ICYMI: NYT Documents Sinclair’s Cozy Relationship with Regulators
New York Times story uncovers new details about Sinclair’s campaign to get special treatment from Trump administration
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In case you missed it, this morning, The New York Times published a front-page story on Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Ajit Pai’s cozy relationship with Sinclair Broadcast Group. The scathing investigative report focuses on Sinclair’s efforts to use its influence with the Trump administration to advance the company’s corporate agenda and expand its reach to an unprecedented 72 percent of U.S. households with its intention to purchase Tribune Media for $3.9 billion.
The Times reports that many regulatory changes spearheaded by Pai, a conservative media regular and long-time Republican recruit for political office, align directly with Sinclair’s business interests. From the New York Times report:
Since becoming chairman in January, Mr. Pai has undertaken a deregulatory blitz, enacting or proposing a wish list of fundamental policy changes advocated by Mr. Smith and his company. Hundreds of pages of emails and other documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act reveal a rush of regulatory actions has been carefully aligned with Sinclair’s business objectives.
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An examination of the F.C.C. records shows that the Smith-Pai alliance does not follow the familiar script of a lobbyist with deep pockets influencing policy. Instead, it is a case of a powerful regulator and an industry giant sharing a political ideology, and suddenly, with the election of Mr. Trump, having free rein to pursue it — with both Mr. Smith, 66, and Mr. Pai, 44, reaping rewards.
According to The Times, Sinclair is not hiding its affinity for Chairman Pai and his ideology:
“Thankfully we’ve got Chairman Pai, who’s launched an action to look at antiquated rules,” Christopher S. Ripley, who became Sinclair’s chief executive in mid-January, said in a recent speech, adding that the rules had “artificially tipped the playing field away from TV broadcast.”
But critics say the rollback undermines the heart of the F.C.C. mission to protect diversity, competition and local control in broadcast media. It also gives an increasingly prominent conservative voice in broadcast television — Sinclair has become known for its right-leaning commentary — an unparalleled national platform, as television remains the preferred source for most Americans of news, according to Pew.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL NEW YORK TIMES STORY
To speak with Karl Frisch about the Sinclair-Tribune merger, please contact Tucker Middleton at 202-644-8526 or tucker@alliedprogress.org.
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