FCC Chair Brendan Carr warned Friday that the NFL could lose its antitrust exemption if it places too many live games behind streaming paywalls, saying the agency is scrutinizing how leagues’ deals with streamers differ from traditional “sponsored telecasting.”
The exemption, granted under the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961, lets teams pool TV rights into leaguewide packages. Carr told The NY Post the law applies to “sponsored telecasting,” and questioned whether distribution on platforms like Netflix or YouTube TV qualifies. “If it’s something else, then it’s not clear that the antitrust exemption applies,” he said. Carr also told Semafor there is “a point at which… they’ve just put too many games behind a paywall, and then that whole exemption collapses.”
The FCC last month solicited public comment on how the shift from broadcast TV to streaming has affected consumers — a possible precursor to deeper review. The agency highlighted rising costs for fans, who may spend as much as $1,500 annually to follow every pro football game, and noted that sports rights fees have “exponentially increased” since the 1960s. A recent Fox News survey found 72% of sports fans believe major events should remain on free broadcast TV.
Brendan Carr
Carr framed streaming fees as a new form of paywall that has made finding and watching games more fragmented and expensive, blaming the need for multiple subscriptions. Netflix raised subscription prices this week, including its premium plan to $26.99 and its ad-supported tier to $8.99, underscoring cost pressures for viewers.
Carr said any enforcement action could involve the Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission or Congress, though he acknowledged there is “no concrete idea in mind” yet. He also raised the related question of whether broadcasters should be allowed some form of collective bargaining similar to leagues’ negotiated rights packages.
The NFL has argued that streaming increasingly replaces traditional broadcasters and described its distribution as accessible and fan-friendly. The FCC contrasted the modern rights market with 1961, when the NFL’s two-year deal with CBS was worth $9.8 million, compared with current deals valued at more than $10 billion per year.
Major League Baseball fans across the country are increasingly frustrated and vocal over limited access to live games, citing rising blackout restrictions, fragmented streaming services, and soaring ticket prices that keep many longtime supporters on the outside looking in.
Supporters in both small markets and big cities say the current mix of regional sports network blackouts, exclusive platform deals, and paywalled streaming tiers has made following their teams more expensive and unpredictable. Fans report missing nationally televised matchups because of regional rights, being forced to subscribe to multiple streaming apps to catch a full season, and encountering blackout messages that block local broadcasts despite paying for services. Season-ticket holders and casual viewers alike point to weekend packages that cost hundreds of dollars, parking and concession hikes, and fewer affordable seats as barriers to attending in person.
The frustration is driving organized pushback: online petitions demanding broader national streaming windows, social media campaigns calling for blackout reform, and fan groups lobbying teams and MLB for transparent, fan-friendly media deals. Independent watch parties and community streaming cooperatives have sprung up in neighborhoods shut out of live feeds, while local newspapers document the dwindling turnout among younger fans at ballparks.
League and team officials defend current agreements as necessary for revenue that supports player salaries and franchise stability, and note recent experiments with broader streaming windows and special national broadcasts. Still, many fans say incremental changes don’t address the root problem: a patchwork system that prioritizes fragmented broadcast revenue over consistent, affordable access.
If unaddressed, advocates warn, the access gap could erode generational fandom—young fans less able to follow teams may never become long-term attendees or subscribers—threatening attendance, local sponsorships, and the civic ties that baseball historically nurtured. Fans are calling for clearer blackout policies, consolidated streaming options, and pricing safeguards to ensure that watching and attending games remains possible for the broad public that once defined America’s pastime.
Radio doesn’t have a content problem. It has a strategy problem.
And that problem starts with a dangerous assumption: that the competition is equal.
It isn’t.
Streaming platforms win on personalization, scale, and control. They give listeners exactly what they want, when they want it, with near-infinite choice. That’s their game—and they’re very, very good at it.
Radio is not.
Yet for years, the industry has quietly tried to compete on that same battlefield. More music. Fewer interruptions. Tighter rotations. Less personality. The thinking is simple: if we sound more like streaming, we can win back audience.
But that logic ignores one critical truth: when you fight on someone else’s strengths, you lose.
Because the competition is asymmetric.
Streaming can’t do what radio does best. It can’t walk into a community and reflect it in real time. It can’t create a shared moment across an entire city. It can’t deliver a human voice that feels alive, present, and in sync with your day.
