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FCC Rejects Challenge To Tribune Cross-Ownership Waivers
January 31, 2014 at 7:37 AM (PT)
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The FCC has rejected petitions for reconsideration filed by the UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST, THE MEDIA ALLIANCE, CHARLES BENSON and the INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF TEAMSTERS against newspaper-broadcast cross-ownership waivers granted to TRIBUNE, including one for ownership of the CHICAGO TRIBUNE, Talk WGN-A, and CW affiliate WGN-TV/CHICAGO.
The Commission granted the UCC's appeal of the ruling that the group did not have standing to challenge waivers granted in markets in which the UCC is not local, agreeing that the waivers can be considered as one group, but rejected the challenges, including the TEAMSTERS' objection that the unions' pension funds are the financial owners of the company yet another party -- at the time, then-owner SAM ZELL -- actually controlled the board, an arrangement the Commission noted its rules expressly allow.

