Adam MadMan

Here's an odd bit of irony: iSpot says that while prime time is in the gutter, daytime TV, including syndication, is actually growing in terms of ad impressions and share of linear impressions.

Considering the sorry state of the Bally Sports networks, which air the Tampa Bay Rays and Lightning, I can imagine Nexstar hovering around like vultures hoping to get those rights if/when Diamond is forced to drop those, assuming CBS and WTOG don't beat them to it.

I think he was referring to the logo at the end. A pretty generic logo IMO, but that's apparently what they're going for this September. I expect the logos for the other seven stations to look more or less the same.

And the judge shot the Suns-Gray deal down. For now.

Given this little bit in the article... ...it sounds like a matter of when, not if. That said, when might not be for a while; KFMB's affiliation agreement doesn't end until 2026 according to files on the FCC's website.

Probably not. CBS is dropping The CW from their stations to wipe their hands of the network for good, and to potentially get local sports rights. WSBK and WBFS dropping MyNetworkTV, on the other hand, was just them dropping a network that really isn't anymore (if it ever was in the first place).

I don't know about anyone else's CW stations, but I do know that WWLP's CW subchannel is carried on Hulu.

Looks like you were right about that one:

Assuming the Soo Kim will even be allowed to buy them, after all the crap he's pulled trying to buy Tegna.

I guess the fool was on @DetroitTVNews.

Apparently, nobody's been watching TrueReal, because Scripps is shutting that network down and merging its programing with Defy TV. The spectrum (at least on Ion/Inyo/Scripps stations) will be leased to Jewelry TV.

Honestly, even if Apple or some other streamer gets the rights, I'm not sure that would completely close the door on Scripps or another linear broadcaster getting the rights. After all, Apple's deal with the MLS allowed for a linear window, which Fox was happy to jump onto. Even Thursday Night Football runs on OTA in markets where the featured teams are subject to blackout rules. With people tightening their wallets over fears of a recession, there's certainly room for at least some major sports to air for free, even if it's more of a gateway drug for a subscription service or RSN (which seems to be the case with most sports on OTA in recent years) than anything else. After all, the RSNs are in freefall, and Pac-12 royally screwed up the handling of their own network, so there's likely to be a mix of income sources as the teams and leagues figure out how to navigate the new realities of TV.

YouTube has signed a deal with Scripps to carry Ion, Bounce, and Scripps News on YouTube TV, which already carries Court TV, with options to add Ion Mystery, Grit, and Laff as well. Also, with YouTube planning a FAST (free ad-supported streaming television) component, Scripps existing FAST networks, which include Ion Plus, the news channels, and special feeds of Bounce and Grit, are expected to be a part of that service as well.

Here's another thing: producers, even those co-owned with the linear networks, have been moving their best/most experimental/biggest budgeted shows to streaming-only, mostly leaving the broadcast and cable channels with their scraps. Even then, the vast majority of those scraps are put on streaming services the next day, disincentivizing viewers from watching it live. It's pretty telling that Yellowstone, which doesn't stream, free or otherwise, until a few months later outside of an authenticated TV app, is one of the only scripted shows to get any significant live ratings in recent years

Nexstar recently signed a deal to air LA Clippers games on their stations in Southern California, and implied that they might try to do the same in other NBA/MLB/NHL markets. I guess Scripps was paying attention. Granted, Scripps itself has said that they're not jumping into big national deals from the get-go, but even the smaller leagues could be a boost for their stations, Ion and non-Ion, given how the Big 4's respective corporate owners have been moving all of their biggest shows to streaming for some time, to say nothing of the effective audience cannibalization of their lineups by Hulu and the like.

In other Sinclair news, they're considering launching another diginet due to growing ratings for their existing ones. (Well, Comet, Charge, and TBD are growing; Stadium looks more or less dead in the water AFAIK)

Broadcasting + Cable just posted an interesting guest article that basically says what most of us are thinking: the retransmission consent law is in desperate need of a reform.

The ghost of KidsClick continues to haunt Sinclair years later: The FCC is planning a massive fine of over $3 million over Hot Wheels commercials played during the block.

Another group, Advocating for Women in Tech, has backed the Standard General deal.

Leno was just an attempt to cheap out while keeping the timeslot. This sounds more like a scorched earth strategy, and one that's a million times more attractive to the affiliates.

Since Nielsen has dropped its TV Station Index, the FCC is looking for another way to figure out where a given station's DMA is.

Who's doing their business planning, underpants gnomes? I got confused when I saw the name on the list. When I went for Google, it just sent me to radio.com, the website of Audacy (formerly Entercom). I had to put in the actual URL to get the right page. Needless to say, I don't expect them to win either.

Sinclair's Comet diginet ran a Planet of the Apes movie marathon last weekend, and somehow got 1.5 million average views on it. I'm not sure how exactly they're counting those numbers (I've noticed Litton pulling some monkey business with their Saturday morning E/I fare, adding up the total viewers of all the shows rather than an average), but whatever the case, Sinclair's not passing up the opportunity to brag.

*takes close look at photo* Yes! He is coming to my market! (note the 22 News mic flag) Always nice to have my area acknowledged, even if it is an obvious corporate mandate. Yeah, yeah, I'm a sucker for cheap heat...

It didn't work for Sinclair, why would it work for Appollo?