Sinclair Restructures Divestiture Plans, Now Seeks 2 Top-4 Duopolies, Not 3
Sinclair restructured its divestiture plans and will now unload a Harrisburg, Pennsylvania-area station and seek top-four duopolies in two markets -- Indianapolis and Greensboro, North Carolina -- instead of three, according to an amendment to its FCC application. Sinclair had…
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been seeking to own two top-four stations in the Harrisburg market (see 1802210062). The changes come after a conference call with Media Bureau staff in which Sinclair said it would make changes to its application (see 1803060037). The latest amendment also includes changes to Sinclair’s plans if it doesn’t receive FCC permission for the two proposed duopolies. Under the previous plan, unspecified stations in those markets would have gone into the divestiture trust if the FCC rejected the top-four proposals. If the FCC rejects the plan under the March amendment, Sinclair instead wants the agency to allow its takeover of Tribune to close, but grant it temporary waivers to continue to operate the duopolies until it can sell some of the stations. The waivers are appropriate since this will be the first request for permission to own top-four duopolies under the new rules in the media ownership reconsideration order, Sinclair said in the amendment. “Temporary waivers would be appropriate given the uncertainty in the outcome and potential for resulting delay.” The March amendment also changes the way Sinclair characterizes the divestiture trust: In a footnote, Sinclair anticipates it will have already signed purchase agreements with third parties to sell all the stations being divested before they go into the trust. Opponents of Sinclair/Tribune have been critical of a lack of specificity in Sinclair’s divestiture plans (see 1802280047). Sinclair didn’t comment. Sinclair’s amended filing "remains just another smoke and mirrors plan that leaves many more questions than answers," said Sinclair/Tribune deal opponent the Coalition to Save Local Media in a news release. Sinclair's divestiture list is a "placeholder" and the filings still show Sinclair will continue to manage some divested stations through sharing agreements, the group said. "The Department of Justice has rejected these types of sham divestitures in recent broadcast-related consent decrees." The FCC shouldn't start the deal's shot clock based on the amendment, and the plan should be put out for public comment, the coalition said.