Federal Communications Commission	DA 22-605


         DA 22-605
        Released: June 3, 2022 

MEDIA BUREAU ISSUES INFORMATION REQUEST AND PROTECTIVE ORDER FOR APPLICATIONS TO TRANSFER CONTROL OF TEGNA, INC., TO STANDARD GENERAL, L.P.
 
MB Docket No. 22-162


On April 21, 2022, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) accepted for filing applications seeking consent to transfer control of subsidiaries of TEGNA, Inc. (TEGNA), the ultimate parent of the licensees of 64 full-power television stations, two full-power radio stations, and other related FCC licenses, to an indirect subsidiary of SGCI Holdings III LLC (SGCI Holdings), whose Managing Member is Soohyung Kim, the Managing Partner of Standard General L.P. (Standard General and, jointly with TEGNA, the Applicants). Media Bureau Establishes Pleading Cycle for Applications to Transfer Control of TEGNA, Inc., to Standard General, L.P.,. and Permit-but-Disclose Ex Parte Status for the Proceeding, Public Notice, MB Docket No. 22-162, DA 22-443 (MB April 21, 2022).
  On May 12, 2022, Common Cause, The NewsGuild-CWA, and Public Knowledge (collectively, the “Public Interest Parties”) filed a pleading entitled Motion of the Public Interest Parties for Additional Information and Documents and an Extension of Time (“Motion”) related to the transaction.  In light of the questions raised in the Motion, on May 20, 2022, the Bureau extended the pleading cycle, requiring petitions to deny the transaction to be filed by June 22, 2022, oppositions to be filed by July 7, 2022, and replies to be filed by July 18, 2022. Media Bureau Extends Pleading Cycle for Applications to Transfer Control of TEGNA, Inc., to Standard General, L.P., Public Notice, MB Docket no. 22-162, DA 22-562 (MB May 20, 2022).
  

Today, to assist the Commission in performing its public interest analysis of the applications under Section 310(d) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. § 3l0(d).
 the Bureau requested additional documents and information from the Applicants (Information Request).  Simultaneously, the  Bureau adopted and released a Protective Order that will allow interested parties to review that information. 

The Applicants’ responses to the Information Request are due by June 13, 2022, in advance of  the petition to deny deadline, which will remain June 22, 2022.  If entities and/or persons need more time to review the Applicant’s submissions, they may supplement any filed pleadings by the July 18, 2022, deadline for the petitioner(s)’ reply.  Failure to file a petition to deny by the June 22, 2022, deadline will result in consideration of the pleading as an informal objection under Commission rules. 47 CFR § 1.41.


In light of this schedule, we urge all parties who plan to seek access to confidential information submitted in this proceeding (and who have filed or have a good faith intention to file either a petition to deny or material comments) to promptly file an Acknowledgement of Confidentiality, as set forth in the Protective Order, and to make arrangements with the Applicants to receive access to any confidential material they may file. 
For further information, contact David Brown at (301) 908-5926, Chris Robbins at (202) 418-0685, or Joel Rabinovitz, (202) 418-0689.  For press inquiries, contact Janice Wise at (202) 418-8165.  

–FCC–


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