Low ad loads is one of the reasons streaming TV services are growing their prime-time viewing, but expect more ads once streamers shift their focus from growth to profitability, nScreenMedia's Colin Dixon blogged Sunday. Cable averages 15 to 18 minutes of ads per hour, while advertising VOD like Disney+ Basic and Tubi average closer to four to five minutes per hour, Dixon said.

TikTok's expansion of its creator subscription program illustrates a broader social media platform strategy of expanding revenue streams with a more entertainment-centric focus, MIDiA analyst Hanna Kahlert blogged Tuesday. TikTok's subscription program now lets creators develop paid subscriptions for their followers that include exclusive content and communities. As social media platforms expand their prominence in the entertainment marketplace, they will try to claim more of their audiences' entertainment spending, such as by offering subscriber-only communities or exclusive content access, she said.

Several local governments support an FCC proposal that would exempt video programmers whose content is shown exclusively on a public, educational and government (PEG) channel from requirements to file contact information or captioning compliance with the agency, according to a filing in docket 05-231 Tuesday from Boston and Worcester, Massachusetts, and Bowie and Howard County, Maryland. The Texas Coalition of Cities for Utility Issues also signed onto the filing. PEG channels are already exempt from captioning requirements, the governments noted. “Exempting registration and captioning compliance certifications by individual programmers of exempt PEG programming does not prejudice the Commission’s pursuit of ensuring the accessibility of all video programming,” the filing said.

Disney says it was "surprised and disappointed" by DirecTV's good-faith negotiation complaint regarding the parties' retransmission consent agreement that expired Sept. 1 (see 2409090003). In docket 24-280 this week, Disney said DirecTV "misunderstood" Disney's clean slate proposal. In addition, Disney said it has clarified that the clean slate proposal wasn't intended to preclude either party from filing an FCC complaint. It urged dismissal of the DirecTV complaint.

The Oct. 4 deadline for emergency alert system participants to submit annual EAS test reporting system forms has been extended to Oct. 18, said a Public Safety Bureau public notice Tuesday. The extension is intended to “reduce burdens on EAS Participants that are recovering from the damage caused by Hurricane Helene,” the PN said. “EAS Participants that have already submitted their ETRS Form One for calendar year 2024 need not take any further action.”

Dish Network’s call for sanctions against Standard General and its attorneys should be ignored. Instead, Dish should be sanctioned, said Standard General in a response filing Thursday in U.S. District Court for the D.C. Circuit (see 2409240017). Standard argued Dish’s filing substantially repeats its earlier dismissal motion and violates court procedures. Contrary to Dish’s arguments, Standard’s complaint “amply supports the alleged conspiracy, detailing circumstantial evidence that warrants an inference of conspiratorial agreement,” Standard said. “The timing and posture of DISH’s motion show its purpose is either to intimidate Plaintiffs and their counsel to dismiss claims against DISH and Mr. Ergen in the infancy of this case or to increase the chances that the Court does so.” Since Dish filed the motion for an improper purpose, the court should award Standard sanctions in the form of the expenses incurred in responding to the motion, Standard said.

Sinclair Broadcast CEO Chris Ripley is “bullish” about the future of MVPDs, he said Tuesday, and he reiterated his willingness to offload broadcast stations and the Tennis Channel. “A lot of changes are afoot in the industry” and Sinclair wants “to be nimble,” Ripley said at the Deutsche Bank 32nd Annual Leveraged Finance Conference. “We are here to maximize shareholder value.” The MVPD industry will improve because companies such as Charter are offering customers a better deal through packages that combine MVPD service and streaming offerings, he said. Meanwhile, streaming companies are raising subscription prices and cracking down on password sharing. “It's really dramatically changing the value proposition for the consumer,” Ripley said. “Consumers don't like complicated; they don't like too much choice.” Sinclair is seeing extremely high levels of political advertising along with increased core advertising, he said, and it recently raised its 2024 political ad guidance. The company has seen “large uplifts” in ad spending since Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris entered the race, Sinclair CFO Lucy Rutishauser said.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has granted a motion for a time extension for Standard General to respond to a flurry of motions to dismiss (see 2409100008) in the company’s discrimination case against the FCC, Allen Media, Dish Network and several unions and public interest groups. Standard’s oppositions to the motions are now due Nov. 8, replies Dec. 10, the order said.

Monumental Sports & Entertainment said most-favored nation and alternative distribution method contractual terms are adversely affecting its ability to function as an independent video programmer. In a docket 24-115 filing posted Friday in which it recapped meetings with FCC Commissioners Geoffrey Starks and Anna Gomez, Monumental said ADM provisions can be a big hurdle to distribution through online platforms, some of which would otherwise make Monumental's content available to all subscribers. In addition, it said MFNs can impede providing direct-to-consumer offerings, even making it impossible to offer those at competitive prices. Such contractual terms often don't account for large differences in the technology and economics of different distribution methods and ultimately leave fans with fewer ways of following their local teams, it said. MFN consequences are particularly significant for consumers lacking access to premium subscription plans offered by multichannel video programming distributors, as regional sports networks like Monumental often aren't part of MVPDs' base plans, it said.

Amazon Prime Video & Amazon MGM Studios are joining the Motion Picture Association, MPA said Thursday. “We are proud to join the MPA and its member studios in their collective efforts to protect creators, content, and consumers worldwide," said Mike Hopkins, head of Prime Video & Amazon MGM Studios.