of Local News, Jeff Kiernan, says the aim of the new umbrella brand is to help consumers connect Scripps’ 60+ local stations with a strong national footprint — enhancing Scripps’ reporting capabilities and reinforcing its commitment to local news while showcasing the power of the national streaming news channel, Scripps News. 

Marketers are increasing their local marketing budgets for 2025, often doubling down from last year. According to one recent study, 83% of advertisers think that local advertising is attributable to more than 20% of their revenue. And consumers in front of a TV agree somewhat. 72% of streaming and broadcast viewers of local ads say they want to learn more about an advertiser than if they saw only national ads.

This is a consumer-driven world. NextGen TV will not become a success until the American consumer buys in, and right now that seems very far down the road, so something needs to happen that will jumpstart consumer interest.

Stacey Lynn Schulman has left Nexstar Media Group after serving as the broadcaster’s platform marketing and intelligence executive for about a year.

Facing declining U.S. retail sales, Nissan is launching a wide-ranging dealer incentive program to stimulate demand. The Q4 Acceleration Bonus Program offers dealerships up to $1,000 per vehicle on 2025 and select 2024 models if they hit their February and March sales targets, aligning with the end of Nissan’s fiscal year.

According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), consumers are expected to spend a record $27.5 billion on Valentine’s Day in 2025, surpassing last year’s $25.8 billion and slightly exceeding the previous record of $27.4 billion set in 2020. On average, individuals plan to spend $188.81, up from $185.81 in 2024.

The Future of Television Initiative report, released in mid-January on advancing the transition from ATSC 1.0 to ATSC 3.0 has largely received praise from industry players, including many broadcasters and ATSC, but some have cast a wary eye or thrown shade not simply on the report but ATSC 3.0 itself.

The CW, NBC Sports and Grand Slam Track, a new global track competition, have announced a media rights deal that makes The CW the exclusive U.S. broadcast home of Grand Slam Track.  "We were determined to make sure that Grand Slam Track would be seen by millions of fans across the country, and we’re delighted to be delivering on that promise. We can’t wait to get started with our Slams in April; you won’t want to miss this,” said Grand Slam Track Commissioner Michael Johnson.

The newly constituted FCC under Chairman Brendan Carr has just re-opened a complaint filed by the Center for American Rights which had been dismissed by then Chair Jessica Rosenworcel.  Television news networks are not licensed by the FCC, but local TV stations are, so this lawsuit was actually filed against WCBS-TV in New York as a proxy for CBS News. In theory, should a license revocation occur, it would necessarily follow that all CBS stations that aired the 60 Minutes episode at issue would be subject to the same license revocation.

Scripps Sports’ Brian Lawlor explains how professional teams have doubled and tripled their audiences in a new era for sports rights in this preview of TVNewsCheck’s Programming Everywhere conference.  “It really allows people to have the visibility to be able to find games, to watch games and to build a loyalty and fandom for teams,” he says. “People are watching television as families together and live.”

 The Kansas City Royals are poised to have the games, originating from FanDuel Sports Network — the Royals rightsholder partner — air on Gray’s CBS-affiliated KCTV-5 or on MyNetworkTV sibling KSMO-TV.  “This agreement gives our fans the power to watch however they want, whether that’s on cable, streaming, or local TV. We are thrilled to partner with Gray Media, and know their experience and expertise will be beneficial for both the Royals and our fans,”  said Royals President of Business Operations Brooks Sherman.

Hubbard Broadcasting has just signed a new multi-year agreement for local TV measurement from Nielsen in three of its markets, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Duluth-Superior, and Rochester-Mason City-Austin.  

The Broadcasters Foundation of America has announced that the 2025 Philip J. Lombardo Spirit Award will be presented to Katz Media Group and accepted by its CEO.

Despite the rise of digital media, traditional media is far from extinct. Linear television, for instance, saw a 3% increase in media spending in 2024, thanks in large part to high-profile sporting events and record-breaking political ad spending. 

Music’s biggest night drew 15.4 million viewers on CBS Sunday night.
That’s down 12% from last year’s Grammys, which brought in 17.5 million viewers on CBS, per Nielsen Live + Same Day ratings. Those figures do not include streaming and online viewership from Paramount+, CBS.com and the CBS app.

Honda Motor Co. reported sales rose 3.8 percent in January, with a 12 percent gain in light trucks offsetting a similar drop in car deliveries.  Sales rose for the 30th consecutive month at Subaru, with more gains for the brand’s bestsellers, the Crosstrek and Forester.

Sports fans are ten times more likely to have a positive and trusting view of a brand when they air their spots in locally-televised sports programming, according to a new study released by Locality.