And it definitely can’t replicate the simplicity of turning on your car and instantly being connected to something effortless and familiar.
Radio’s power has never been about delivering songs. It’s about delivering context, companionship, and confidence.
Confidence that the song you’re hearing matters.
Confidence that someone else is listening too.
Confidence that you’re part of something, not just consuming something.
That’s the advantage. And it’s an advantage no algorithm can match.
But here’s where the industry gets it wrong: in an effort to “modernize,” radio has stripped away many of the very elements that make it unique. It has reduced air talent. It has deprioritized locality. It has leaned into efficiency over experience.
In short, it has flattened itself—trying to become more like its competitors instead of more like itself.
That’s not evolution. That’s erosion.
The real opportunity isn’t to out-stream the streamers. It’s to fully embrace what makes radio different.
Be more local, not less.
Be more human, not more automated.
Be more immediate, not more programmed.
Because in an asymmetric battle, the winner isn’t the one who copies. It’s the one who exploits what the other side can’t do.
Radio still owns the car. It still owns reach. And when it chooses to, it still owns connection. But only if it stops competing on the wrong battlefield.
The future of radio won’t be decided by how well it imitates technology. It will be decided by how confidently it refuses to.
Dave Van Dyke...Currently President and founder of media consumption analysis research firm Bridge Ratings and its subsidiary StreamStats LLC, the company has been providing radio stations with proprietary on-demand streaming data based on format core listener music consumption behavior.
The FCC and Justice Department’s approval of Nexstar’s $6.2 billion acquisition of Tegna has intensified debate over whether large broadcast mergers threaten the future of local news and the diversity of viewpoints on television.
The deal would create a broadcaster owning more than 250 TV stations and reaching about 80% of U.S. television households. To clear the transaction, FCC Chair Brendan Carr waived a 2004 congressional cap that prevents any single broadcaster from reaching more than 39% of viewers, a move that has drawn criticism from members of both parties who warn the waiver risks concentrating too much power in the broadcast market.
Supporters of the waiver argue the cap is outdated given the rise of streaming, social media and Big Tech platforms that now capture much of advertising scale and audience attention. Former FCC advisers and industry voices say consolidation may be necessary for broadcasters to attract sufficient ad revenue to sustain local news in a fragmented media landscape.
Opponents counter that past consolidation often led to newsroom cuts and homogenized content, reducing local reporting and limiting the plurality of perspectives available to viewers. The 39% rule was originally intended to prevent such dominance and protect localism and viewpoint diversity.
Politico reports broadcast viewership has fallen dramatically over decades — from networks commanding over 90% of U.S. audiences in the mid-20th century to roughly 20% today — intensifying pressure on station owners to find scale. The debate now centers on whether larger broadcast groups can preserve local journalism or will accelerate its decline through centralized operations and cost-cutting.
Peter Alexander, NBC News’s veteran chief White House correspondent, is leaving the network after 22 years to join MS NOW as a daytime anchor and chief national reporter, people familiar with the move told the Los Angeles Times on Saturday.
Alexander, 49, confirmed his departure on the Saturday edition of Today — which he co-hosts with Laura Jarrett — saying he was moving on but not naming his next employer. The Los Angeles Times report says he has signed with MS NOW for a daytime anchoring slot and the role of chief national reporter; an MS NOW representative declined to comment.
A longtime fixture at NBC, Alexander covered multiple administrations from the White House and has appeared across the network’s morning and evening programming. His exit marks a high-profile shift in network news talent as cable outlets continue to seek experienced journalists to bolster daytime lineups.
NBC did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The timing of his start date at MS NOW and details of his new program were not disclosed.
TODAY co-host Craig Melvin was reportedly “absolutely devastated” after NBC chose Hoda Kotb — not him — to conduct Savannah Guthrie’s first interview about her missing mother, insiders told the Daily Mail.
Craig Melvin
Insiders told the Daily Mail Melvin, the Today show co-anchor since 2018, expected to handle Guthrie’s interview ;ast week about her 84-year-old mother, Nancy, who disappeared Feb. 1, and viewed it as a career-defining moment. Executives instead selected Kotb, who had been filling in, leaving Melvin surprised and upset, sources said.
