RBR+TVBR InFOCUS Podcast

In a major ruling announced on June 28 by the Supreme Court of the United States, the power of the executive branch of the federal government in carrying out regulatory policies placed into effect by agencies such as the Federal Communications Commission has been diluted, giving more power to the courts. One day earlier, in another case, the Supreme Court ruled in a matter involving the U.S. Secur...

It has been one year since Adam Symson, President and CEO of The E.W. Scripps Co., explained why he believed a “bold new approach to serving” the broadcast television company’s local communities through a news initiative focused on “strengthening the economic sustainability” of its newsrooms while improving news coverage was needed. The changes were highly noticeable. Some great people lost their...

It has been a tumultuous eight months for the FCC when it comes to Radio. While many in the industry expected AM and FM to be on Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel’s back burner, the frequency and speed of regulations and actions taken concerning radio have led to surprise and concern. While not addressing the most recent movements on AI or the FM duplication rule change, the newest Commissioner — Ann...

On the afternoon of Monday, June 10, the FCC turned back the clock, in a way. In another 3-2 party-line vote pitting Democratic victors against Republican dissenters, the Commission reinstated section 73.3556 of the Commission’s rules (the radio duplication rule) for commercial FM stations. What does this mean for radio broadcasting companies across the U.S.? Why after more than three decades did...

It’s been three weeks since Pio Ferro, the new Senior Vice President of Programming and Content for Meruelo Media, settled in to beautiful downtown Burbank to take on a position that puts him in charge of what comes out of the speakers for four FM radio stations in Southern California. What's Ferro's vision for the stations, that sees him working alongside President/CEO Otto Padrón from eighth-flo...

What makes Colorado Springs morning hosts Woody and Bobby standout air personalities in a world where syndicated wake-up shows and reduction-in-force initiatives due to tough economic realities dominate the headlines? Find out in this fresh InFOCUS Podcast, presented by dot. FM. 

It is now H.R. 8449, and is being championed by House Members Gus Bilirakis and Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone Jr. as part of an effort to get it to the finish line. The new, marked-up "AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act" surfaced earlier this week, and on Thursday a House Innovation, Data, and Commerce Subcommittee markup of three bills included discussion of the legislati...

In 2004, four years after Connoisseur Communications ended seven years of operation with its $258 million sale to Cumulus, Jeff Warshaw launched a second company bearing the Connoisseur name. Today, Connoisseur Media offers advertisers and audiences digital and linear media that's all about being local in three distinct geographic areas — all of them adjacent to some of the nation's biggest market...

A new way to tell stories for journalists seeking the change is at the heart of the E.W. Scripps Company’s Journalism Journey Initiative. To learn more about the job transition platform ahead of a May 15 webinar, initative Program Director Jim Iovino sits in with RBR+TVBR Editor-in-Chief Adam R Jacobson on this podcast, presented by dot. FM.

It was brief, with no questions asked following prepared remarks from an analyst or shareholder. But CEO Bob Pittman and CFO/COO Rich Bressler offered a full analysis of how the nation's No. 1 content creation and production company performed in 2024. The call was held directly opposite the Q1 2024 earnings call for Townsquare Media, and we're pleased to offer Pittman and Bressler's audio comments...

The first quarter performance from Gray Television was just what the doctor ordered on a day when one radio broadcasting company engaged in a 7% reduction-in-force initiative as another AM and FM station owner explained why a shareholder "say on pay" vote that yielded a strong "no" on salaries for its C-Suite leaders was simply advisory, with the salaries getting a rubber stamp from management. In...

In early April, LatiNation Media became the parent brand of LATV, or “Latino Alternative TV.” Andrés Palencia, Chief Executive Officer of LatiNation Media, and President Bruno Ulloa on May 1 delivered an IAB NewFronts presentation at Convene in lower Manhattan, steps from the World Trade Center and Oculus, that offered attendees a fresh new perspective on what LATV has to offer across its multipla...

When it comes to Congressional legislation that would require all vehicle manufacturers in the U.S. to ensure free access to AM radio in every car, truck or van sold across the nation, the head of the Consumer Technology Association has made it clear how his association — owner and producer of the CES conference — feels about the AM Radio for Every Vehicle act. In short, Gary Shapiro opposes the l...

