Auto Dealers Swamped in March Tariff Stampede

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.

KPRC 2 GM Phil Lane is Retiring

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

Strategic Selling vs. Marketing Malpractice

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?”

WISH & WNDY To Broadcast Indy Eleven USL Games Again

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.

Grimes Rises to Hearst Television EVP 

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. 

It’s Official: Trump Orders Tariffs 

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.

Another Strong Week for Pharma at Spot TV

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.

Padres and Diamondbacks on Free TV 

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.

Network TV Is Dead. Long Live Local TV

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.

Women’s Sports TV Ads More Than Double In 2024 – To $244M 

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).

Broadcasters Travel Down Different Paths to IP Migration 

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.

Ad Growth Forecast Cut Again: Economic Uncertainty

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.