Group Launches Ads Challenging FCC Chairman Pai to Stop Sinclair-Tribune Merger
The FCC Has Paused The Clock On Their Review of the Merger, But Will They Stand By Their Own Ownership Rules And Say No To This Bad Deal?
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Allied Progress has launched a 30-second ad calling on FCC Chairman Ajit Pai to do his job, enforce the FCC ownership rules, and say no to this bad deal. Since Pai assumed the FCC Chairmanship this year, he has largely been a rubber stamp for President Trump and his special interest allies – pushing through Sinclair’s controversial merger with Tribune. But is the FCC’s latest action a sign that he has decided to take his job seriously? We hope so.
“If Chairman Pai allows this deal to go through, it will be clear that he’s acting in the interest of his political party, not consumers,” said Allied Progress Executive Director Karl Frisch. “While the took a positive step in stopping the clock on their review, under Pai’s leadership the FCC has literally changed the rules just so conservative broadcaster Sinclair can expand its reach to 3 out of 4 households. Allowing this deal to go through would mean less competition and higher costs for consumers.”
“Bad News” will run online this week in Washington, DC and in Los Angeles where Tribune shareholders are meeting to vote on the pending merger.
Under Pai’s leadership, the FCC has paved the way for Sinclair’s business ventures, a fact that Sinclair’s CEO recently bragged about when he said that the, “FCC has been very constructive.”
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.
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.”
If approved it would create the largest TV news monopoly in history, which means less competition, higher costs for consumers and more biased coverage.
The ads come as Senate Democrats call for oversight hearings examining why “it took six days and pressure from Congress and the media for FCC Chairman Ajit Pai to respond” to President Trump’s threats to rescind station broadcast licenses based on the content of newscast. Allied Progress believes that it is essential that oversight of the FCC includes Pai’s conduct related to the FCC’s review of the Sinclair merger.
Script for “Bad News”
There’s a corporate merger happening right now that will create the largest local TV news monopoly in history.
That means less competition…
More biased news coverage…
And higher costs for consumers.
The Sinclair merger will undermine the independent local news we’ve come to trust and rely on.
That’s why consumer groups, progressives and conservatives all agree…
The Sinclair merger is bad news.
Call the FCC today and tell them to stop the Sinclair-Tribune merger.
To speak with Karl Frisch about the Sinclair merger, please contact Annette McDermott at 202-697-4804 or annette@alliedprogress.org.
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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.