Hispanic radio leaders were largely positive as they discussed the impact of the pandemic and the future of their industry during an event moderated by National Association of Broadcasters CEO Gordon Smith. FM radio in connected cars and smartphones was a major priority for Otto Padron, CEO of Meruelo Media, while Univision's Jesus Lara discussed coordinating radio and television teams.

The NextGen Broadcast Conference at the NAB Show New York featured discussions of industry progress, potential competition and the benefits of collaboration. Executives from Edge Networks, the Fox Broadcasting Company, Nexstar Media Group and Sinclair Broadcast Group said existing NextGen TV deployments will make future ones easier.

Charter Communications gained 67,000 video and 537,000 broadband subscribers during the previous quarter. The company will offer $218 million in refund credits to customers once sports networks provide it with rebates.

The cost of Netflix's most popular package will go up by a dollar per month, and its premium service will be two dollars more, but the basic tier will remain $9. New subscribers will pay more immediately, while the rates for existing customers will rise in two months.

Brandon Goldner, a journalist with WCNC-TV in Charlotte, N.C., says he has tested positive for the coronavirus after attending President Donald Trump's rally in Gastonia. Goldner, who is self-isolating and has contacted everyone he interviewed or had contact with in the days before he got the result, said he wore a mask throughout the rally.

Data shows that radio sales representatives tend to shy away from promoting newer offerings like podcasts, branded content, mobile and video -- the very things they need to push to increase revenue in the coming year, says Futuri Media's Jim Tarantine. The ongoing pandemic will likely continue to delay the return of live events, and sales reps should leverage new resources to keep revenue flowing in, Tarantine says.

Conrad Hufford, who has served WTTF radio in Tiffin, Ohio, as a sales representative for 54 of his 76 years, announced that he will retire in December. Hufford got his start when radio stations played vinyl records and sales meetings were all in person, and had a front-row seat to radio's evolution.

NAB has released public service announcements (PSAs) that focus on mental wellness and provide a message of hope and encouragement during stressful times. Stations can access the television and radio spots at nab.org/coronavirus.

NAB and RadioDNS are offering a free webinar on how to set up and support hybrid radio. Designed for software developers, this webinar will provide step-by-step instructions on using RadioDNS to generate a service information (SI) file from existing station information and utilize all the capabilities of hybrid radio. Register now to access this free resource.