Media Contact: 
Brian Hart, (202) 418-0500
brian.hart@fcc.gov

For Immediate Release

STATEMENT OF CHAIRMAN AJIT PAI ON
SINCLAIR/TRIBUNE TRANSACTION

WASHINGTON, July 16, 2018—Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai issued the following statement today announcing circulation of a draft hearing designation order regarding the Sinclair/Tribune transaction:  

“Based on a thorough review of the record, I have serious concerns about the Sinclair/Tribune transaction.  The evidence we’ve received suggests that certain station divestitures that have been proposed to the FCC would allow Sinclair to control those stations in practice, even if not in name, in violation of the law.  When the FCC confronts disputed issues like these, the Communications Act does not allow it to approve a transaction.  Instead, the law requires the FCC to designate the transaction for a hearing in order to get to the bottom of those disputed issues.  For these reasons, I have shared with my colleagues a draft order that would designate issues involving certain proposed divestitures for a hearing in front of an administrative law judge.”

###

Office of Chairman Ajit Pai: (202) 418-1000
Twitter: @AjitPaiFCC
www.fcc.gov/leadership/ajit-pai

This is an unofficial announcement of Commission action.  Release of the full text of a Commission order constitutes official action.  See MCI v. FCC, 515 F.2d 385 (D.C. Cir. 1974).