In the Vicinity

Local news still matters to viewers. But as audiences move beyond traditional TV, how can local stations make sure their reporting reaches them? In this episode of In the Vicinity , Tim Hanlon is joined by Brian Ring , founder of Ring Digital , to unpack findings from his latest Future of TV Live report. They explore local news' reliance on pay TV, the opportunity for FAST and social platforms, an...

In episode 30 of In the Vicinity , Tim Hanlon sits down with Tim Franklin and John Volk of Northwestern University's Medill Local News Initiative to unpack the findings from the latest State of Local News Report. They look at how station consolidation is reducing competition and original reporting, why local TV has struggled to make the digital transition, and what disappearing newspapers mean for...

Brenda Hetrick , president of Matrix Solutions, joins Tim Hanlon on episode 29 of In the Vicinity to explain why siloed technology and outdated incentives are holding local ad sales teams back, how political spending can mask those inefficiencies, and why sellers must move from pushing inventory to solving advertisers' business problems.

Madhive CEO Jim Wilson is back this week on In the Vicinity . Jim sits down with Tim Hanlon to explain why CTV has emerged as a powerful local performance channel, how AI, and ZIP-level intelligence are changing campaign optimization, and why streaming audio and digital out-of-home could be next.

In Episode 27 of In the Vicinity , Tim Hanlon dives solo into the stories reshaping local media—from shrinking newsroom employment and Local Now's growing FAST footprint to KPRC Houston's bold reinvention of the nightly newscast. Plus, why a 20-year-old comedy rerun beat late-night competitors, how Amazon and DAZN are emerging as replacements for regional sports networks, and why WPLG's free strea...

eMarketer Senior Analyst Ross Benes joins Tim Hanlon to explore why football continues to defy television's broader shift toward streaming, how local advertisers benefit from the NFL's massive reach, and why moving too aggressively behind a paywall could weaken even the strongest sports leagues.

Local media remains a $185 billion market—but the way that money is spent, sold and measured is changing fast. BIA Advisory Services Managing Director Rick Ducey joins Tim Hanlon in episode 25 of In the Vicinity to explore how local television, CTV, streaming audio, social video and retail media are reshaping the competitive landscape.

In this episode of In the Vicinity , Tim Hanlon sits down with the President and Owner of Lakes Media Tom Birch to explore the realities of running six small-market radio stations across southern Virginia and northern North Carolina — and why relationships and results still matter more than sophisticated audience data in markets where traditional measurement often falls short.

In Episode 23 of In the Vicinity , Tim Hanlon sits down with former E.W. Scripps executive and Media Inno Managing Partner Tom Sly to examine Scripps' efforts to rethink local news around a streaming-first, consumer-centric model and why he believes the industry can no longer afford to operate the way it has.

In Episode 22 of In the Vicinity , Tim Hanlon is joined by Aaron Brown, Chief Innovation Officer at Madhive, for a deep dive into how AI is transforming local advertising. Brown explains why local media generates thousands of subtle signals that traditional technology has struggled to connect, and how Madhive's AI-powered Maverick platform is uncovering patterns that help advertisers reach the rig...

The FCC has voted to eliminate the decades-old national TV broadcast ownership cap, opening the door to a new wave of consolidation across local television. But will bigger station groups actually strengthen local journalism—or simply centralize it? In Episode 21 of In the Vicinity, Tim Hanlon sits down with TVND founder and former news executive Kirk Varner to unpack one of the most consequential...

The FCC is preparing to reshape one of the biggest rules governing local television ownership. But will allowing broadcasters to own more stations actually solve the industry's biggest challenges—or simply buy more time? In episode 20 of In the Vicinity, Tim Hanlon and Madhive CEO Jim Wilson examine what the proposed FCC ownership changes could mean for local broadcasters, why scale alone isn't en...

Commercial broadcasters spend a lot of time talking about the future of local media. But what if one of the best blueprints is already hiding in plain sight? On Episode 19 of In the Vicinity, Tim Hanlon sits down with Christy Tanner, President and CEO of New York Public Radio, to discuss why the industry's future isn't about protecting legacy platforms — it's about building stronger connections wi...

