FCC Approves Nexstar Acquisition Of Tribune Media

Deal Approved

The FCC has approved NEXSTAR MEDIA GROUP's acquisition of TRIBUNE MEDIA COMPANY for $6.4 billion and related divestiture deals worth $1.32 billion to bring the end result in line with ownership caps. In approving the transaction, the Commission denied two Petitions to Deny from DISH NETWORK and a joint filing by COMMON CAUSE, PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE, UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST, OC INC., and SPORTS FAN COALITION, and informal objections from NEW BEGINNINGS MOVEMENT, FRONTIER COMMUNICATIONS CORP., AMERICAN TELEVISION ALLIANCE, ACA-CONNECTS, AMERICA'S COMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATION, and the NCTA.

Under the deal, NEXSTAR is acquiring News-Talk WGN-A/CHICAGO as the sole radio property in the deal. NEXSTAR will be acquiring CW affiliate KDAF-TV/DALLAS; CW affiliate KIAH-TV/HOUSTON; CW affiliate KPLR-TV/ST. LOUIS; CW affiliate KRCW-TV/SALEM-KRCW-LP/PORTLAND, OR and two translators; FOX affiliate KSWB-TV/SAN DIEGO; CW affiliate KTLA (TV)/LOS ANGELES; FOX affiliate KTVI (TV)/ST. LOUIS; and FOX affiliate KTXL-TV/SACRAMENTO.

Also, FOX affiliate KDVR-TV and CW affiliate KWGN-TV/DENVER and KDVR satellite KFCT-TV/FORT COLLINS; MY NETWORK TV affiliate KXNW-TV/EUREKA SPRINGS-FORT SMITH; FOX affiliate WXIN-TV/INDIANAPOLIS and CBS affiliate WTTV (TV)/BLOOMINGTON-INDIANAPOLIS and satellite WTTK (TV)/KOKOMO; NBC affiliate KFOR-TV and independent KAUT-TV/OKLAHOMA CITY plus 19 translators; FOX affiliate KCPQ-TV/TACOMA-SEATTLE and MY NETWORK TV affiliate KZJO-TV/SEATTLE plus 6 translators; ABC affiliate WGNO-TV and CW affiliate WNOL-TV/NEW ORLEANS; and FOX affiliate WDAF-TV/KANSAS CITY.

And CW affiliate WDCW-TV/WASHINGTON; FOX affiliate WGHP-TV/HIGH POINT-WINSTON-SALEM-GREENSBORO; independent WGN-TV/CHICAGO; CBS affiliate WHNT-TV/HUNTSVILLE; NBC affiliate WHO-DT/DES MOINES; FOX affiliate WITI-TV/MILWAUKEE; FOX affiliate WJW-TV/CLEVELAND; MY NETWORK TV affiliate WPHL-TV/PHILADELPHIA; and CBS affiliate WREG-TV/MEMPHIS.

Being spun off to TEGNA are FOX affiliate WTIC-TV/HARTFORD and CW affiliate WCCT-TV/WATERBURY-HARTFORD; FOX affiliate WPMT-TV/YORK-HARRISBURG-LANCASTER, PA; ABC affiliate WQAD-TV/MOLINE (QUAD CITIES), IL; ABC affiliate WATN-TV and CW affiliate WLMT-TV/MEMPHIS; ABC affiliate WOI-DT and CW affiliate KCWI-TV/AMES-DES MOINES, IA; FOX affiliate WZDX-TV/HUNTSVILLE; from associated company DREAMCATCHER BROADCASTING, LLC, ABC affiliate WNEP-TV/SCRANTON and seven translators.

and, to TEGNA's CAPE PUBLICATIONS, INC., CBS affiliate KFSM-TV/FORT SMITH, AR.

Being divested to SCRIPPS are CW affiliate KASW-TV/PHOENIX plus one translator; CW affiliate WPIX (TV)/NEW YORK; CW affiliate WSFL-TV/MIAMI; FOX affiliate KSTU-TV/SALT LAKE CITY-KKRP-LD/ST. GEORGE, UT and six translators; FOX affiliate WXMI-TV/GRAND RAPIDS plus two translators; CBS affiliate WTVR-TV/RICHMOND; and, from associated company DREAMCATCHER BROADCASTING, LLC, CBS affiliate WTKR-TV/NORFOLK and CW affiliate WGNT-TV/PORTSMOUTH-NORFOLK.

Being divested to CCB LICENSE, LLC (DUJUAN MCCOY's CIRCLE CITY BROADCASTING) are CW affiliate WISH-TV and getTV affiliate WIIH-CD/INDIANAPOLIS and MY NETWORK TV affiliate WNDY-TV/MARION-INDIANAPOLIS.

Commissioner MIKE O'RIELLY lauded the deal as "a win for viewers due to certain efficiencies and consumer opportunities to be gained" and complained that the process for mergers is unnecessarily thorough and the divestitures too broad when broadcasters "are forced to compete against SILICON VALLEY behemoths for advertising dollars." But Commissioner JESSICA ROSENWORCEL charged that the merged NEXSTAR-TRIBUNE has "extraordinary reach" warranting a deeper look but instead the Commission used an outdated UHF-discount measurement and rejected challenges on too strict a standard for standing. And Commissioner GEOFFREY STARKS based his dissent on three points, a failure to show benefits related to localism, a failure to properly apply the burden of proof on the applicants to show why two "top-four" network combinations are being approved in NORFOLK and INDIANAPOLIS, and the UHF discount.

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