RBR+TVBR InFOCUS Podcast

She knew she wanted to get into advertising. What type of advertising? At first, Karolyne Sprague thought it would be in the creative realm. Instead, she went into media. "It was a great place to start my career," says Sprague, today the SVP of Investment at Havas Media.

Sprague on October 27 shared her thoughts on career development, mentorship, and leadership in a conversation with TVB Chief Communications Officer and TVB NEXT Women Executive Director Abby Auerbach, and this InFOCUS Podcast, presented by dot.FM, is pleased to offer excerpts from the latest "NEXT Women: Coffee With ..." series.

Gray Television has certainly made a statement over the last year and a half with its commitment to Telemundo affiliates. How did that come to pass, and did the C-Suite need any education on the growth opportunities that exist in the markets where it seeks to capture Spanish-speaking TV viewers?

That's a question Jason Hall,  who on October 11 was promoted to Vice President of Spanish Media Sales for the GrayTV Telemundo Station Group. In this InFOCUS Podcast, presented by dot.FM, Hall shares insights and learnings on how educating and attracting sales leaders to best take advantage of the opportunities that exist by superserving Spanish speakers can reap benefits and strong ROI for broadcasters.

He also teases some forthcoming digital initiatives in the works from Gray Television.

Scripps News has promoted veteran journalist Brian Donlon to Senior Director of Live News Programming. Donlon, formerly the 24/7 digital television network's Executive Producer of weekday morning live news, will oversee all programming, show production, program development and scheduling for the offering once known as Newsy.

Donlon brings a wealth of experience that includes time at A+E, CNBC and ESPN, among other locales. What's his vision for Scripps News, as it seeks to carve itself a place in an ever-competitive national broadcast news environment? We learn more in this InFOCUS Podcast, presented by dot.fm.

On October 16, Audacy Inc. made a very intriguing move by switching an AM serving Hazleton, Pa., and a FM serving the Scranton-Wilkes Barre area to a Spanish-language format heavy on bachata music popular with Dominicans and Puerto Ricans.

Some may wonder why Audacy made the move, as Northeast Pennsylvania isn’t known as a Latino hotbed among Hispanic marketing and advertising pros. Perhaps Ryan Flynn, SVP/Market Manager for Audacy in Wilkes Barre-Scranton, knows better. He's a lifelong resident of the region, and shares the launch of “La Mega 102.3 FM” with RBR+TVBR Editor-in-Chief Adam R Jacobson in this InFOCUS Podcast, presented by dot.FM.

On October 6, Metro Video Productions of Lima, Ohio, officially became the owner of a low-powered television station in the small Northwest Ohio city of Defiance. Today, Phipps is committed to serving the local community with programming focused on this community between Toledo and Fort Wayne, Ind.

To learn more about how Phipps is accomplishing this, RBR+TVBR Editor-in-Chief Adam R Jacobson welcomes him to the InFOCUS Podcast, presented by dot.FM.

This was the week that was in Washington, D.C.: the death of Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), the FCC being told by a Federal court it has 90 days to complete its 2018 quadrennial review of its ownership rules, a government shutdown averted as two FCC Commissioners unanimously won new terms from Senators, a growing battle over "net neutrality," and the unprecedented ouster of Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).

What does all of this mean to broadcast media leaders and their regulatory needs? RBR+TVBR Editor-in-Chief Adam R Jacobson speaks with Foster Garvey attorney Brad Deutsch to get an update on everything Inside the Beltway that truly matters to Radio and TV — such as the future of the "Top Four Rule," a power boost for HD Radio, and whether or not "ZoneCasting" gets off the ground. 

Deutsch sums up everything on Capitol Hill and at the FCC in under 30 minutes in this InFOCUS Podcast, presented by dot.fm.

Brian Weiss, the Vice President of Entertainment Programming and Multicast Networks at TEGNA, joins RBR+TVBR Editor-in-Chief Adam R Jacobson from Atlanta on this edition of the InFOCUS Podcast, presented by dot.FM, to share details on the continued growth of the company’s “Daily Blast Live” program, which is entering its seventh season, and other projects that he’s squarely focused on for growth.




What has allowed "Daily Blast Live" to become a standout daytime offering for TEGNA?

Could it be said that daytime is the new “prime-time” for broadcast television, and programs like this are emblematic of the future of free-to-air broadcast channels?

This idea that local market media companies are the experts when it comes to local advertisers — has that only been fortified by the growth of digital multicast networks such as the three Weiss oversees, Quest, Twist and True Crime Network?

Weiss answers these questions while also sharing more on a non-work activity he's involved with — Honeymoon Israel. Listen to this podcast now!

The reclassification of broadband under Title II is one of the divisive FCC regulatory policy matters of the last decade. It was authorized under the leadership of former Chairman Tom Wheeler, and later erased by ex-Chairman Ajit Pai.

On Tuesday, empowered with an all-important third Democratic vote, Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel revealed that she's introducing a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that is being circulated among the Commissioners for consideration. This would open up for public input whether or not "net neutrality" is something the Commission should bring back.

Rosenworcel formally announced the NPRM at a National Press Club event. This InFOCUS Podcast, presented by dot.FM, offers comments directly from Rosenworcel on the plan to make "net neutrality" happen once again.

Across the next 13 months, political ad spend will be huge, based on study after study being released of late. While this is a welcome boost for radio and television broadcasting companies, what will the likely impact local media advertisers be?

To learn more, RBR+TVBR Editor-in-Chief Adam Jacobson catches up with Frequence Chief Executive Officer Tom Cheli. He shares the latest on why omnichannel advertising is more essential than ever for local advertisers, and how broadcast media can further evolve their digital strategies to cater to these SMBs in their area of service.

Listen to the conversation now in this InFOCUS Podcast, presented by dot.FM.

As MundoNow CEO Rene Alegria sees it, the new MundoNow Project is designed to bring together Hispanic users across the internet "that reflect today’s Latino identity, better monetize partner sites with digital assets, and bring authentic reach and scale to brands in the process."

Does this suggest that Spanish-language digital and linear media are doing a poor job of offering content that reflects the Hispanic consumer's consumption habits, and perhaps does not appeal to the diverse Latino populace across the U.S.?

That's one of the questions RBR+TVBR Editor-in-Chief Adam R Jacobson asks Alegria in the latest InFOCUS Podcast, presented by dot.FM.