Nielsen has expanded its National TV out-of-home (OOH) panel, increasing coverage from 65% to 100% of U.S. TV households, excluding Alaska and Hawaii. The move enhances the company’s ability to measure television viewing in public spaces, including bars, restaurants, hotels, and airports. This expansion is made possible by adding more homes to its Portable People Meter (PPM) Wearables footprint, improving Nielsen’s ability to track communal TV consumption.

Nielsen plans to discontinue panel-only ratings later this year, integrating big data into its measurement approach. Ad buyers welcome this move, viewing it as a positive step toward more accurate TV ad measurement.

A new study from Nielsen finds that Black audiences continue to be heavy TV users, spending 46 hours and 13 minutes per week watching TV, compared to almost 35 hours for the total U.S. population.  The findings come from a Nielsen Diverse Intelligence Series report called “Engaging Black audiences: How brands impact, grow and win with inclusion."

Paramount Global and Nielsen agreed to a new, multi-year deal, announced Monday 2/3. The partnership includes measurement for all Paramount platforms, including the CBS Television Network and CBS Owned Stations.

For the seventh consecutive year, RBR+TVBR is calling on the broadcast media industry to help their leadership team in selecting the top-ranked individuals who oversee free-to-air broadcast TV stations across the U.S. — from the biggest groups to the smallest privately held operations.  Who’s made the list, and where they rank, will be revealed in RBR+TVBR’s Spring 2025 Magazine. It’s set for digital distribution on April 7, with print distribution at the 2025 NAB Show in Las Vegas.  DON'T DELAY! The deadline to vote is Friday, February 14, 2025 at 5pm Eastern.

While broadcast television remains a cornerstone of the media ecosystem, the pressure to do more with less has never been more acute. Industry leaders in recent Industry Insights roundtables from NewscastStudio cite automation, cloud technologies and artificial intelligence as key drivers of efficiency gains across production and distribution workflows.

Hyundai and Kia posted double-digit U.S. sale gains, setting records for January, says Autonews.com. Kia sales rose 12 percent to 57,007 last month over January 2024, while Hyundai reported 54,503 sales, up 15 percent.

To succeed in today’s complex media sales landscape, you must master both the sales of advertising and the business of advertising. Ultimately, when you help your clients reach their sales goals, you will reach yours. Their success is your success!

If you add up all the tariffs that are going to apply to U.S.-made vehicles, they could easily end up dwarfing total tariffs on finished cars imported from Europe, Japan, or Korea.
Far from boosting the U.S. auto industry, these tariffs, if they stay in place for any length of time, could end up decimating it.

Articles in the daily industry newsletters we all read discuss how digital, targeted, precision ads can be more effective at delivering outcomes and how advertisers and audiences are leaning into ads that are more relevant and effective. So why are we still talking about linear TV as a mass-reach advertising solution that lacks the precision of audience targeting beyond age and gender?
It’s time for the broadcast TV industry to build precision into what is still its largest viewing audiences: pay TV and OTA viewers. It’s time to quit talking about the problem and start building the solutions.

Gray Media promoted Pamela Biddle to VP-general manager of WTVM, its ABC affiliate in Columbus, Ga., effective Feb. 3. Biddle’s professional roles also include serving as general manager of Univision Kansas City, sales manager for Kansas City NBC affiliate KSHB, and director of sales at WPTA, the ABC-NBC affiliate in Fort Wayne, Ind.

The station group has tested and is deploying transmission of HDR10+ and Dolby Vision high dynamic range in multiple markets, including Atlanta; Las Vegas; Davenport, Iowa; Mobile, Alabama-Pensacola, Florida; Birmingham, Alabama; Greenville-Spartanburg, South Carolina; and Portland, Oregon, Robert Folliard, senior vice president of government relations and distribution at Gray Media, said.

“Sports are enduringly, remarkably resonant with viewers, and local TV is getting an incredibly important reboot with its latest tranche of sports rights deals,” said Michael Depp, chief content officer of NewsCheckMedia and editor of TVNewsCheck.

Nexstar Media Group said Wednesday that it has reached an agreement with the Texas Rangers Major League Baseball team to televise at least 15 regular season games and four spring training games during the 2025 season.

Kerry Oslund, recently appointed to lead Scripps' artificial intelligence (AI) strategies, shares his team’s strategies for integrating artificial intelligence.

Local TV stations must increase their local story counts to remain attractive to viewers and advertisers. Covering more area businesses, zoning meetings, real estate and government meetings are all good places to start.

Mobile broadcasting technologies, including ATSC 3.0 and 5G Broadcast, are evolving rapidly. While myths and claims about their capabilities and adoption persist, ongoing collaboration, innovation, and trials are paving the way for the future. By understanding the facts, stakeholders can make informed decisions about investing in and advancing mobile broadcasting systems.

