Good Morning! Let's Check The Pulse for Wednesday, February 18

Radio Broadcasting

FCC Open Commission Meeting Scheduled for February 18, 2026:  The FCC holds its monthly Open Meeting on this date at its headquarters in Washington, DC. Agenda items directly relevant to radio include a Public Notice proposing eligibility restrictions and a limit (e.g., up to 10 applications per entity) for the upcoming filing window for new noncommercial educational (NCE) reserved-band FM translators. This could expand coverage options for public/NCE FM stations but introduces new application caps to manage processing. Other items focus on spectrum (e.g., 900 MHz band for broadband) and unrelated reforms, but the translator window is a notable opportunity for FM radio extension, especially for educational broadcasters.

Ongoing FCC Regulatory Actions and Ownership Reviews:  Broader FCC work in early-mid February includes potential progress on the 2022 Quadrennial Review of broadcast ownership rules (including radio limits). While no final decision hits exactly on the 18th, the environment suggests continued debate over relaxing or maintaining caps on radio station ownership per market, which could affect consolidation and localism in AM/FM operations.

Media Industry

Ongoing Media Consolidation Buzz: Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount:  Warner Bros. Discovery briefly reopens takeover talks with Paramount Global to review a potential "best and final" offer, amid Netflix granting a waiver for discussions. While the board still backs a Netflix merger, this highlights persistent pressures on legacy media companies facing streaming competition, declining linear TV revenues, and the need for scale in content production and distribution.

Using One Word, Teens Describe News Media: The most striking finding from a November 2025 News Literacy Project (NLP) survey is that an overwhelming 84% of U.S. teens describe today's news media in negative terms, with common words including "biased," "boring," "fake," "crazy," "bad," and "sad." Read More

Advertising and Industry Forecasts Remain Bullish:  Recent updates (from late January/early February) show U.S. ad spending growth projections rising to around +8.8% for 2026, driven by Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) optimism. This supports optimism in digital and connected TV/media sectors, even as traditional broadcast faces headwinds.

U-S News

U.S.-Iran Nuclear Talks Show Progress Amid Tensions: Indirect negotiations in Geneva between the U.S. and Iran continue, with officials from both sides (including Vice President JD Vance) reporting "good progress" or "guiding principles" reached. However, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued threats to sink U.S. warships, and Israeli media expressed skepticism about the talks' success, amid reports that President Trump and advisers may favor military options if diplomacy fails. This remains a high-stakes foreign policy focus.

Partial Government Shutdown Drags On Over DHS Funding and ICE Reforms:  A partial shutdown tied to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) appropriations persists, with Democrats submitting a new counterproposal but little urgency or breakthrough. Debates center on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reforms, border security, and related funding. Congressional hearings and commentary (including from figures like Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi) highlight the impasse, with no quick resolution in sight.

Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics: Day 12 Action:  The ongoing Games in Italy feature key events today, including women's Alpine skiing (with Mikaela Shiffrin in contention for a final medal opportunity), freestyle skiing, snowboarding, and more. Nine gold medals are up for grabs, keeping U.S. audiences engaged in live coverage and results from the international sporting spectacle.