Graham Holdings agreed to sell its Megaphone podcast hosting and ad-insertion company to Spotify for $235 million, it said Tuesday. At the end of Q3, Spotify had 1.9 million podcasts on the platform, up from over 1.5 million in Q2, said an October shareholder letter. Twenty-two percent of Spotify’s monthly active users engaged with podcast content last quarter, up 21% sequentially. Megaphone provides hosting and ad-insertion capabilities for publishers and targeted ad sales for brand partners.
Broadcasters show “near unanimity” in support of a Gray Television proposal for alternative ways that broadcasters can demonstrate their stations are significantly viewed, said Gray in calls Thursday with FCC Chief of Staff Matthew Berry and General Counsel Tom Johnson, said an ex parte filing posted in docket 20-73 Tuesday. Hubbard Broadcasting has said Gray’s proposal to use Longley-Rice signal reach data in lieu of Nielsen viewership numbers isn’t in the public interest (see 2005150062). An FCC NPRM on the plan was widely supported but also got resistance from Nielsen, AT&T, Dish and NCTA. “Gray’s interpretation of the statute is consistent with its views that all MVPDs should and will continue to be treated equally under Gray’s proposal,” the ex parte filing said.
NAB wants the FCC to clarify that among broadcasters working together to host one another’s signals during the ATSC 3.0 transition, “the licensee who originated the programming, rather than the licensee whose facilities are being used to distribute the programming, is responsible for the programming,” said a petition for declaratory ruling and petition for rulemaking posted in docket 16-142 Monday. The FCC should make clear that “its existing regulatory framework for the hosting of simulcast primary programming streams also applies to simulcast multicast streams,” NAB said. NAB also pushed the agency to act expeditiously on a pending NPRM on distributed transmission systems, said an ex parte filing posted Monday in the same docket on a call Thursday with Media Bureau staff. “Certainty regarding this additional flexibility will help broadcasters finalize plans for additional ATSC 3.0 deployments in the coming year,” the filing said.
Petitions to deny E.W. Scripps’ proposed buy of Ion are due Dec. 7, said an FCC Media Bureau public notice Friday. The $2.65 billion deal is expected to be approved but could hit snags over spinoffs (see 2011050024). Oppositions are due Dec. 22, replies Dec. 29.
Tegna completed an update of its TV stations’ over-the-top streaming apps on Roku, it said Thursday, and will launch streaming apps for Amazon Fire TV by year-end: The stations’ programming will be available on OTT streaming media players reaching 70% of the U.S. market. Tegna’s free OTT station apps offer ad-supported access to live news, the most recent news broadcasts, breaking news and weather forecasts, plus Verify fact-checking reports and its live entertainment program. A “Watch” feature was launched on stations’ websites and mobile apps to create a unified video consumption experience, it said.
The FCC Media Bureau granted iHeart’s request for a declaratory ruling allowing it to be over 25% foreign owned (see 2002250040), with conditions requested by DOJ and agreed to by the company, said an order Thursday. The radio group sought the ruling after learning its bankruptcy reorganization and the purchase of iHeart shareholder Oppenheimer by Bermuda-based company Invesco mean iHeart is 70% foreign owned. Under terms requested by DOJ, iHeart will maintain a security officer who is a U.S. citizen and resident, protect personally identifiable information and geolocation data, give Justice notice of changes to its business, and annually report on compliance.
Applications for assignment and transfer of control of broadcast station licenses and construction permits will be available in the licensing and management system starting Nov. 18, said a public notice in Tuesday’s Daily Digest. It's part of FCC efforts to replace the consolidated database system with the LMS, the PN said. When the effort was first announced in 2014, it was planned to have been completed by 2016 (see 1410060028).
FCC updates of low-power FM technical rules and noncommercial educational and LPFM window procedures took effect Oct. 30, said two public notices (see here and here) in Monday’s Daily Digest. The technical rule changes, approved in April, increased flexibility for transmitter siting and antenna type (see 2004220065). The license rules, OK'd in December, updated the application process and procedures for resolving mutually exclusive applications (see 1912110057).
The Pearl TV-led consumer-facing website WatchNextGenTV.com went live Friday to promote ATSC 3.0 technology and services to the public (see 2010260022). “The future of television has arrived,” trumpets the site. “Immerse yourself in stunning video with brilliant color, sharper images and deeper contrast that will make you feel like you’re really there.” The site lists 11 TV markets where 3.0 service is “on the air,” with 11 more “coming in 2020.” It lists 75 markets where 3.0 services are “coming in 2021.” A link to the Sony page features eight TV models with 3.0 functionality, including four derivative models sold exclusively through Costco.
The remainder of the FCC’s changes to the broadcast public notice rules took effect Friday, said a public notice the same day. The non-paperwork-reduction act portions of the rule took effect in July (see Ref:2006170062]). The changes allow broadcasters to satisfy notice requirements with online announcements instead of newspaper ads. Broadcasters with pending applications should follow the notice rules in effect when the FCC accepted their application for filing, so applications accepted before Friday should be announced in accordance with the prior rules, the PN said.