Mobile broadcasting technologies, including ATSC 3.0 and 5G Broadcast, are evolving rapidly. While myths and claims about their capabilities and adoption persist, ongoing collaboration, innovation, and trials are paving the way for the future. By understanding the facts, stakeholders can make informed decisions about investing in and advancing mobile broadcasting systems.

TVB announced today the appointment of Trisha Ripperger as senior vice president, strategic communications & category development. She assumes her role at TVB leading its communications efforts, including advocacy initiatives, public relations, and member content strategy from Abby Auerbach who retired in late 2024.

Taking the post is Trisha Ripperger, who will lead TVB communications efforts, including advocacy initiatives, public relations, and member content strategy.

The deal means CMG will continue to use a comprehensive suite of Nielsen measurement services to demonstrate audience value.

December expanded 13.2%, tying August and trailing only July's 15.3% growth during of erratic peaks and valleys, according Guideline's U.S. Ad Market Tracker. December's wrap-up is noteworthy given that it compares with July's and August's Olympic-boosted ad spending.

ABC-owned KFSN Fresno, Calif., promoted Sara Sandrik, manager of news and content, to vice president and news director.

“The Hawks are playing great basketball, and we are thrilled to bring these games to Hawks fans on broadcast as they make a push to the playoffs,” WANF-WPCH VP-GM Erik Schrader said.

A complete list of the ATSC 3.0 deployment breakdown as of January 23.

Today, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announced the appointment of acting Bureau leadership as well as the acting general counsel and managing director.

Taylor said: “I look forward to working closely with President Noland, our Board, members and industry stakeholders to advance the development and deployment of ATSC 3.0 standards in U.S. and around the world, while continuing to assure ATSC’s key role in the rapidly evolving media and technology landscape.”

This agreement marks the first time Hornets basketball has aired on local, free over-the-air television since the 2007-08 NBA season and will provide fans with more ways than ever to watch Hornets basketball.

Nielsen said its Big Data + Panel national audience measurement technology, which relies on information about smart-TV screen viewership as well as the company’s usual panel of consumers, passed the scrutiny of the MRC, an independent organization that vets all forms of media measurement for the U.S. industry. Nielsen is the first to gain accreditation for the technology. The new data comes from audience interactions with cable and satellite set-top boxes and smart TVs across 45 million households and 75 million devices.

Globally, linear TV accounts for more than 4 times as much ad spend as CTV, according to a recent report. But it’s in TV ad time spent that linear TV really shines. In this case, the release borrows from an ESHAP analysis of Comscore data to show that linear TV accounts for 86.9% of combined linear and CTV ad time spent, such that it “generates about 6 times as many ad impressions as CTV.”

One clear takeaway from last November is that local broadcast TV remains the most influential media platform throughout a voters’ decision-making process. 

Total core retail sales for 2024 reached $5.28tn, hitting the upper limit of NRF’s forecast and marking a 3.6% uplift from the previous year’s total of $5.1tn.

As the devastating wildfires began to sweep across Los Angeles on Jan. 7, frightened residents were not turning to Netflix. Local TV news broadcasts were the video go-to for residents seeking immediate information on the crisis that engulfed the region. Anchors and correspondents have spent hours in the field and on the air providing lifesaving details about evacuations and damage, along with a generous helping of emotional comfort.

President Trump, within hours of taking his oath of office on Capitol Hill yesterday, signed an order designating Brendan Carr, 46, as his new FCC Chairman.

The 32-page report aims to guide FCC in proceedings to end ATSC 1.0 and transition to ATSC 3.0.

Sales of all-electric vehicles and hybrid models reached 20% of new car and truck sales in the U.S. for the first time last year — marking a landmark year for “green” vehicles but coming at a slower pace than many had previously anticipated.

Launching later in first quarter, Universal Ads will consolidate inventory from prominent national media companies, including NBCUniversal, Fox, Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount, TelevisaUnivision, and Roku, into a single, user-friendly platform - powered by Comcast’s ubiquitous FreeWheel unit.

In this podcast, SpectraRep’s COO, John McCoskey, and CTO, George Molnar, discuss how datacasting has evolved from analog to digital, and now reaches over 200 million people in the U.S. They share how it supports first responders, enhances emergency management, and improves earthquake early warning systems on the West Coast, delivering lifesaving alerts in seconds. By utilizing both ATSC-1 and ATSC-3 technologies, datacasting provides a reliable solution for significant communication challenges.

Where local TV can still shine is a disaster like the L.A. fires, where information is key — but then so is showing a little humanity through it all. This was personal for so many of these reporters as they covered evacuations and fires in their own neighborhoods. And yet, they worked 15 hour days covering the story, often getting dangerously close to the flames to give us all a view of what was going down. Some even put down the camera to help when they saw fellow Angelenos in distress.

