FCC Eliminates UHF Ownership Discount

[Rusty Muck 4374]

They have to completely divest of KTLA,WGN and the sad one...not a half-assed deal....a total all out sale of all three.

 

Our (mine) insect leaders need to trust me on this.

 

SELL all 3 outright...maybe Byron will buy KTLA if you ask nice.

 

Remember the Gilligan's Island where they were gonna feed Ginger to the volcano???

Wouldn't surprise me if that is the endgame. The attempted shell sales to Cunningham and that Balto car dealership just smelled of a last-ditch effort they knew they couldn't win.

 

I don't know how they can close the whole deal before the ruling is delivered, assuming that it could come down at any time.

[NEOMatrix 1299]

Hell I think the Albritton deal took just as long because Sinclair was doing wacky things like switching signals, putting ABC affiliates on .2s, and even making a case that Cunningham could run a station on its own. This is the Allbritton deal on a much grander scale.

[CircleSeven 1955]

Maybe a compromise between them of 50% or 55%?

 

A group of station groups filed a joint letter asking the FCC to raise the cap to 50%.

 

Sinclair, on the other hand, just want the cap to be thrown out the window.

[mre29 1523]

The cap would have be raised by Congress, of course, though undoubtedly based on the FCC's recommendation.

 

That said, I'd be okay with 50%. Heck, I'd be okay if it was only rounded up to 40%. At least that would be a more sensible number than 39%!

[dman748 1256]

A group of station groups filed a joint letter asking the FCC to raise the cap to 50%.

 

Sinclair, on the other hand, just want the cap to be thrown out the window.

Lol, Sinclair can hope for no limits on ownership until Hell freezes over but, that ain't happening.

 

Not now, not ever

[Samantha 2895]

Isn't the ownership cap enshrined in law?

 

Good luck getting Congress in on this.

[dman748 1256]

Isn't the ownership cap enshrined in law?

 

Good luck getting Congress in on this.

The 39% ownership cap was set by Congress so yes it's the law

[CircleSeven 1955]

Isn't the ownership cap enshrined in law?

 

Good luck getting Congress in on this.

 

This is all a part of Pai's review of the Cap, which opened up for comment.

 

I don't think he'll do anything without Congress approval anyway.

[AJClementeFan69 477]

I really wonder what Morgan Murphy, Dispatch, et. al would gain from the cap being raised since theoretically they'd never ever get close. Is this all about making the companies available to more potential suitors?

[mre29 1523]

Isn't the ownership cap enshrined in law?

 

Hence my reference to Congress two posts before you.

 

Good luck getting Congress in on this.

 

I'm holding out hope that Congress can at least agree to bump the cap up to an even 40%...

[ColtFromGulfcoast 708]

I really wonder what Morgan Murphy, Dispatch, et. al would gain from the cap being raised since theoretically they'd never ever get close. Is this all about making the companies available to more potential suitors?

 

That's what I'm thinking.

[Rusty Muck 4374]

I'm holding out hope that Congress can at least agree to bump the cap up to an even 40%...

With a nearly split Senate and a House that is highly dysfunctional, Congress is lucky to agree on tying their own shoes.

[24994J 5577]

With a nearly split Senate and a House that is highly dysfunctional, Congress is lucky to agree on tying their own shoes.

WE NEED TO GET OUT OF THE POCKETS OF BIG VELCRO!

[GoldenShine9 1513]

A group of station groups filed a joint letter asking the FCC to raise the cap to 50%.

 

Sinclair, on the other hand, just want the cap to be thrown out the window.

 

Probably because Sinclair wants to buy every single company in that letter.

[T.L. Hughes 890]

Well, we should have seen this coming. Bloomberg reports that Ajit Pai is considering a vote to raise the ownership cap as soon as the agency's July 12 meeting, heading off any effect on the Sinclair-Tribune deal (and therefore, failing to realize that would seemingly confirm that Pai is helping engineer that deal). Former Democratic FCC official Gigi Sohn noted though that any increase of the cap above 39% would be subject to a court challenge.

 

Ion Media, Univision Communications and the Trinity Broadcasting Network, meanwhile, are suggesting that the FCC should grandfather the discounted audience reach of their stations if any modification to the ownership cap is made, and that they be allowed to transfer that grandfathered status to a new owner.

[Rusty Muck 4374]

Well, we should have seen this coming. Bloomberg reports that Ajit Pai is considering a vote to raise the ownership cap as soon as the agency's July 12 meeting, heading off any effect on the Sinclair-Tribune deal (and therefore, failing to realize that would seemingly confirm that Pai is helping engineer that deal).

Sorry, Paid Off, but unless Congress acts on that proposal, the cap will remain at 39%. And this Congress can't do shit.

 

And I doubt the appeals court looking over Paid Off's revival of the UHF Discount is going to think fondly of him basically sticking the middle finger in front of them.

 

It's nothing but a ceremonial gesture from a former Verizon lobbyist.

[Eat News 4745]

Well, we should have seen this coming. Bloomberg reports that Ajit Pai is considering a vote to raise the ownership cap as soon as the agency's July 12 meeting, heading off any effect on the Sinclair-Tribune deal (and therefore, failing to realize that would seemingly confirm that Pai is helping engineer that deal). Former Democratic FCC official Gigi Sohn noted though that any increase of the cap above 39% would be subject to a court challenge.