It's a radio station that was made famous for its Top 40 format across the 1960s and 1970s that has aired a News/Talk format since 1982. Today, "77 WABC" is in the midst of a renaissance and earned a 4.0 share in the most recent Nielsen Audio ratings for New York. In this InFOCUS Podcast, presented by dot. FM, Red Apple Media President Chad López shares how growth has come for a reborn legend. The...

Some 61,000 attendees of the 2024 NAB Show are now absorbing all that they learned at the annual conference, which concluded April 10 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Between the chatter at the Encore Lobby Bar and the West Hall's expo booths, there were clear takeaways from this year's affair and all were focused on monetization. From GenAI to keeping AM radio accessible and relevant, much was...

He was a senior correspondent for ABC News and covered the White House during President Obama’s second term from 2012 to 2016. Today he's a member of the news team at The E.W. Scripps Co.'s ABC affiliate in San Diego, KGTV-10.  Jim Avila, back from a health scare that prompted him to "retire," in mid-March hosted a one-night special on Scripps News to mark the end of a two-day series called “48 Ho...

Paul LeFort, head of local TV sales at Nielsen, assumed Television Client Services duties at the start of 2024 with the retirement of Catherine Herkovic. As LeFort settles in to his new role, he spoke with RBR+TVBR Editor-in-Chief Adam R Jacobson to share the latest on how Nielsen helping broadcasters in showing the continued value of UHF/VHF, so that they can continue to woo advertising clients w...

He’s worked in television since 1976, and has been at his current station since 1997. Now, at a yet-to-be-disclosed date this month, Fred Hunter will conclude his career, stepping aside from his role at WBRC-6 in Birmingham. Hunter spoke with RBR+TVBR Editor-in-Chief Adam Jacobson about his career, and the importance of weather to local news and broadcast television — as well as the "citizen journ...

RBR+TVBR's look at the upcoming 2024 NAB Show continues with a conversation with Skyview Networks President/CEO Steve Jones. What excites him about GenAI and its use at broadcast radio? What are the other big conversation topics he's expecting to discuss at the NAB Show? We find out in this InFOCUS Podcast, presented by dot. FM.

In November 2019, Mary DelGrande joined vCreative as its Sr. VP/Sales, ahead of her promotion to Chief Executive Officer. With 30-plus years of experience, including 20 years at Premiere Networks, what excites this CEO of a media workflow software provider serving both Radio and Television as the second quarter of 2024 arrives? DelGrande shares her thoughts and more in this InFOCUS Podcast, presen...

From GenAI to monetizing original digital content, there's much Caroline Beasley, the CEO of Beasley Media Group, is looking forward to at the 2024 NAB Show. In fact, there's a lot of activity at this year's show involving Ms. Beasley and Beasley Media Group executive leadership, including Caroline's appearance on an April 15 panel devoted to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). In this InFOCUS...

There's a lot of excitement on Wall Street and from the broadcasting communities regarding some of the projects Xperi Corp.'s Connected Car business unit, which Joe D'Angelo maintains oversight of. With strong momentum out of the CES conference in January and ahead to the 2024 NAB Show, the DTS AutoStage product, in particular, is poised to have a breakout year. But, what about HD Radio advancemen...

Making radio a more visual media has been the talk of the industry since CES 2024, and with the 2024 NAB Show coming in just weeks, that conversation continues with QUU CEO Steve Newberry. At QUU, the focus has been on making the in-dash audio entertainment system come alive when tuned to a broadcast radio station. In this InFOCUS Podcast, presented by dot. FM, Newberry shares the latest on what's...

What's it like to run radio stations in a marketplace where many on Madison Avenue may be wholly unfamiliar with the region, due to its small market size? In this InFOCUS Podcast, presented by dot. FM, we chat with Chris Hayes, the Operations Manager for what is now called Zimmer Marketing — an agency and radio station owner — in Joplin, Mo., to learn how "Joplin Radio" has changed over his 33 yea...

What's it like to be a broker today? "I think we are in the middle of a cycle," says Eddie Esserman, Managing Director of Media Services Group. "It's very cold but not frozen ... Deals are being done." On the radio side of the media transactions landscape, "neighbors" are getting deals done with each other. Is this a welcome new trend for the industry? What's the outlook for broadcast television s...