And while ad-supported streaming and digital platforms businesses are showing continues gains, the study points out there still exists a huge piece of the streaming marketplace where subscribers watch ad-free streaming platforms. All this gives linear TV platforms advertising opportunities.

As wildfires continue to rage and spread in greater Los Angeles, the Broadcasters Foundation of America (BFOA) is reminding Southern California broadcasters it is offering emergency grants of assistance to those harmed by the disaster.

“The faster we can get business going again in these communities, and advertising is a big piece of that, the faster these communities come back to life, and I feel a really big responsibility from that,” Janene Drafs says.

During his show’s opening monologue on Monday night, Jimmy Kimmel praised L.A.’s local news media for their tireless and vital coverage of the devastating fires. “I want to thank our local news reporters,” he said, his voice breaking with emotion, “who reminded us how important local television and radio and newspapers are.” Never has there been stronger proof of how badly we need to preserve local news teams — not only as a city but as a nation.

Launching the joint venture with the backing of these major broadcast groups to make 3.0-based datacasting a commercial enterprise is a positive development for the broadcast industry, said Rick Ducey, managing director of BIA Advisory Services.

A major new study from TVB shows that most Netflix, Disney+ and Max subscribers don’t see advertising, while broadcast TV reaches 91% of streamers—including those who subscribe to ad-free platforms.

The biggest takeaway TVB Chief Research Officer Hadassa Gerber has to share? Broadcast TV reaches 91% of streamers … even those who subscribe without ads!

As tragedy struck Los Angeles, residents turned to local journalists — on TV, radio and online — to stay informed. As stations went with wall-to-wall coverage, they saw their normal viewership double and even triple in some cases, especially has the fires began to quickly spread into neighborhoods in the early evening

News Press & Gazette’s KTVZ, the NBC affiliate serving Bend, Ore., has named Gregory Deffenbaugh the station’s new news director. Deffenbaugh brings a wealth of experience, having most recently served as news director of WREX Rockford, Ill.

The Spectrum Alliance is an independent project managed by NABA, which unites broadcasters, content creators, rightsholders, venues and others in media and production to protect spectrum critical for broadcasting, wireless microphones, wireless cameras and other RF production elements. In addition to broadcasters, the group is backed by the NFL, MLB, UFL and USTA.

The National Association of Broadcasters Leadership Foundation (NABLF) is now accepting entries for the 2025 Celebration of Service to America Awards. These awards honor the critical role local TV and radio stations play in communities across the country.

“I don’t want to get ahead of our annual forecast, but there is good reason to expect healthy economic growth in 2025 even though its shape will depend upon a lot of moving parts.” Jack Kleinhenz said in a news release.

New light-vehicle sales finished the year strong in December, leading to a full-year sales total of 15.85 million units — an increase of 2.2% vs. 2023, according to the National Automobile Dealers Association.

Hearst promoted her from news director of KCCI Des Moines to lead its Nebraska CBS affiliate.

NAB SVP of Communications Alex Siciliano released a statement saying, “Meta’s recent decision to shift from third-party fact-checking is a stark reminder about the critical importance of trusted, fact-based journalism. While misinformation runs rampant online, local television and radio stations remain steadfast in their commitment to providing the factual news and emergency updates that local communities rely on to keep safe and informed.”

Gray Media today announced the return of free NHL broadcasts to the St. Louis market and various affiliate stations across the Midwest.

The E.W. Scripps Co. today promoted veteran Scripps local television leader Lyn Plantinga to the role of senior vice president of local media, effective immediately. In this role, Plantinga will lead local media operations, overseeing Scripps’ team of regional vice presidents.

Broadcasters’ pleas to the commission have fallen on deaf ears for years. Here’s the priority messaging that needs to come from groups as the FCC gets a reset.

The receiver will deliver live NextGen TV broadcasts, including HDR content, across more than 100 channels nationwide.

Nexstar Media Group and NBCUniversal have reached a comprehensive multi-year agreement to renew NBC Television Network affiliations in 33 markets across the country, including 29 stations owned by Nexstar, three owned by Mission Broadcasting and one owned by White Knight Broadcasting.

“Cox Automotive is optimistic about 2025, with plenty of reasons to believe it will be the best year since 2019,” said Cox Automotive Chief Economist Jonathan Smoke. “The market is gaining momentum, economic fundamentals are improving, and consumer sentiment is pointing in the right direction. We are ready for what 2025 might bring.”

Scripps, Gray, Nexstar and Sinclair launch “EdgeBeam Wireless,” which will use ATSC 3.0 to provide faster, more secure and less expensive data delivery.

WTHR, the TEGNA-owned NBC affiliate in Indianapolis, is partnering with Pacers Sports & Entertainment to air five Pacers games for free over-the-air, beginning with a home game against the Golden State Warriors at 7 p.m. on Jan. 10.  

