Radio+Television Business Report

New data showcasing the United States’ largest radio market demonstrates how influential broadcast radio is to the automotive industry — even in a metropolitan area where mass transit and ride-share services are often the common mode of transportation.

S&P Global Ratings has assigned a series of issue-level ratings and recovery ratings in response to a "liquidity enhancing" deal Sinclair Inc. announced earlier this month. And, the credit watchdog largely believes the publicly traded company is doing the right thing.

An emu can't fly, but Liberty Mutual Insurance is soaring ahead in the ever-competitive auto insurance specialist category when it comes to advertising activity at Spot Cable. That's the latest takeaway from the Media Monitors Spot Ten Cable report for the week ending January 26, 2025.

The audio media company focused on the U.S. Hispanic consumer founded by José Villafañe has hired an individual who most recently served as President/CEO of Hispanic digital media brand MundoNow as its Chief Innovation Officer.

He's been heralded as "an industry change-maker and strategic operator." Now, this individual is in the role of Chief Data and Analytics Officer and Head of Measurement at Comscore.

Nielsen, the audience measurement, data and analytics Goliath, has reached a new multi-year renewal agreement with the radio and television licensee under majority control of Apollo Global Management.

The owner of radio stations in Kansas City and Pittsburgh has agreed to a digital advertising partnership with publicly traded Townsquare Media. Details of the arrangement were distributed early Monday.

Live graphics specialist Singular.live has forged a partnership with a digital video platform created to power "TV Everywhere" and OTT offerings for broadcasters and media companies for both live streaming and video-on-demand. The arrangement brings broadcast quality graphics to Akta's FLEX channel playout in the cloud.

Winning new business from a forthcoming private FM licensing initiative across India will be a critical business growth focus for an individual whose resume includes stops at AJA Video Systems and Imagine Communications.

Radio continues to dominate ad-supported audio listening, whether at work, home, or in the car - even among Millennials and Gen Z. Edison Research's full Share of Ear results for 2024 show nearly 90% of ad-supported in-car audio listening belongs to AM/FM.

As the week began, the Byron Allen-controlled AMG heralded a "groundbreaking" initiative and "innovative partnership" that would have yielded production of all local newscasts' weather segments to The Weather Channel. It now appears that widespread criticism of the plan has led to a rescission in at least two DMAs.

A Class A FM radio station offering R&B and "Old School" to listeners in Central Texas is about to change hands, as paperwork has been filed with the FCC seeking the approval of a sale agreed to on Monday.

"We believe that linear TV's decline in the U.S. is irreversible," Naveen Sarma, U.S. Media and Entertainment Managing Director for S&P Global Ratings. Here's the good news: "There is no immediate cliff," Sarma said.

Have you ever told a joke and forgot the punchline? It happened recently to public speaking coach and veteran public relations executive Rosemary Ravinal. "I felt so awkward and awful that I must use it as a learning moment," she says, turning a lemon into lemonade with this column.

Media and advertising technology company Entravision, which maintains a broadcast radio and television station stable focused on the U.S. Hispanic community, has named a new SVP/GSM for its Los Angeles-area properties. 

“I am grateful that these talented professionals have agreed to step in and serve the FCC in these important roles," FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said in announcing the appointments. "I look forward to working with them as we advance the Commission’s agenda and deliver great results for the American people.”

He started working at this San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose TV station as the weekend meteorologist in 1992, after stints at KPIX-5; KFTY-50 in Santa Rosa, Calif.; and at KRON-4 during the late 1980s, when it was an NBC affiliate. Now, a 33-year tenure at KTVU-2 is coming to an end for meteorologist Bill Martin.

Candidates can now target specific voting districts, while stations can offer zone-specific Lowest Unit Rates. The system works with existing FM receivers, and GeoBroadcast Solutions is currently rolling out this technology across multiple markets. This marks a significant advancement in radio broadcasting's targeting capabilities. **SPONSORED CONTENT**

On Wednesday, the newly elected Governor of Indiana signed Executive Orders focused on investing in a "healthier Indiana." That's caused alarm among broadcasters across Indiana, as important advertising revenue has all been put to a stop for radio and TV stations from Gary to Clarksville and everywhere in between.

How will the final three months of 2024 fare for Sinclair Inc., the broadcast TV station licensee that is shepherding the transition to ATSC 3.0 and is also the parent of companies ranging from Dielectric to Main Street Sports Group, parent of the FanDuel-branded regional sports network operation? All will find out on February 26.