Federal Communications Commission FCC 17-171
STATEMENT OF
COMMISSIONER BRENDAN CARR
Re:    Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc., File No. EB-IHD-16-00021748.
The FCC’s sponsorship identification rules require every broadcaster that airs paid programming 
to include both an announcement that the broadcaster was paid to run the program and a statement that 
identifies the sponsor of the program.  These rules provide important consumer protections by ensuring 
that the public can distinguish paid programming from independently-generated content.  They also 
prevent companies from gaining a commercial advantage by purchasing sponsored content that is not 
identified as such.  Today, we advance these goals by proposing the largest fine in the history of the 
agency for a violation of our sponsorship identification rules.
In this case, as in all matters, our obligation is to apply the law to the facts.  At this stage in our 
proceeding, the facts indicate that Sinclair failed to comply with our sponsorship identification rules when 
it aired paid programming regarding the Huntsman Cancer Institute.  While the base forfeiture in this case 
would have resulted in a proposed fine in excess of $6 million, I agree that the totality of the 
circumstances warrant a significant upward adjustment.  I therefore support the proposal to fine Sinclair 
over $13 million for these apparent violations.  Doing so is consistent with the law and the facts.