Russ Nelligan, since 2006 the creative services director at WCVB, Hearst Television’s flagship station and Boston’s ABC affiliate, has been promoted to vice president, marketing, for the company.

The veteran TV station executive is tapped by Tegna to lead its South Carolina CBS affiliate.

According to ATSC, the Broadcast Standards Association, a host of new ATSC 3.0 receivers and enhanced broadcast services will reach U.S. consumers this year, with RCA launching a lineup of NextGen TV sets and new ATSC 3.0 accessory receivers from ADTH, MyVelo, Stavix, Vbox, Zapperbox and Zinwell among the new consumer products showcased at ATSC’s 2025 CES exhibit at Central Hall 20340.

The E.W. Scripps Co. has completed a new multi-year affiliation agreement with NBC covering all 11 of Scripps’ NBC television stations.

Liz Roldán has been named CW39 Houston KIAH's new news director.

Gray Media today promoted Alison Davis to general manager of WTOK, its ABC-CW-Telemundo affiliate in Meridian, Miss., effective Jan. 6. She will retain her current position as director of sales for the station.

Gray Media’s CBS affiliate KKTV Colorado Springs has appointed Jacque Harms as its general manager.

It is being heralded as a “revolutionary” 24/7 over-the-air gaming channel that could influence video game discovery and accessibility. How so? “Its innovative application of NEXTGEN TV technical capabilities” are one of the reasons being offered by GameLoop TV.

Executive Chairman Hilton Howell said the change “reflects our ongoing transformation and continued desire to lead the way in traditional and new media, alongside our leading broadcast stations.”

Media companies that offer live events like sports are likely to see their advertising revenue grow in 2025, according to CNBC, while those that offer general entertainment and movies are expecting to see their ad revenue stabilize during the year.

Gray Television announced today that it has entered into agreements with The Walt Disney Co. that extend and renew the network affiliations for all of Gray’s ABC affiliated television stations across 25 markets through Dec. 31, 2028.

Nancy Johnson, the longtime general manager of Gray Media’s NBC affiliates KTUU and KYES Anchorage, Alaska, will retire on Jan. 3.

Broadcast television remained the leading medium, accounting for $5.35 billion, or 48% of total spending.

EV sales in the U.S. grew 25% year- over-year, contributing significantly to a global surge, according to data from Rho Motion. 

Japanese automakers Honda and Nissan have announced plans to work toward a merger that would form the world’s third-largest automaker by sales, as the industry undergoes dramatic changes in its transition away from fossil fuels.

The U.S. auto market could see a significant rebound in 2025, with industry experts forecasting the strongest sales since 2019.

The Atlanta Braves and Gray Media have agreed on a multi-year partnership starting in 2025 for Gray to simulcast 15 regular season games alongside FanDuel Sports Network, the Braves’ rightsholder partner. The 15 games will be spread across the season, and selected games will be announced at a later date. Gray will also exclusively produce and air 10 spring training games.

Consumers stepped up their spending at retail stores last month, providing a boost to the economy in the early phases of the winter holiday shopping season. Retail sales rose 0.7% in November, the Commerce Department said Tuesday, a solid increase and higher than October’s 0.5% gain.

A Hearst Television veteran who since 2019 has served as the company’s Sr. Vice President of Promotion and Marketing will retire at the end of 2024, capping three decades at Hearst and four decades in local television.

BIA identifies ten emerging trends that will present significant opportunities for industry stakeholders including the massive $89 billion digital transformation in local markets.

As we close out 2024 and look forward to the next 12 months, economic momentum is building as the election outcome has reduced uncertainty about tax policy and has contributed to stock market growth and an uptick in both consumer and dealer sentiment. This is a positive for our economy and the auto market. 

As the year closes, broadcasters are hopeful ATSC 3.0 will be on the FCC’s deregulation list—particularly when it comes to sunsetting ATSC 1.0, thereby freeing up multiple sticks in local markets to transmit NextGen TV and begin delivering on the promise of 3.0.

“We’re excited to expand our relationship with Comscore and welcome competition and alternatives for television audience measurement data,” said Dan York, CMG president-CEO. “To ensure that we best serve our viewers, clients, and communities, it’s critical that we have stable and accurate data and deep audience insights. Comscore, with its massive scale and granularity, provides a robust platform where station ratings are counted with no zero cells, which is great news for our advertisers.”

A new study from Mediaprobe, a company that measures real-time physical and emotional responses to media, finds that news programs generate better response and recall than many primetime TV shows. The company examined data that involved the viewing of 11 networks, covering 41 shows and involving 671 brands, spanning a period from November 2023 to September 2024.

