Consumer Group to Senate: Drain the Swamp, Block Pai
Vote on Controversial FCC Nominee Ajit Pai Slated for Next Week
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, the Senate debated Ajit Pai’s nomination to continue serving as Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Pai has been heavily criticized for his cozy relationships with the companies and entrenched special interests he should be regulating.
“The FCC is there to protect consumers and regulate industries. But instead of doing what’s best for the American people, Ajit Pai is singularly focused on helping his allies in the telecom industry,” said Karl Frisch, Executive Director of Allied Progress.
Frisch continued, “Ajit Pai is using his position at the FCC to change the rules to make way for the Sinclair-Tribune merger. Enough is enough. The Senate should say no to Pai’s nomination and no to this merger that will be bad for consumers and bad for independent local news.”
According to investigative reports, Pai has bent over backwards to do the bidding of conservative broadcaster Sinclair. According to The New York Times, since becoming FCC Chairman, “Pai has undertaken a deregulatory blitz, enacting or proposing a wish list of fundamental policy changes advocated by” Sinclair Broadcast Group.
The FCC is currently reviewing Sinclair’s bid to merge with Tribune Media. If approved it would create the largest TV news monopoly in history, which means less competition and higher costs for consumers.
Politico has reported, that Sinclair “got a critical assist this spring from Republican FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, who revived a decades-old regulatory loophole that will keep Sinclair from vastly exceeding federal limits on media ownership.”
To speak with Karl Frisch about the Sinclair-Tribune merger, please contact Annette McDermott at annette@alliedprogress.org or 202-697-4804.
# # #
Allied Progress uses hard-hitting research and creative campaigns to stand up to Wall Street and powerful special interests and hold their allies in Congress and the White House accountable.