FCC Asks for More Public Comments on Sinclair-Tribune Merger

[rurallib]

send a comment directly to the FCC:
http://act.freepress.net/sign/journ_trump_sinclair/?source=front_slider

https://blogforiowa.com/2017/10/23/fcc-asks-for-more-public-comments-on-sinclair-tribune-merger/

Everyone should go to freepress.net, sign up for emails and complete the contact form to the FCC opposing the Sinclair-Tribune merger. They have filed a Petition to Deny the merger with the FCC.

You can still send a comment directly to the FCC.

You can see the filing here. https://www.freepress.net/resource/108253/free-press-petition-deny-sinclair-tribune-merger

Media action alert from Demand Progress

The FCC has just paused its review of the Sinclair-Tribune merger.

The FCC announced that it is putting its consideration of the merger between Sinclair Broadcast Group and Tribune Media on hold for two weeks to allow for more public comments.1

This announcement comes just as a union representing news employees at some Sinclair stations has said it is planning a public campaign against the merger.2

Momentum to shut down this awful merger is in our favor. Now we need to drive as many comments as possible to the FCC’s website in order to stop Sinclair from airing Trump TV into all our homes.

Sinclair has a long history of pushing its pro-Trump, ultra-conservative political agenda through the local stations that it owns across the county. It requires local news anchors to read prepared statements in support of Trump’s policies, forced affiliates to air Trump fluff pieces when he was a candidate, and gave airtime to fake news infomercials attacking President Obama.3

And if the pending merger is allowed to go through, Sinclair will be able to air its Trump TV through television stations in 3 out of 4 homes in America.4 In several markets, like Seattle, where both Sinclair and Tribune own stations, cities would lose jobs and news coverage if this merger is completed.5

But our outcry about this terrible merger has finally gotten the FCC’s attention, and now we have a chance to raise the public’s voice and shut down this deal for good. Will you chip in $5 to stop Trump TV?

[elleng]

1. Not enough 'pro' merger, I guess.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

2. Sinclair and Tribune, MB Docket 17-179

Sinclair and Tribune, MB Docket 17-179

Docket Number:

MB Docket 17-179

Pursuant to a merger agreement, Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. (Sinclair) and Tribune Media Company (Tribute) have filed applications seeking Commission consent to transfer control of Tribune's full-power broadcast televisions stations, low-power television stations, and TV translator stations to Sinclair. According to the Applicants, Sinclair owns or operates 173 broadcast television stations, consisting of 528 channels, in 81 markets, with affiliations with all major networks, and is the largest local news provider in the country; Tribune owns or operates 42 broadcast television stations in 33 markets, also with affiliations with all major networks. Tribune also owns cable network WGN America, digital multicast network Antenna TV and WGN-Radio. According to the Applicants, Tribune's owns and operates broadcast television stations in the top three markets in the country, seven stations in the top ten markets, and 34 stations in the top 50 markets. The Applicants claim that under the proposed transaction, the combined company would reach 72 percent of U.S. television households and would own and operate the largest number of broadcast television stations of any station group.

The Applicants state that in twelve Nielsen Designated Market Areas ("DMAs" ) Sinclair and Tribune each own a full-power broadcast television station; that in ten of those markets, current FCC regulations do not allow Sinclair to hold both licenses. The Applicants also state that the combined company would have a national audience reach in excess of the FCC's current regulations but that they intend to take such actions as are necessary to comply with the Commission's rules to obtain FCC approval of the applications.

Comments and Petitions to Deny are due by August 7, 2017; Oppositions are due by August 22, 2017; and Replies to Oppositions are due by August 29, 2017.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

3. Sinclair Broadcast Group Acquisition of Tribune Media: Competitive and Regulatory Issues

Here's a background report on what this is all about.

Sinclair Broadcast Group Acquisition of Tribune Media: Competitive and Regulatory Issues

Summary

On May 8, 2017, Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. announced that it agreed to acquire the Tribune Media Company for $6.6 billion, including $3.9 billion for Tribune’s stock, and the assumption of $2.7 billion of Tribune’s debt. The transaction, if approved by shareholders and the U.S. government, would make Sinclair the nation’s largest television broadcast company, giving it access to a far larger share of U.S. households than any other television broadcaster.

Both the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) must approve Sinclair’s transactions before they can close. The DOJ is to review the transaction to ensure that it will not substantially reduce competition. The FCC is to review whether the transaction would (1) violate FCC broadcast media ownership rules and (2) serve the public interest.

The Sinclair-Tribune transaction potentially runs afoul of two FCC rules regarding broadcast ownership:

• local television ownership rules (sometimes referred to as the “duopoly” rules), which limit common ownership of television stations serving the same geographic region; and
• the FCC’s national television ownership rules, which cap the reach of a single company’s television stations to 39% of U.S. television households.

{snip 31 more pages}

[rurallib]

4. thank you very much for this info and your previous post