In an exclusive interview with TVNewsCheck from Detroit, Lyons explains how she figures out how best to divide her time between the two markets, the critical role a new station manager plays in the model and how WWJ in particular is trying to get a foothold in fiercely competitive market where it’s still the new kid on the block.

Local television station owners, who have the greatest interest in broadcast television service being in every market in the country, should have the same rights as the networks do to own and operate, and to be as deregulated as the radio industry. Alas, television does not share equal rights and all the FCC rules that prevent that should be eradicated immediately.

She brings more than 30 years of experience in local television broadcasting, digital media, and streaming to the Tegna-owned CBS affiliate in Houston

Omnicom and Interpublic executives said their combination, which values IPG at more than $13 billion and creates a new leader in the industry, should give their clients a “comprehensive understanding of consumer behaviors and transactions,” and the resources to do better marketing.

Although there is increasing distrust in national news, local news outlets — whether legacy or new entrants — continue to attract loyal audiences in their communities. According to a 2024 Pew Research Local News Study, most U.S. adults (85%) believe local news outlets are at least somewhat important to the well-being of their local community, including 44% who say they are extremely or very important.

Our latest sports fan pulsing indicates that less than half feel that they have to make more difficult decisions about discretionary purchases than they did five years ago. That’s the best we’ve seen in 13 months.  Couple this with U.S. Federal Reserve Bank data that shows credit card balances rising again in the third quarter to $1.17 billion -- a record high and up 8.4% vs last year, and it’s clear that we are splurging on things we covet.

Brands and agencies approach local advertising are increasingly expected to pair linear with CTV, which will be important in 2025 as broadcasters try to at least hold steady in core advertising, which is predicted to end up somewhere between -3% and +3%. 

Carr has emerged as a strong supporter of media deregulation efforts, which include allowing local broadcast TV owners to acquire stations that exceed the current 39% national reach limitation, and to charge Big Tech companies that have streaming video products for the privilege of carrying their channels and networks.

The third financial quarter (Q3) of the year was good from the perspective of advertising growth, but rougher waters could be ahead depending on the political positions taken by President-elect Donald Trump and future members of his administration.

Gray Media and the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) have reached a new deal for select conference hockey games to be available for free, over-the-air on Gray’s television stations and other U.S. broadcast outlets.

The Broadcasters Foundation of America, the only charity exclusively for broadcasters, is kicking off its yearend request for support.

The Ohio Association of Broadcasters said that Chad Budreau officially assumes his role as the association’s new president as of today. He brings over a decade of association leadership experience and a background in broadcasting to his new position.

New light-vehicle sales in November 2024 beat expectations with a monthly SAAR of 16.5 million units, the highest since May 2021.

Gray Television taps him to succeed the retiring Rick Dean as general manager and sales director of its Texas CBS and Fox affiliate.

The ongoing shift in how audiences engage with content — from linear television to streaming, social media, and beyond — presents both an opportunity and a challenge, Kantar Media Chief Marketing Officer John McCarthy notes. “Success will depend on the industry’s ability to not only deliver compelling content but also to accurately measure how, when, and why people engage with it,” he says.

Hoffman has been in the role for the Florida Fox O&O since 2010. He’ll step down in February.

“Despite the current worldwide geo-political instabilities and economic outlook, in 2024 we can see how significant major political and sporting events are for creating positive growth in ad spend," Dentsu Global Practice President - Media Will Swayne said in a statement, referring to the impact of 2024's quadrennial ad-spending boosts.

Hearst picks him to succeed the retiring Jan Wade as head of its Wisconsin ABC affiliate.

Broadcast series, mainly from NBC, accounted for 12.9% of the supply for series available on Peacock in Q3 2024, and 36.1% of the demand. This means demand for broadcast series over-performed supply by a margin of 2.8x.

The initial broadcast, which aired from 8:30 a.m. to noon in all time zones, brought in 23.6 million viewers, more than any other entertainment (i.e., not sports or news) telecast this year — and in the past four years.

Spending on linear television held steady, said Steve Passwaiter, president, Silver Oak Political. No matter where they saw spending and growth, broadcasters were happy about it.

 In a move that the Comcast unit believes will “revolutionize live sports coverage,” NBCUniversal has teamed up with Walmart to launch a new shoppable experiences opportunity that brings unique measurement capabilities to the owner of the Peacock OTT platform, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, and NBC Owned Stations.

With a nod to last week’s Forecast 2025, how to become an enabler when it comes to innovation and new technology served as the focus of a forward-thinking television industry discussion moderated by Pearl TV Managing Director Anne Schelle at the in-person TVB Executive Summit, held Thursday at Hearst Tower in the City of New York.

The Japanese automaker has said it’s reducing global production 20 percent to manage oversupply and ballooning costs. 