 

Ion Media, Univision Communications and the Trinity Broadcasting Network, meanwhile, are suggesting that the FCC should grandfather the discounted audience reach of their stations if any modification to the ownership cap is made, and that they be allowed to transfer that grandfathered status to a new owner.

 

 

Just remove the cap.

Just let the free market fight it out. The sooner it happens, the sooner all this crazy stuff ends. I really think the cap is gonna disappear soon. it's death will be buried in some immigration bill...or repealed late some night after "special orders".

 

Who would even hear any public outcry due to the noise level in the beltway.

 

It's not needed and it's outdated. Media companies are going to be pushing hard to remove it based on the ATT /TW decision.

 

The floodgates are open now...grab yer waders... or your knickers... if that's what you are into.

[dman748 1256]

Well, we should have seen this coming. Bloomberg reports that Ajit Pai is considering a vote to raise the ownership cap as soon as the agency's July 12 meeting, heading off any effect on the Sinclair-Tribune deal (and therefore, failing to realize that would seemingly confirm that Pai is helping engineer that deal). Former Democratic FCC official Gigi Sohn noted though that any increase of the cap above 39% would be subject to a court challenge.

 

Ion Media, Univision Communications and the Trinity Broadcasting Network, meanwhile, are suggesting that the FCC should grandfather the discounted audience reach of their stations if any modification to the ownership cap is made, and that they be allowed to transfer that grandfathered status to a new owner.

I think if Free Press, et. al. can't prove their case against the UHF Discount, they most likely will with the modification of the cap

[Rusty Muck 4374]

Just remove the cap.

Just let the free market fight it out. The sooner it happens, the sooner all this crazy stuff ends. I really think the cap is gonna disappear soon. it's death will be buried in some immigration bill...or repealed late some night after "special orders".

 

Who would even hear any public outcry due to the noise level in the beltway.

 

It's not needed and it's outdated. Media companies are going to be pushing hard to remove it based on the ATT /TW decision.

 

The floodgates are open now...grab yer waders... or your knickers... if that's what you are into.

Pandora's box was opened back in 1996 in radio. It was inevitable with TV.

 

That being said, the 39% charade will have to continue due to simple inertia. That's because of the divided (and for all intents and purposes, inoperable) legislative branch that will deadlock on Paid Off's proposal. Until then, you're going to see more backdoor deals like WGN-TV going to a Baltimore car dealership magnate because it takes advantage of loopholes we'll never see closed or retrofitted into actual policy (you can make a case for both, and honestly, the sidecar arrangements with JSAs/SSAs have been used for so long already, by almost every major broadcast chain, that it's besides the point).

 

That legislative inertia, and this neverending M&A spree, are far and away the two worst byproducts of the 1996 Telecommunications Act. And indeed, neither will ever really be resolved for a very, very long time.

[mre29 1523]

I'm still waiting for someone to explain why the cap is 39% and not an even 40%.

 

Seriously.

[GoldenShine9 1513]

http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/114352/sook-hints-at-suit-if-fcc-adopts-50-tv-cap

 

It seems we have multiple fronts right now:

 

NAB wants it at 78%, which is likely the positions of the networks (maybe not ABC). Sinclair and Nexstar want it at 100% (i.e. no cap). The "group of 8" want it at 50%.

 

I'm curious what the positions of groups that have not spoken, like Tegna, Meredith and Cox, are?

[Eat News 4745]

I'm curious what the positions of groups that have not spoken, like Tegna, Meredith and Cox, are?

 

Best for them to keep mum on the subject.

Let Sinclair take the heat.

 

Full repeal of the cap is the best way to go.

 

Let the market fight it out.

[Rusty Muck 4374]

I'm curious what the positions of groups that have not spoken, like Tegna, Meredith and Cox, are?

They're likely dreaming of the untold millions they'll make when they inevitably sell out to the bigger fish. Wouldn't you if you were in their position?

 

Gannett made a nice ROI when they sold their radio station group to Jacor when the nationwide caps were removed in radio. Don't think they (as TEGNA) aren't envisioning a nice payday a second time around.

[dman748 1256]

http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/114352/sook-hints-at-suit-if-fcc-adopts-50-tv-cap

 

It seems we have multiple fronts right now:

 

NAB wants it at 78%, which is likely the positions of the networks (maybe not ABC). Sinclair and Nexstar want it at 100% (i.e. no cap). The "group of 8" want it at 50%.

 

I'm curious what the positions of groups that have not spoken, like Tegna, Meredith and Cox, are?

I imagine their position is they don't care and they just want to sell their broadcast stations and focus on the publishing business (Meredith/Cox) as for TEGNA they'll have room depending upon where the cap is at but if the cap is raised to 78% or no cap at all, you might say that TEGNA would be a target for possible acquisition

[Megatron81 258]

I really think the cap should be raised to 45 to 50% but congress is the ones that need to do it but since neither side ever wants to get anything done it will remain at 39% maybe the courts will be deciding what the cap will be or maybe ditch all together.