Scripps is working with Amazon Advertising to sell Amazon over-the-top inventory across IMDb TV, Twitch, network and broadcaster apps, and Amazon’s news apps to local businesses, it said Tuesday. Scripps launched Octane OTT in 2019 as a platform for local advertisers to reach cord cutters and cord nevers via streaming services. Scripps recently rolled out Octane Verify, an integrated linear and OTT attribution solution.

The FCC Media Bureau approved three TV channel swaps, per orders in Monday’s Daily Digest. WLUK Licensee’s WLUK-TV Green Bay, Wisconsin, will switch from Channel 12 to Channel 18, Gray Television's KCRG-TV Cedar Rapids from 9 to 32, and WFXL Licensee’s WFXL Albany, Georgia, from 12 to 29. MB will seek comment on WGEM Licensee’s request to swap to channel 19 from 10 for WGEM-TV Quincy, Illinois, an NPRM said.

Two Gray Television channel swaps take effect Friday, says that day's Federal Register. KFVS-TV Cape Girardeau, Missouri, will switch from 11 to 32, and WRDW-TV Augusta, Georgia, will move from 12 to 27.

Channel 6 low-power TV broadcasters face “financial and logistical pressure” from the coming July 13 deadline for LPTV stations to go digital and FCC silence on an LP-6 proposal based on ATSC 3.0, said LP-6 broadcaster George Flinn in a filing posted Thursday to docket 03-185. The deadline appears to require the channel 6 stations cease analog audio broadcasts -- receivable on FM radios -- that are their primary content, and stations propose offering the radio signal as an ancillary service and broadcasting video over ATSC 3.0 (see 2104300063). It isn’t clear if that idea will be acceptable to the Media Bureau. “Time is truly of the essence since FCC guidance is critical to the build-out path that must be taken (and the financial outlay which must be incurred),” Flinn said: The matter should get "expedited consideration.”

FCC Administrative Law Judge Jane Halprin partially denied an Enforcement Bureau motion to compel Auburn Network and owner Michael Hubbard to produce certain documents as part of Auburn’s license hearing, said an order in docket 21-20 in Thursday’s Daily Digest. The hearing concerns Hubbard’s fitness to hold a license after he was convicted of six felonies for corrupt acts as speaker of the Alabama House (see 2102110005). EB asked the ALJ to force Hubbard to provide documents about the 23 felonies Hubbard was originally charged with, but Hubbard argued the non-convictions aren’t material. “The inquiry in this hearing proceeding does not extend to conduct beyond the six felonies for which Mr. Hubbard stands convicted,” ruled the ALJ. “Information regarding those charges for which Mr. Hubbard was not convicted or for which the conviction was overturned on appeal are not within the scope.” The ALJ agreed with the EB that Hubbard must provide the bureau with publicly available documents, and all documents about the six felonies that don’t fall under attorney client privilege. With the response likely to be large, Halprin extended the deadline to produce the documents from 10 to 60 days.

Comments are due June 11, replies June 28, on channel change requests, says Wednesday's Federal Register. Sinclair wants to swap 7 to 15 for KRCR-TV Redding, California, and KTVL Licensee wants to change 10 to 16 for KTVL Medford, Oregon.

The FCC Media Bureau listed seven radio station licenses in Kansas, Nebraska and Oklahoma that expire June 1 unless renewals are filed by then. Their applications were originally due Feb. 1, Monday's public notice said.

The FCC should immediately reject last week’s complaint from the Maryland Office of the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City calling for an investigation into the news content of Sinclair's WBFF Baltimore, said Commissioner Brendan Carr Monday. “The FCC should make clear that it will not operate” as the Democratic National Committee’s “speech police,” said Carr. The complaint by the Baltimore City State’s Attorney Communications Director Zy Richardson calls on the FCC to investigate WBFF over its coverage of State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby, which Richardson said could incite racist violence: “They have become a megaphone that amplifies, encourages, and provides fodder for racists, throughout the city and beyond, to continue sending hate mail and death threats.” While WBFF understands "it’s not always popular with the individuals and institutions upon which we are shining a light, we stand by our reporting,” said General Manager Billy Robbins in a statement. Carr said it's “particularly troubling that a public official would work to silence reporters that are investigating her work at a time when federal prosecutors have already opened a criminal investigation into her activities.” He linked the complaint letter to other recent attempts by Democratic officials to lobby the FCC to take action against media outlets (see 2104200077). An FCC official told us that a week would be an unusually accelerated turnaround time for the agency to respond to a complaint of this nature. The agency has historically not acted on complaints about broadcaster content outside of indecency rules. “The Commission carefully reviews all communications sent to the agency, from formal filings to informal consumer complaints,” emailed a spokesperson. “We’re reviewing the Baltimore State Attorney General’s recent letter. The acting Chairwoman is clear about her support of the First Amendment and believes freedom of the press is a cornerstone of our democracy.”

Preliminary vote counts indicate Tegna shareholders have “overwhelmingly” re-elected all 12 directors at the annual meeting, it said Friday. Standard General, the shareholder behind an effort to replace three board members including Tegna CEO Dave Lougee and Chairman Howard Elias (see 2105060069), didn’t comment.

The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reissued (on Pacer) the mandate for the court’s Prometheus IV. The Supreme Court ruled in the FCC's favor in April (see 2104010067). “This Court’s prior opinion and amended judgment are hereby VACATED. This Court and panel do not retain jurisdiction,” the 3rd Circuit said Friday. The reissue is largely pro forma and rules restored by the SCOTUS decision are already back in effect, said Benton Institute for Broadband & Society Senior Counselor Andrew Schwartzman, who represented public interest groups here. The FCC cites reinstatement of the eligible entity definition and its effect on a specific auction rule (see 2104270078).