Kerry Oslund has been named vice president of AI strategy. Oslund has been vice president of enterprise strategy and business development for Scripps, focused on driving adoption and strategic initiatives around ATSC 3.0 broadcasting technology, datacasting and maximizing the use of spectrum. Oslund is on the Board of Directors for ATSC. In this new Scripps role, he will drive AI strategy with an emphasis on business development.

Darrel Lieze-Adams, vice president and station manager of NBC affiliate WBBH Fort Myers-Naples, Fla., has been promoted to president and general manager. WBBH also provides programming services to Montclair Communications’ ABC affiliate WZVN.

The Media Rating Council, which accredits audience measurement models from such companies as Nielsen, Comscore and VideoAmp, gave a thumbs-up to Nielsen’s plan to incorporate first-party data from streaming outlets into its national TV ratings panel. The “panel plus big data” measurement has the potential — at least for live events — to show that a noticeably higher number of people are watching a given program than the panel-only measure.

For the fifth year in a row on Giving Tuesday, Dec. 3, Hearst CBS affiliate KCCI Des Moines, Iowa, will launch Food Bank of Iowa’s largest annual fundraiser: Hunger-Free Holidays. The all-day telethon will open the month-long campaign that helps Iowans facing food insecurity.

This framework divides households into six segments based on which TV signals they receive. Four of these segments constitute the pay-TV universe, including traditional and virtual providers, representing 59% of TV-accessible households this past spring. The other two segments capture households relying on over-the-air (OTA) and digital-only signals. Notably, the pay-TV segments and OTA comprise the linear TV universe, which ARF says represented 74% of U.S. TV households in spring 2024.

Shapiro reports 56% of Americans use traditional TV on a daily basis, compared with an even 27% of those who use SVOD services and FAST services. The numbers do not add up to 100% due to overlap.

“Advertisers demand performance across channels, which means that sellers need robust automation and advanced tools more than ever before,” said Jim Wilson, Madhive president. “This year’s findings underscore the ongoing pressure on media professionals to optimize campaigns with limited resources and emphasize the importance of technological advancements in sustaining growth.”

“Trust is essential for building connections in today’s media landscape, and brands face the challenge of finding authentic, impactful ways to engage viewers,” said Ann Hailer, president of broadcast at Locality. “Our study shows that localized ads drive higher engagement and trust — tapping into consumer pride and affinity for local is a powerful way for brands to meet their audience where they are.”

The broadcasting veteran is stepping down at the end of the year from Hearst’s Milwaukee ABC affiliate.

He has led teams at some of the largest TV markets in the country through more than four decades of leadership. He joined WISC in 2020 as general manager saying it was always his goal to work at Morgan Murphy Media.

A new TransUnion report suggests dealers may see a brighter holiday season and new year than expected. As some manufacturers increase incentives to drive sales, TransUnion data indicates that consumers’ monthly car payments stabilized in Q3. Although affordability remains challenging, new-car payments rose modestly by 0.3% to $745, while used-car payments dropped from $534 to $526 year-over-year.

With broadcast TV, there are no costly subscriptions or worries about internet speeds—just the pure excitement of the game, delivered reliably in high-definition straight to your screen.

Come December 1, new local leaders will be taking over the reins for Gray Media-owned broadcast television stations in Presque Isle, Me.; Hazard, Ky.; and Topeka, Kan., respectively.

With television households cutting the cord at a rate of approximately 5% each year according to research firm IbisWorld, it seems reasonable that retransmission consent fees — the fees that pay TV providers pay broadcasters for their local signals — would fall at a similar rate, leaving broadcasters with a declining revenue stream. But, at least for the foreseeable future, retransmission consent revenues are expected to remain stable.

Carr said in a statement congratulating Trump on his win that he believed “the FCC will have an important role to play reining in Big Tech, ensuring that broadcasters operate in the public interest, and unleashing economic growth.”

“Darren is the clear choice to be the leader of sales for CMG TV,” said Dan York, CMG’s President/CEO. “He has a deep knowledge of CMG and the industry, he cares about clients and helping them grow their businesses, and he has an innovative and creative approach to generating revenue that will help our sales teams thrive.”

Because viewing is so fragmented, big data helps to provide better scale and overall coverage that panel-based measurement simply can’t achieve on its own. But representative panels can also correct for noise that’s sometimes found in those data sets – so combining both methodologies, the way that Nielsen now does, makes the end result stronger and more accurate.

Broadcasters will take the ball and run with it, if the incoming Republican regime loosens up restrictions on station ownership. The expectations come at a time when most of the 10 publicly traded companies with station groups reported record political revenue during their quarterly earnings calls in the last few weeks.

Through 11 weeks of the college football season, ABC has broadcast 12 of the top 15 most-watched games across all networks. That’s thanks to Disney’s new deal with the SEC, which expanded to 16 teams this year.