Colleagues described him as shaken and questioning his role after being bypassed; one insider said he felt he “had earned that spot” after replacing Kotb when she stepped back in 2025. Another source said Melvin was not even asked to conduct the interview, which compounded his frustration.
The reported snub has prompted concern among staff about Melvin’s confidence and future on the show, with sources saying the episode transformed him from “confident to uncertain overnight.” NBC did not immediately comment.
Nineteen broadcast meteorologists have left traditional TV roles to join the Digital Weather Network (founded 2022), underscoring a growing shift of weather talent toward independent streaming platforms.
Why it’s happening: many meteorologists cite greater editorial control, higher earning potential from subscriptions and targeted ads, and the ability to build direct relationships with audiences. The move also reflects industry pressures at local TV — budget cuts, consolidation and staff reductions — that have reduced job security and airtime for specialized reporting.
What the Digital Weather Network offers: a national streaming-first platform that aggregates forecasters’ shows, livecasts and specialty weather programming across apps and social channels; opportunities for subscription revenue, branded sponsorships and programmatic advertising; and centralized production and distribution that lets individual meteorologists scale beyond a single local market.
Impact and implications: for viewers, the shift can mean more in-depth, on-demand and niche weather content (severe-weather streams, climate explainers, regional forecasts). For local stations, departures of experienced forecasters risk eroding local trust and on-the-ground familiarity. For the meteorologists, success depends on audience retention, platform monetization and competition from other streaming outlets and social media.
Broader trend: the DWN’s recruitment of 19 forecasters since 2022 reflects a wider media move where specialized journalists and presenters increasingly trade legacy-broadcast reach for digital-first independence and diversified revenue streams.
A K-shaped economy unfolds when a single economic event—like rising inflation or higher energy prices—pushes different groups onto completely different paths. One part of the economy continues to grow, building momentum and wealth, while another begins to fall behind, facing tighter budgets and harder choices. The result is not a shared recovery, but a widening divide. In this environment, the split becomes visible quickly. Higher-income households and larger, well-capitalized companies often find ways to keep moving forward. They may absorb higher costs, pass them along to customers, or benefit from rising asset values like stocks or real estate. Their spending doesn’t stop—it shifts, adapts, and in some cases even accelerates.
At the same time, a different reality takes hold for more vulnerable groups. Middle- and lower-income consumers feel the immediate impact of rising costs—especially essentials like gasoline, food, and housing. Small and local businesses, already operating on thinner margins, begin to feel the pressure as customer traffic slows. What was once steady demand becomes unpredictable.
That’s where the divide sharpens.
Businesses on the stronger side of the economy continue to invest, expand, and market themselves. But those on the weaker side start making cuts. Hiring slows. Expansion plans are paused. And one of the first places they pull back is advertising.
For local radio, this divide is especially important. Radio depends heavily on the very businesses most exposed to economic pressure—auto dealers, retailers, restaurants, and service providers. As these businesses move down the lower leg of the “K,” their advertising becomes less consistent, more promotional, and in some cases disappears altogether.
Meanwhile, the growth side of the economy doesn’t fully replace that loss. Larger brands and more resilient sectors may continue advertising, but they often spread their budgets across national platforms, digital channels, or targeted media. Local radio doesn’t capture that upside in the same way it feels the downside.
👍Who tends to benefit (the upward leg of the K)
Sectors and groups that are more insulated from cost pressures or economic shocks often grow:
Higher-income households with more savings and investments
Asset owners benefiting from rising stock or real estate prices
Industries with pricing power or digital business models
Companies serving essential or premium demand
These groups often continue spending, investing, and advertising—even during economic stress.
👎Who tends to struggle (the downward leg of the K)
More vulnerable segments face increasing pressure:
Lower- and middle-income households impacted by rising costs (like fuel and food)
Small and local businesses with thin margins
Service sectors dependent on discretionary spending
Industries sensitive to input costs, such as transportation and retail
These groups typically reduce spending quickly, including cutting marketing budgets.
What emerges is an uneven advertising landscape. Some categories remain active, even aggressive. Others become cautious or go quiet. Revenue becomes harder to predict, not because the economy isn’t growing—but because it’s no longer moving together.
The takeaway: A K-shaped economy isn’t just about inequality—it’s about divergence in behavior. Some businesses lean in, while others pull back. For local radio broadcasters, that split means operating in a market where strength in one area doesn’t offset weakness in another, and where the core advertising base is often on the more fragile side of the divide.