The rules of local television are changing fast—and not necessarily for the better. On this solo episode of In the Vicinity, Tim Hanlon breaks down two of the biggest stories reshaping the future of local media. First, he examines the FCC's proposed elimination of the 39% broadcast ownership cap and asks whether more consolidation will truly strengthen local journalism—or simply accelerate the ind...

The World Cup is the biggest event in sports—but for local advertisers, getting into the game is anything but straightforward. On this episode of In the Vicinity, Tim Hanlon welcomes back Madhive VP of Inventory Partnerships & Operations Anthony Campanella to unpack the complex local media dynamics behind the 2026 FIFA World Cup. They explain why premium live sports inventory is becoming harder to...

For years, addressable advertising has been one of broadcast television's biggest "what ifs." The technology existed, but the economics, infrastructure and industry relationships never quite aligned. That may finally be changing. On this episode of In the Vicinity, Tim Hanlon sits down with Hearst Television's VP of Distribution John Robertson and Viamedia President & Chief Strategy Officer Evan R...

Fox's proposed acquisition of Roku. Walmart's purchase of Vibe. The TV operating system is quickly becoming the next battleground for local media—and broadcasters can't afford to ignore it. This week, Tim Hanlon is joined by TVREV's Mike Gasbara to unpack why the biggest stories in television are no longer just about streaming. They explore how TV operating systems are evolving into commerce platf...

For decades, local media owned local advertising. Today, location data and digital targeting are changing the rules. On Episode 14 of In the Vicinity, Tim Hanlon welcomes Luke Stillman, Managing Director at Madison & Wall, to discuss why location data has become a scale advantage, how Google, Meta, Amazon, and streaming platforms are siphoning dollars away from traditional local media, and why bro...

Political advertising has long been a crucial revenue source for local media. But according to AdImpact's Updated Political Projections Report, the 2026 midterms are now on track to generate even more ad spending than the 2024 presidential election cycle. On this episode of In the Vicinity, Tim Hanlon sits down with AdImpact CEO Kyle Roberts to unpack the report's findings, including why political...

The media world used to revolve around a handful of shared experiences. Today, audiences live in thousands of personalized bubbles. On this episode of In the Vicinity, Tim Hanlon is joined by TVREV Co-Founder and Senior Analyst Alan Wolk to explore his emerging theory of "feudal media"—a fragmented landscape where YouTube, TikTok, Substack, streaming services, and AI-driven recommendations are rep...

This week on In the Vicinity , Tim Hanlon and Madhive CEO Jim Wilson explore how AI is transforming local media — from campaign planning and audience targeting to creative generation and omni-channel advertising sales. The conversation also dives into the future of broadcasters as full-service local media companies, the rise of AI-powered campaign optimization, and what CBS ending The Late Show wi...

This week on In the Vicinity, local media veteran Tim Hanlon is joined by guest Jason Damata, Founder & CEO of Fabric Media and the driving force behind TVREV, for a wide-ranging conversation about the unraveling of traditional broadcast media — and what might come next. From the shutdown of CBS Radio News after nearly 100 years to the end of Stephen Colbert's Late Show, Tim and Jason unpack what...

This week on In the Vicinity, Tim Hanlon goes solo to unpack what the latest broadcast TV earnings reports are really signaling about the future of local media. From Scripps' aggressive sports-and-streaming push to Sinclair's ATSC 3.0 ambitions, Gray's hyper-local strategy, and Nexstar's focus on maximizing retrans and scale, Tim explores the very different paths broadcasters are taking as the tra...

What happens when the RSN model starts to fall apart? In this episode of In the Vicinity , local media veteran Tim Hanlon sits down with guest host Anthony Campanella, VP, Inventory Partnerships & Operations, Madhive, to break down the chaos — and opportunity — reshaping local sports. From disappearing regional sports networks to the rise of streaming and patchwork distribution, they unpack how le...

A trip to NAB reveals an industry that's more optimistic—and more self-aware—than you might expect. In Episode 7 of In the Vicinity, local media veterans Tim Hanlon and Jim Wilson break down the real conversations happening across local media right now—from the push to simplify fragmented ad tech stacks to the ongoing challenge of training sales teams to confidently sell across linear, digital, an...