Sinclair, Tribune Close to Merger Deal

[Megatron81 181]

Sure...

It's a free market.

Sinclair could get "big footed" at any time.

 

And didn't Meredith have to pay Nexstar some "failed deal" fee? I may be getting my mergers mixed up.

 

And Sinclair is allowed to just screw it up if they try to rush stuff.

 

Nexstar paid Meredith $60 Million got first rights to buy the overlaps but Meredith didn't buy any of the 6 stations that Nexstar sold off in there overlap markets with Media General.

[Samantha 2878]

The most consequential filing I see is a request for a time extension by Dish, Public Knowledge, and the American Cable Association. They believe the applications are insufficient to determine if the merger is in the public interest. A few highlights:

 

"This transaction presents substantial competition and media law questions at both the national and local level. At the national level, Sinclair proposes to create the single largest operator of local broadcast stations in the country. The combined Sinclair-Tribune entity would have substantial interests in broadcast stations covering over 70 percent of the nation’s population, an unprecedented single ownership footprint for broadcast media and an outcome that raises important issues of both localism and competition. It would also violate the national ownership cap ... In addition, the two groups overlap in a number of markets, and the Applicants have failed to detail how they propose to address such overlaps. ... Beyond the media ownership rules, the increased national and local presences raise material competition issues in other areas, including with respect to Sinclair’s increased retransmission consent bargaining power in its dealings with multichannel video programming distributors (“MVPDs”)."

 

There are already somewhere around 15 petitioners, though I could not tell you how many have standing. There were just four objecting parties to the Allbritton acquisition.

[oklahomanewsman 210]

The most consequential filing I see is a request for a time extension by Dish, Public Knowledge, and the American Cable Association. They believe the applications are insufficient to determine if the merger is in the public interest. A few highlights:

 

"This transaction presents substantial competition and media law questions at both the national and local level. At the national level, Sinclair proposes to create the single largest operator of local broadcast stations in the country. The combined Sinclair-Tribune entity would have substantial interests in broadcast stations covering over 70 percent of the nation’s population, an unprecedented single ownership footprint for broadcast media and an outcome that raises important issues of both localism and competition. It would also violate the national ownership cap ... In addition, the two groups overlap in a number of markets, and the Applicants have failed to detail how they propose to address such overlaps. ... Beyond the media ownership rules, the increased national and local presences raise material competition issues in other areas, including with respect to Sinclair’s increased retransmission consent bargaining power in its dealings with multichannel video programming distributors (“MVPDs”)."

 

There are already somewhere around 15 petitioners, though I could not tell you how many have standing. There were just four objecting parties to the Allbritton acquisition.

The part where it talks about the overlapping markets I believe have a valid point and how many in total have made objections to this merger? Regardless of the number of parties making objections, I think it would be a cause for the DOJ Antitrust unit and the DOJ itself to tell Sinclair and Tribune "either divest stations in the overlapping markets or face the rejection of this merger!" I believe that's the most objections to the merger I've seen in a long time, how many objections were made when Sincliar bought Fisher and when then-Gannett (now TEGNA) bought Belo?

[Megatron81 181]

The part where it talks about the overlapping markets I believe have a valid point and how many in total have made objections to this merger? Regardless of the number of parties making objections, I think it would be a cause for the DOJ Antitrust unit and the DOJ itself to tell Sinclair and Tribune "either divest stations in the overlapping markets or face the rejection of this merger!" I believe that's the most objections to the merger I've seen in a long time, how many objections were made when Sincliar bought Fisher and when then-Gannett (now TEGNA) bought Belo?

 

I agree as well the overlap that is why I think Sinclair can't do the shell game with Tribune merger since there so big. This is all but a done deal since I don't see DOJ or FCC rejecting the merger both tell Sinclair has to divest at least the 10 stations.

[GoldenShine9 1509]

I agree as well the overlap that is why I think Sinclair can't do the shell game with Tribune merger since there so big. This is all but a done deal since I don't see DOJ or FCC rejecting the merger both tell Sinclair has to divest at least the 10 stations.

