Pursuant to a merger agreement, Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. (Sinclair) and Tribune Media Company (Tribune) 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.
180
-day Timeline
Day: 167
Show history
| Date | Action | Notes | Total | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 06 2017 | Clock Started | Public Notice | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 18 2017 | Clock Paused | Public Notice | 104 | 104 |
| Nov 02 2017 | Clock Resumed | Public Notice | 104 | 104 |
| Jan 04 2018 | Clock Paused | Letter | 167 | 63 |
This page contains an indexed unofficial listing of and electronic links to most materials in this docket. The applications and any associated documents are also available for public inspection and copying during normal reference room hours at the FCC Reference Center. Copies of the applications and any subsequently-filed documents in this matter also may be obtained through the Commission's Electronic Comment Filing System. To request materials in accessible formats for people with disabilities (Braille, large print, electronic files, audio format), send an e-mail to fcc504@fcc.gov or call the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0530 (voice), 202-418-0432 (tty).