KGY has a long history in Olympia, going back to Saint Martin’s College (now Saint Martin’s University). It was there that Benedictine monk Father Sebastian Ruth began experimenting with radio, and when the FCC first started licensing radio stations, KGY was one of the first stations in Washington State to be licensed. “In fact, the three letter call stations are a heritage, the oldest around,” Kerry said.
In 1939 Nick Kerry’s great-grandfather Tom Olsen, an Olympia native, purchased the business. In 1960 KGY moved to its current location on Marine Drive overlooking Budd Inlet and neighbor to Swantown Marina and Hearthfire Grill.
It was built on pilings and has dramatic views of Budd Inlet and the Olympic Mountains. “This was the perfect location for an AM tower. The radials went into the saltwater which they believed created a stronger signal,” said Kerry.
Barbara Olsen Kerry ran the stations until the mid-2000s and today the family continues to remain owners, the majority of whom live in Olympia.
➦In 1922...WWL-AM, New Orleans signed-on.
Circa the '50s
After receiving permission from the Vatican, the Jesuits at Loyola University started WWL on March 31, 1922, with a piano recital and a three-minute request to listeners to support construction of a new classroom building on campus. The advertisement above says the 10-watt transmitter was “made from $400 worth of spare parts from a Government War Surplus Ship. The studio audience — 20 Loyola students —- gave a spontaneous cheer at [the] conclusion of [the] historic broadcast.”
The advertisement also claims other firsts. For instance, the 1922 broadcast of a recording of John McCormack singing “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling” is claimed as the first music broadcast in the South.
Over the years, WWL moved to different positions on the dial and steadily increased its power. In 1938, WWL boosted its signal to 50,000 watts, sending the sounds of New Orleans across much of North America.
WWL became a CBS affiliate in 1935. During World War II, Loyola University offered WWL’s facilities to train soldiers in radio operations. The station also produced wartime radio programs. WWL again allowed the government to use its facilities in 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
WWL-AM avoided the turn toward rock in the 1950s and became well known in the region for its broadcasts of local Dixieland jazz bands and big band music. The Leon Kelner Orchestra was popular for its broadcasts from the Roosevelt Hotel’s Blue Room. The broadcasts were heard far and wide over WWL’s 50,000-watt signal. The LPB radio history site says comment cards were received from as far away as Finland.
In 1971, the station started a long-running overnight country music show targeted at long-haul truck drivers called “The Road Gang.”
Loyola sold the WWL stations to separate companies in 1989. WWL-AM and WLMG-FM are now owned by Audacy.-Faded Signals
➦In 1936...Backstage Wife, a soap opera radio program that details the travails of Mary Noble, a girl from a small town in Iowa who came to New York seeking her future, moved fro the Mututal Broadcasting System to NBC Radio.
Vivian Fridell had the title role from 1935 until the early 1940s. It was then taken over by Claire Niesen, who played Mary Noble for 14 years, until the end of the series. Mary's husband, Larry Noble, was portrayed by Ken Griffin, then James Meighan and finally, Guy Sorel. The music was supplied by organist Chet Kingsbury.
The program continued on for the next 23 years. Claire Niesen played the title role for the last 17 years.
➦In 1937...Charles Wesley Leonard born (Died – August 12, 2004). Known as Chuck Leonard. he was a radio personality at 77WABC during the 1960s and 1970s. His deep voice and smoothness resonated across 38 states for 14 years at ABC.
Chuck Leonard
During his over 40-year career in broadcasting, Leonard worked virtually every shift and played all styles of music at stations including WWRL, WABC, WXLO, WRKS, WBLS, WQEW, WNSW-AM and WJUX. He has been inducted in the Museum of Television & Radio and is known as the first African-American disc jockey to work on a mainstream radio station.[1
Leonard began at ABC's flagship New York radio station, Musicradio 77WABC, under program director Rick Sklar in 1965. He broke the color barrier for all who followed — the first African-American to cross over from black R&B radio to (then-mostly white) mass-appeal radio.
Leonard began in the 11 p.m. to midnight slot, and continued working late nights and Sundays at the station until November 27, 1979. He did the 10:30 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. shift following “Cousin” Bruce Morrow and later George Michael.