 

As well as enough to affect the national cap. I know two cable interests gave a rebuttal clearly mentioning such as well in the docket, and they are the only ones with actual standing right now.

 

Like it or not, there is no legislation on the books at all that prevents a broadcast company from having a right-wing (or left-wing) agenda or taking partisan stances. If another company wanted to be actively liberal and hire social activists, they would only face the wrath of viewers in declining ratings, not any legal challenges. Hence any denial requests on that alone (so far there are 18) have no standing.

[Eat News 4738]

As well as enough to affect the national cap. I know two cable interests gave a rebuttal clearly mentioning such as well in the docket, and they are the only ones with actual standing right now.

 

Like it or not, there is no legislation on the books at all that prevents a broadcast company from having a right-wing (or left-wing) agenda or taking partisan stances. If another company wanted to be actively liberal and hire social activists, they would only face the wrath of viewers in declining ratings, not any legal challenges. Hence any denial requests on that alone (so far there are 18) have no standing.

 

 

Yes...

And unfortunately broadcaster feel they can only be competitive by taking a side.

 

Polls show the country in a just about even split...so a broadcaster has a 50/50 chance of pleasing the viewer with some kind of slant.

 

It's the new era in which we are living in.

Who would have thought 1 year ago that MSNBC would actually be hitting some ratings goals?

 

Things can pivot now in a matter of day and sometime hours.

 

If Sinclair takes a ratings dump because of the opinions then so be it.

If MSNBC hits ratings gold in the Trump admin then more power to them.

 

It's about ratings and cash flow...dem or repub it's all the same.

 

The are NO morals involved...none.

[Georgie56 3066]

Here's Stelter and Zurawik talking about Sinclair on CNN this morning (albeit a pretty short segment)

 

[MEDIA=twitter]886613587371974656[/MEDIA]

[Rusty Muck 4167]

Here's Stelter and Zurawik talking about Sinclair on CNN this morning (albeit a pretty short segment)

 

[MEDIA=twitter]886613587371974656[/MEDIA]

For David Zurawik - by no means a hyperpartisan figurehead - to take this stand says a lot.

[Samantha 2878]

One petitioner threw in a statement about net neutrality and talked zero about the actual docket. Good grief.

 

On Friday a protective order was released protecting confidential information, like retrans agreements — bog standard in this case.

[bhratbrat 423]

I did put in a statement as well about this talking about too much market reach for one broadcaster.

[Samantha 2878]

I'm not petitioning or filing an informal objection. I have no standing, and I know it. Let the people who actually live in the affected markets file.

[GoldenShine9 1509]

I'm not petitioning or filing an informal objection. I have no standing, and I know it. Let the people who actually live in the affected markets file.

 

Me either, but if I did, it would clearly focus on the overlaps and overall reach. In the Sinclair markets, there are generally 2 or 3 other news operations they can turn to if they don't like the right-wing agenda. Sinclair also has very few market-leading stations given the number of markets they are in, even in rock-ribbed conservative areas they often are laggards.

 

I know many hard left-wing types are tying Fox local stations into that agenda too, but the Fox O&O's don't seem ideologically like Fox News - there is a clear difference between them.

[Samantha 2878]

Me either, but if I did, it would clearly focus on the overlaps and overall reach. In the Sinclair markets, there are generally 2 or 3 other news operations they can turn to if they don't like the right-wing agenda. Sinclair also has very few market-leading stations given the number of markets they are in, even in rock-ribbed conservative areas they often are laggards.

 

I know many hard left-wing types are tying Fox local stations into that agenda too, but the Fox O&O's don't seem ideologically like Fox News - there is a clear difference between them.

 

KSAZ only bends very slightly right, and usually on the national packages ("Had Enough?" left the building years ago). But that could be Kari Lake being an airhead/the station sometimes running "social media" reports that put Millennials in a bad light.

