By Ted Johnson Sinclair Broadcast Group will pay $48 million in a civil penalty — the largest in the FCC’s history — to close three open government investigations, including of its conduct as it sought to acquire Tribune Media in 2018.
The fines, however, do not revoke FCC licenses, a sanction that some critics of the broadcaster should be imposed given its alleged conduct during the Tribune transaction. “Sinclair’s conduct during its attempt to merge with Tribune was completely unacceptable,” said FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. “Today’s penalty, along with the failure of the Sinclair/Tribune transaction, should serve as a cautionary tale to other licensees seeking Commission approval of a transaction in the future.
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