Justice Department Requires Divestitures in Media General Acquisition of Lin Media

The Department of Justice will require Media General to divest WVTM-TV(NBC), located in the Birmingham, Alabama, Designated Market Area (DMA); WJCL-TV (ABC) and WTGS (FOX), both located in the Savannah, Georgia, DMA; WALA-TV (FOX), located in the Mobile, Alabama/Pensacola, Florida, DMA; WJAR-TV (NBC), located in the Providence, Rhode Island/New Bedford, Massachusetts, DMA; and WLUK-TV(FOX) and WCWF-TV (CW), both located in the Green Bay/Appleton, Wisconsin, DMA, in order to proceed with its acquisition of LIN Media for $1.5 billion.

The department said that without the required divestitures, prices for broadcast television spot advertising would likely increase to advertisers in the DMAs. The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division filed a civil antitrust lawsuit in the US District Court for the District of Columbia to block the proposed transaction. At the same time, the department filed a proposed settlement that, if approved by the court, would resolve the competitive concerns alleged in the lawsuit. Under the terms of the proposed settlement, Media General and LIN must divest assets used in the operation of WVTM-TV and WJCL-TV to Hearst Television; WALA-TV to Meredith Corporation; and WJAR-TV, WLUK-TV, WCWF-TV, and WTGS to Sinclair Broadcast Group, or to other acquirers approved by the United States.