Business

Univision will operate two Florida stations — WVEN and WOTF Orlando — and named executive Eddy Elguezabal the president and general manager of its Orlando and Tampa operations. Univision will also take over operations WMDO-CD Washington.

International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees International President Matthew Loeb said Wednesday that the strike would begin at 12:01 a.m. Monday unless an agreement is reached on rest and meal periods and pay for its lowest-paid workers.

The sales executive will oversee Morgan Murphy Media’s CBS affiliate in Joplin, Mo.-Pittsburg, Kan., beginning Oct. 18.

Automakers spent almost $12 million more this September on national television ads compared to a year ago but impressions were down, according to iSpot.tv. The estimated spend in September 2021 was $239.5 million compared to $227.7 million in September 2020.

Viewers are increasingly ditching broadcast entertainment for streaming, Nielsen is being challenged as the default for metrics and tech giants are siphoning ad dollars once spent on linear television — but that doesn’t mean TV ads are dead.

The growth potential in the nascent market for American sports betting is huge. But for now, operators are still losing money — a lot of it. Sports betting is taking a page from the playbook of tech giants like Netflix, Amazon and Twitter, sacrificing profitability in the early days in the hope of engraining themselves in customers’ lives.

Disney’s strategic move into streaming conflicts with ESPN’s business, which profits handsomely from linear TV. ESPN probably won’t consider a direct-to-consumer service until the pay-TV bundle falls below 50 million U.S. households, according to people familiar with the company’s plans. ESPN’s near-term strategy is to incrementally increase the price of ESPN+, its limited streaming service, and add more content.

The purchase of WJLP and WNWT New York by Weigel Broadcasting tops the latest list of TV station transactions submitted to the FCC for its approval, according to BIA Advisory Services.

Stocks edged lower Tuesday ahead of company earnings and inflation data. The major indexes wavered between small gains and losses for much of the day, before the selling gained momentum in the final minutes of trading. The S&P 500 slipped 0.2% after having been up 0.3% in the early going.

Network affiliates are again pushing the FCC to bring some over-the-top video providers under the retransmission consent regime so they will have to negotiate directly with TV stations for carriage. That push came in comments to the FCC on the agency‘s latest quadrennial review of media ownership regulation.

Mobile advertising is expected to surpass direct mail for the first time as the economy grows and overall spending reaches $161.5B in BIA’s 2022 U.S. Local Advertising Forecast.

After 22 years of existence, Uncommon Goods will debut its first national TV spot this week.

Stock indexes closed lower Friday as jobs data sparked uncertainty. The S&P 500 fell 0.2% after wavering between small gains and losses for much of the day. The modest drop snapped a three-day winning streak for the benchmark index. Even so, it managed a 0.8% gain for the week, less than half of the index’s loss last week.

ATSC 3.0, also known as NextGen TV, promises a huge range of exciting possibilities for TV viewers and multiple new revenue streams for broadcasters. By supplementing traditional video entertainment and information service with a new, efficient datacasting platform, broadcasters of all types stand to increase revenues while transforming their existing spectrum into a vibrant new tool for consumers and businesses alike. The road to implementing this new technology, however, is paved with challenges.

Stocks closed higher Thursday as receding debt fears spurred a rally. The S&P 500 rose 0.8%, its third-straight gain. Nearly 80% of stocks within the benchmark index gained ground.

Scripps picks the former station manager of KPEJ Odessa, Texas, to oversee its CBS affiliate in Nebraska.

More than a year after Ron Meyer was shown the door suddenly at NBCUniversal over an affair, a payout by him and alleged extortion attempt against him, the former vice chairman of the Comcast-owned company has received a payout of his own. In a deal negotiated by Hollywood heavyweight attorney Patricia Glaser, Meyer has landed a settlement in the realm of $20 million.

ViacomCBS said its board of directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.24 per share on both its Class A and Class B Common Stock. The dividend will be payable on Jan. 3, 2022 to stockholders of record at the close of business on Dec. 15, 2021. At the same time, the board also declared a quarterly cash dividend of $1.4375 per share on its 5.75% Series A Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock. The dividend will be payable on Jan. 3, 2022, to stockholders of record at the close of business on Dec. 15, 2021.

MSG Networks announced that it has completed a comprehensive, multi-year renewal of its distribution agreement with Verizon Fios. The new deal ensures Verizon Fios customers will continue to have access to MSG Networks and hundreds of exclusive, live games from the New York Knicks, New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, Buffalo Sabres and New York Red Bulls as part of their Fios TV packages and through MSG GO, the companies said.

Young talent is fleeing local television, feeling overworked, dramatically underpaid and no longer lured by TV’s once-gleaming promise. Executives need to act now to stop the exodus, says an industry talent recruitment and retention expert.

Tegna’s stations were blacked out to Dish TV’s 3 million subscribers Wednesday evening after the two companies were unable to reach a new retransmission deal. The blackout affects Dish customers in 53 markets.

AC Dotdash is acquiring Meredith Corp. in an all-cash deal valued at $2.7 billion, the companies announced Wednesday. Dotdash is the publishing division of Barry Diller’s IAC holding company. Meredith’s wide-ranging portfolio includes publications like People, InStyle and Real Simple. The combined company will be called Dotdash Meredith.

Stocks edged higher Wednesday as Wall Street shook off volatility. The market rallied back from a morning loss shortly after Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell offered Democrats an emergency short-term extension to the federal debt ceiling into December.

Claudia Eller: It will be a downright fiasco if the leadership of Hollywood’s studios, networks and streamers doesn’t do everything in its collective bargaining power to prevent the labor union representing camera operators, editors, production designers, grips and other workers from going out on strike.