The former VP of sales at KTVT-KTXA Dallas will succeed Jeff Burnton who is retiring at the end of the year.

Two-thirds of marketers queried by WARC Research expect business conditions to improve next year. That could have a positive trickle-down effect for broadcast media advertising, giving core ad dollars a potential needed boost in 2025.

Earning the role is Omesh Somaru, and he will assume the role of VP/General Manager of WJAX-TV in Jacksonville, effective January 1, while also taking on oversight of the services provided to Hoffman-owned WFOX-TV.

Facing threats to their business model and relationship with audiences, news organizations need to “defend your ‘why’ while courageously exploring your ‘what’ and your ‘how,’ ” said CBS News and Stations President Wendy McMahon on Tuesday.

Teresa Morgan will take the VP/GM role at WFTS-28, rising from Station Manager and Senior Director of Sales.

Carr remains steadfast that the time to be in local over-the-air TV is now. “Through linear, streaming, and digital platforms, we are reaching audiences in ways we never have before,” he says. “And we’re perfectly positioned to meet the audience, and advertiser demands for more live news and sports.”

Despite ongoing challenges with TV advertising like viewership fragmentation and measurement concerns, brands still gravitate toward the channel, with over $4 billion having been invested by 931 first-time advertisers since 2021. Notably, TV advertising can help drive traffic to websites, especially among first-time investors in the channel, according to research by the Video Advertising Bureau (VAB)

Local newspapers and TV stations are the most trusted news channels in the country, judging by a study from America’s Newspapers, conducted by Coda Ventures.

Post-election certainty can be a powerful motivator for local business owners. It helps the mind shift from a “wait-and see” approach to a proactive one.

The National Retail Federation still sees steady sales growth for the winter holiday season — despite recent economic indicators that paint a different picture, said NRF Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz.

Fox Corp says its inventory for Super Bowl LIX in February is depleted, with spots selling at “record pricing,” including 30-second spots that have fetched north of $7 million, according to Front Office Sports.

New light-vehicle sales in October 2024 started the fourth quarter off strong with a SAAR of 16 million units, according to the National Auto Dealers Association.

Fletcher Heald & Hildreth attorney Seth Williams has his thoughts ahead of a Forecast 2025 panel he’ll be moderating on Wednesday, November 13, in New York.

Donald J. Trump will be the 45th and the 47th President of the United States come Monday, January 20, 2025. What this could mean for broadcasters is monumental, as the Rosenworcel Commission will be coming to an end, along with Democratic control of the upper body of Congress.

When it comes to regulation, broadcasters and telecoms feel their odds are better with a Republican in the White House.

As the TV industry grapples with the measurement problems that have been produced by rapid changes in the way people watch programming, the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) has issued a major new study that reviews the methodological challenges currently facing big data-based, currency-grade measurement providers, and provides guidance on how best to evaluate and address potential issues.

CTS says its Cloud TV “provides a highly flexible and scalable framework to unify live linear TV, FAST Channel, SVOD, AVOD, and TVOD into blended experiences for viewers. CTS’ Cloud TV provides centralized ingest, transcoding, and processing of live and on-demand video; metadata management; content protection and rights enforcement; advanced VideoAI applications; content recommendations; server-side and contextual advertising; commerce and subscription management; content delivery and OTT distribution; advanced analytics and insights; and a managed user experience for playout across connected devices and apps.”

Over the last 105 days, ad analytics firm AdImpact says, all Democrat campaign ad spend totaled $1.37 billion compared to Republicans’ spend of $913.9 million.

Sacramento’s FOX affiliate, today announced the appointment of Leisha Beard as News Director.

“By bringing shoppable TV to The CW’s ACC college football broadcasts, we’re merging the excitement of live sports with cutting-edge technology that enhances fan experiences and creates dynamic, engaging brand opportunities,” said Laura Lamattina, CW vice president, creative director branded entertainment.

The four-time league champion Kansas City Monarchs have partnered with KCTV, Gray Media’s MyNetworkTV affiliate in Kansas City, to broadcast every minor league baseball Monarchs home game on co-owned KSMO (ch. 62.1). Every Monarchs home game in the 2025 season will be free to watch on over-the-air television with no paywall, blackouts or account info required. 

TEGNA’s Dallas-Fort Worth duopoly of WFAA (ABC) and KFAA (independent) today announced that Carolyn Mungo has been named president and general manager, effectively immediately.  

Nexstar Fox affiliate WDAF Kansas City today appointed Molly Hawley as the station’s new sales manager. She starts on Friday, Nov. 1.

The U.S. advertising market posted robust growth for the third consecutive month in September, with a notable 10.1% increase in ad spending compared to the same month last year, according to MediaPost’s analysis of Guideline’s U.S. Ad Market Tracker data.