As the Upfront/NewFront sales season begins this month, the ongoing drop in broadcast and cable network viewership could lead many media industry observers to declare that station owners will be big losers in the growing competition for ad business. To anyone leaning in that direction, here’s some advice. Don’t believe it! Station owners, especially station group owners, don’t just operate stations anymore. That era is over. They’re national programming providers, and they are coming into this Upfront more able than ever to tap multiple revenue streams including linear cable and multicast channels and/or services distributed through smart TV sets and TV-connected gadgets.
The Widening World of Local Station Groups
