The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has indicated that it has problems with the potential merger of the Sinclair Broadcast Group with Tribune Media, suggesting the regulator is likely to reject the deal. Critics of the $3.9bn takeover warn that it would allow right-leaning Sinclair too much influence over local media. Sinclair owns almost 200 stations and the merger would see it exceed the FCC’s cap of 72% ownership, allowing it to access 39% of TV viewing households in the US. Sinclair has not given up on the deal, saying it plans to resolve any issues.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has indicated that it has problems with the potential merger of the Sinclair Broadcast Group with Tribune Media, suggesting the regulator is likely to reject the deal. Critics of the $3.9bn takeover warn that it would allow right-leaning Sinclair too much influence over local media. Sinclair owns almost 200 stations and the merger would see it exceed the FCC’s cap of 39% ownership, allowing it to access 72% of TV viewing households in the US. Sinclair has not given up on the deal, saying it plans to resolve any issues.