Radio Broadcasting
Cap Relief Pending for Radio: The FCC is poised to eliminate the decades-old 39% national television ownership cap, replacing it with a case-by-case review process — a move that has radio broadcasters asking whether similar relief for AM and FM stations could soon follow.
Podcast Audio Dominates: New Nielsen data confirms that audio remains the dominant way Americans consume podcasts, even as video options grow, with 90% of monthly podcast users choosing to listen compared to 62% who watch.
Radio Listening Declines In Europe: The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has published its latest Audience Trends: Radio report, revealing that radio still reaches the vast majority of Europeans each week, yet both reach and listening time have continued to erode over the past five years.
Media Industry
TRO Ruling Expected: A U.S. District Judge held an ~80-minute hearing on Friday regarding a request from a coalition of 12 state attorneys general (led by California's Rob Bonta) for a temporary restraining order (TRO). She is expected to make a ruling by Wednesday, July 22/
NYTimes Wins Victory: The New York Times won a temporary victory Thursday when a federal judge postponed a Trump administration effort to compel three of its reporters to testify before a grand jury about their confidential sources.
Lawmakers Skeptical: A group of congressional Democrats is calling on the U.S. Department of Justice to rigorously scrutinize Fox Corporation’s proposed $22 billion acquisition of Roku, citing risks to consumer choice and potential undue influence over a major streaming platform.
U-S News
Third American Dead: The Pentagon said on Sunday that a third member of the American military had died during a weekend of intense exchanges of attacks with Iran, as the war escalated and the United States began sending more warplanes to the Middle East.
Air Force One Retrofit: President Trump said on Sunday that the Boeing luxury jet donated by Qatar that he recently took overseas would soon be “maxed out,” suggesting it could get additional defensive capabilities to match the standards of the older jets used for presidential travel.
Tropical Depression Forms: A tropical depression has formed along the Gulf Coast off Florida, according to the National Hurricane Center, as an area of low pressure becomes more defined and thunderstorms and rain increase. The hurricane center said on its website that a tropical storm warning was in effect for the Florida Panhandle through Monday night.