Deals
FCC Weighs Revamping Ownership Rules Before Sinclair Deal
- Conversation with Chairman Pai, according to Newsmax’s Ruddy
- Sinclair wants to buy 42 TV stations from Tribune Media
This article is for subscribers only.
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai has told an opponent of Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc.’s proposed purchase of Tribune Media Inc. that the agency may review media ownership rules before ruling on the $3.9 billion deal, something that could delay a decision on the merger.
“Ajit Pai told me in my meeting that he has not decided to approve the merger first, that he may conduct a review of the ownership cap," Christopher Ruddy, chief executive officer of Newsmax Media Inc., said in an interview Friday. “I can confirm to you on the record that he told me that he had not decided and that he was open to doing the review first. And I encouraged him to do it."