[AJClementeFan69 477]

They don't tilt as far-right, but there's been a noticeable shift since the standardization started IMO. It's not as pervasive as SBG by any means.

[mrschimpf 2061]

I'm not petitioning or filing an informal objection. I have no standing, and I know it. Let the people who actually live in the affected markets file.

 

In Milwaukee about the only thing affected would be WITI having to take must-carry segments (and they'll be easily buried in the middle of ad segments on Wake-Up and the 11am news easily or right after their feature segments, since WITI already shovels Tribune's tech update promo in that show; Evil Boris, the Terror Existence Reminder Desk and Mark Hyman will go between their local feature segment and entertainment rundowns at 9pm); WVTV and WCGV (or what will now be known as the 'My 24 intellectual unit' after the license is turned in) are sponges for Sinclair's other must-carry shows (don't expect WITI to take Full Measure, especially pre-gaming before the NFL; they've already shoved NFL Kickoff to their .2) and WITI has a good physical plant which will handle WVTV/WCGV easily. Although there's plenty of other market issues, I honestly have never had problems with Sinclair's Milwaukee operations; they communicate schedule changes very well and have few on-air technical hiccups to speak of.

[mre29 1340]

the Terror Existence Reminder Desk

 

That's way too wordy. I propose we simply call it the Fear Desk.

[ColtFromGulfcoast 695]

That's unfortunate. Somebody needs to come up with some other reason to get them to stop this deal.

 

There's so many other reasons and that's the only one they can come up with.

[TheOneManHerd 553]

That's way too wordy. I propose we simply call it the Fear Desk.

How about just calling it "Boo!"

[CircleSeven 1944]

An arricle about all of the bad press Sinclair is getting nationally from David Zurawik.

 

Looks like Livingston is now playing defense.

 

From Politico, the VP of News of Sinclair issued this memo to its station's NDs, responding to the negative press they've been getting from other outlets, and defending their "must-run" content.

[Georgie56 3066]

Looks like Livingston is now playing defense.

 

From Politico, the VP of News of Sinclair issued this memo to its station's NDs, responding to the negative press they've been getting from other outlets, and defending their "must-run" content.

 

He's just straight up bullshitting at this point.

 

And just because you say FACT in all caps doesn't make it true.

[Action Newsroom 1150]

Looks like Livingston is now playing defense.

 

From Politico, the VP of News of Sinclair issued this memo to its station's NDs, responding to the negative press they've been getting from other outlets, and defending their "must-run" content.

He's obviously lying. He can't be that delusional to claim all of this as the truth with a straight face.

 

 

... Is he?

[ToriElectra 291]

He's obviously lying. He can't be that delusional to claim all of this as the truth with a straight face.

 

 

... Is he?

Either that, or the Smith family is forcing him to say this crap at gunpoint.

[jbnews 344]

Everyone at Sinclair is just flat out stupid. I have no respect for them and the FCC better get enough complaints. I refuse to watch another Sinclair station and their propaganda newscasts even if the newscast themselves aren't bad.

[TennTV1983 743]

He's just straight up bullshitting at this point.

 

And just because you say FACT in all caps doesn't make it true.

I have to wonder how much of those "facts" are real, and how much are alternative as Kellyanne Conway would put it.

[justin2kx 229]

He's just straight up bullshitting at this point.

 

And just because you say FACT in all caps doesn't make it true.

Reason #101 why i HATE the usage of the word FACT(S)! at the end of a sentence or a rebuttal these days.

 

BTW, I wouldn't blink an eye when Sinclair takes over WPIX, but only because they can't be worst than the management they have now. As long as they calm down turmoil with constant changes, i'm fine. Just fire the News Director. I may be the minority in this other case, but i loved + miss Suki in the mornings. The people (not some of those here *ahem*)loved her + didn't even care about backstage drama/low ratings spiel. Not really warming up yet to the new AM cast yet.