Apparently, FCC Plans Rule Change Before Court Can Upend Sinclair Bid

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai is said to be planning a vote in July on limits to how many TV stations a company can own, rules he has said are too restrictive and that could factor into Sinclair Broadcast Group’s planned purchase of Tribune Media Co. Apparently, Chairman Pai is poised to schedule a July 12 vote on altering rules that cap broadcasters’ reach at 39 percent of the national audience. A vote in July could head off a decision by the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit in Washington that is considering a challenge to part of the existing rules. The case threatens to push Sinclair over the existing national ownership cap if it buys Tribune. Proposals from Chairman Pai, an appointee of President Donald Trump, are all but certain to pass with votes from the Republican majority he leads. Chairman Pai hasn’t publicly recommended a new limit and details of his proposal could not be learned.