Trump tweets anger at FCC after Pai blocks Sinclair/Tribune merger

Trump: FCC should help Sinclair because it’s a “much needed Conservative voice.”

Jon Brodkin – Jul 25, 2018 12:04 pm | 370

President Donald Trump yesterday lashed out at the Federal Communications Commission over its vote to block Sinclair Broadcast Group’s acquisition of Tribune Media Company.

“So sad and unfair that the FCC wouldn’t approve the Sinclair Broadcast merger with Tribune,” Trump tweeted.

A combination of Sinclair and Tribune “would have been a great and much needed Conservative voice for and of the People,” Trump wrote. Trump contrasted the Sinclair/Tribune denial with the FCC’s approval of Comcast’s purchase of NBCUniversal, which happened in 2011.

“Liberal Fake News NBC and Comcast gets approved, much bigger, but not Sinclair. Disgraceful!” Trump wrote.

So sad and unfair that the FCC wouldn’t approve the Sinclair Broadcast merger with Tribune. This would have been a great and much needed Conservative voice for and of the People. Liberal Fake News NBC and Comcast gets approved, much bigger, but not Sinclair. Disgraceful!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 25, 2018

Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, the FCC’s only Democrat, offered a one-word response to Trump’s tweet: “Disagree.”

Trump had said during his election campaign that his administration would look into breaking up Comcast and NBC, but he hasn’t acted on that threat as president.

FCC was unanimous in vote against merger

The FCC last week voted unanimously against approving the Sinclair/Tribune deal. Sinclair needed to divest some stations in order to stay under federal ownership limits, but FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said the company’s proposal to divest certain stations “would allow Sinclair to control those stations in practice, even if not in name, in violation of the law.”

The FCC didn’t block the merger outright, but it referred the deal to an administrative law judge. Mergers usually don’t survive that legal process.

FCC independence from White House

While the FCC is an independent agency, the president nominates commissioners and appoints the chair. Since the Sinclair/Tribune merger proceeding isn’t over, Trump’s tweet could be an effort to change the outcome.

During the Obama administration, Congressional Republicans accused Obama of having “an improper influence” over the FCC’s decision on net neutrality after Obama publicly supported imposition of net neutrality rules. An investigation by FCC’s independent Inspector General’s (IG) office found “no evidence” of improper influence.

While Pai and Trump have parted ways on Sinclair, Trump’s White House previously supported Pai’s decision to overturn the net neutrality rules.

Democratic lawmakers have also accused Pai of improperly coordinating with Sinclair on several rule changes. The FCC Inspector General agreed to investigate the allegations in February.

Despite blocking the Sinclair/Tribune deal, Pai’s FCC last year relaxed TV station ownership limits in a decision that could pave the way for more media mergers. A US appeals court rejected a challenge to that FCC decision today.