US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai said Monday, July 16, that he has “serious concerns” about the proposed merger between the Sinclair Broadcast Group and Tribune Media, reported the Wall Street Journal.
Mr. Pai said in a written statement that the evidence suggests that proposed station divestitures by Sinclair to meet FCC media-ownership regulations would leave the company in practical control of those stations “in violation of the law.”
Mr. Pai said he has circulated a draft order to fellow commissioners that would send those divestiture issues for a hearing before an administrative law judge, potentially killing the US$3.9 billion deal.
“When the FCC confronts disputed issues like these, [federal law] does not allow it to approve a transaction,” Mr. Pai said in his statement.
Democratic commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel indicated that she has already voted in favor of the initiative.
Critics ranging from congressional Democrats to Sinclair’s conservative media rivals like Newsmax have warned the Sinclair-Tribune merger would give too much power to a single company to control the airwaves. But Sinclair argued that broadcasters must get bigger to effectively compete in the modern media ecosystem.
Full Content: The Wall Street Journal
Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.
Featured News
UK’s CMA Investigates Education Software Company for Market Abuse
May 14, 2024 by
CPI
Schumer Urges FTC Caution on Chevron’s $53B Hess Deal Over Gas Price Fears
May 14, 2024 by
CPI
Amazon Urges US Judge to Block FTC Probe into Data Preservation
May 14, 2024 by
CPI
Colorado Makes History: First State to Enact Comprehensive AI Legislation
May 14, 2024 by
CPI
Class Action Settlement Reached in Cheerleading Monopoly
May 14, 2024 by
CPI
Antitrust Mix by CPI
Antitrust Chronicle® – Ecosystems
May 9, 2024 by
CPI
Mapping Antitrust onto Digital Ecosystems
May 9, 2024 by
CPI
Ecosystems and Competition Law: A Law and Political Economy Approach
May 9, 2024 by
CPI
Ecosystem Theories of Harm: What is Beyond the Buzzword?
May 9, 2024 by
CPI
Open Ecosystems: Benefits, Challenges, and Implications for Antitrust
May 9, 2024 by
CPI