MRC Objects to Univision Deal; Company Answers Some Criticism
“There can be no doubt that a vote to grant Univision's Petition for Declaratory Ruling will inevitably lead to undue foreign interference in our political and electoral affairs,” said the Media Research Center in a letter posted in FCC docket…
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20-122 Friday. MRC, which operates conservative media watchdog site NewsBusters, opposes Univision’s request to be allowed to be up to 100% foreign owned, which Univision asked in relation to a deal for investment firms ForgeLight and Searchlight Capital Partners to buy a majority of the company (see 2005060038). Univision is “rife with business interest political bias” and “relies upon a lax immigration enforcement regimen in order to remain viable, and a willingness to nudge trusting viewers to vote for equally-minded candidates,” MRC said. Univision, part-owner Grupo Televisa, ForgeLight and Searchlight Friday pushed back on oppositions to the declaratory ruling and deal raised by Free Press and Mijente (see 2006190048). Their objections are to the FCC’s foreign ownership rules rather than deal-specific concerns, said the companies. The public interest organizations’ arguments that the deal represents broadcast consolidation also aren’t valid, the filing said. “That Free Press and Mijente would prefer a different, hypothetical buyer(s) of Univision is not valid grounds for objection.”