ICYMI: Local News Outlets Sounding the Alarm on Sinclair-Tribune Merger
“Sinclair Broadcast Group’s proposed acquisition of Tribune Media is bad news for the principles of localism, diversity and competition”
– Jeffrey Layne Blevins, St. Louis Dispatch
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Earlier this year, Sinclair Broadcast Group announced its intention to purchase Tribune Media – a deal that would allow Sinclair to reach an unprecedented 72 percent of households. Now the conservative news outlet is facing fire from all sides – with concerns of market monopolization to criticisms of the flagrantly partisan political content Sinclair requires its local TV affiliates to air.
All this bad news is having an impact on Sinclair’s bottom line: the stock is down by more than 18 percent since the deal was announced, and in the past five business days, the stock has dropped nearly 5 percent. Meanwhile, the market as a whole is reaching record highs.
See how the Sinclair-Tribune merger is being covered in local news outlets across the country:
Chicago Tribune: Under Sinclair, WGN could be ‘Chicago’s very own’ no more, Robert Channick, 08/10/17
Times Picayune: New Orleans TV: What does the Sinclair-Tribune mega-merger mean for local viewers?, Mike Scott, 8/10/17
MLive.com: Fox17 will join Trump friendly Sinclair if feds approve Tribune deal, Shandra Martinez, 8/10/17
Montana Standard: Beware undisclosed influence on local TV news, James V. Koch, 08/07/17
Baltimore Business Journal: Sinclair Broadcast’s push for industry consolidation called ‘threat to democracy’, Holden Wilen, 08/07/17
Connecticut Post: Sinclair-Tribune deal pushes limits on deregulation, Hugh Bailey, 08/06/17
Cleveland Plain Dealer: Sinclair purchase of WJW Fox 8 triggers concerns about local news content, Mark Dawidziak, 07/30/17
Portland Press-Herald: Sinclair Broadcasting – and 2 Maine TV stations – under fire for pro-Trump segments, Colin Woodward, 07/30/17
Cincinnati CityBeat: FCC’s plans hurt news diversity and competition on local television and online services, Jeffrey Layne Blevins, 07/20/17
The Know, Denver Post: Could Sinclair’s possible purchase of Tribune shift two major Denver TV stations to the right?, Joanne Ostrow, 07/12/17
St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Sinclair’s proposed purchase of Tribune Media is bad news for St. Louis, Jeffrey Layne Blevins, 07/04/17
Richmond Times-Dispatch: Sinclair-Tribune deal raises media concentration worries, John Reid Blackwell, 05/10/17
San Gabriel Valley Tribune: Sinclair buying Tribune Media Co. raises anti-trust, freedom of speech concerns, expert say, Kevin Smith, 05/08/17
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