Sinclair Broadcasting No Longer Purchasing Tribune Media

Pat FanninAugust 9, 2018, 3:51 pm

Sinclair Broadcasting won’t be buying Tribune Media.

The potential merger between Tribune Media and Sinclair Broadcasting Company has ended as Tribune canceled the deal. Sinclair is the parent company of Ring Of Honor and the deal would have given the company control over WGN which is airing All In Zero Hour later this year.

The FCC Chairman Ajit Pai publicly stated last month that he had concerns about the purchase because of the amount of control it would grant Sinclair over too many stations.

Based on a thorough review of the record, I have serious concerns about the Sinclair/Tribune transaction. I have shared with my @FCC colleagues a draft order that would designate issues involving certain proposed divestitures for a hearing in front of an administrative law judge. pic.twitter.com/WnCTGiC7Da

— Ajit Pai (@AjitPaiFCC) July 16, 2018

When Pai made his concerns known, it was reported that the process Sinclair would have went through was considered to basically end the deal. It is unclear if the FCC concerns caused Tribune to pull out of the deal worth nearly 4 billion dollars.