Derailing Sinclair's Local TV Takeover and the Future of Media Ownership

A briefing on the status of the Sinclair-Tribune merger

After over a year of reviewing the $3.9 billion Sinclair-Tribune merger, the Federal Communications Commission recently announced it was referring the deal to an administrative law judge. An administrative hearing is typically seen as a fatal blow to mergers. If approved, Sinclair would own 215 stations in 102 markets – making it the largest broadcasting conglomerate in U.S. history. Sinclair would have the power to air its must-run segments, disguising its editorial opinions with the voice of trusted local broadcasters, to 72% of U.S. households.

This panel will recap the public interest harms associated with Sinclair’s merger, explain potential outcomes now that the FCC has designated the transaction for a hearing, and discuss pending media ownership policies at the FCC that could pave the way for more media consolidation in the future.

Moderator: Francella Ochillo, Director, Government & Legal Affairs, National Hispanic Media Coalition

Panelists:

• Dana Floberg: Policy Analyst, Free Press
• Yosef Getachew, Director, Media and Democracy Program, Common Cause
• Andrew Schwartzman, Benton Senior Counselor, Georgetown Institute for Public Representation Technology and Communications Practice Group

Refreshments will be served​