On June 7, 2018, the National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC) joined the Free Press Action Fund and other activists in a protest at Sinclair’s corporate headquarters in Hunt Valley, MD, speaking about why this merger is not in the public’s interest.
If the Federal Communications Commission approves Sinclair Broadcast Group’s plan to acquire Tribune Media Co., Sinclair will become the largest broadcaster, gaining unprecedented market share with access to over 70% of American households in 102 markets. Sinclair would also continue its dangerous pattern of requiring “must run segments” transitioning decision-making authority away from local stations at a much larger scale. This merger would harm localism, viewpoint diversity, and is a clear threat our democracy.
In a season of media consolidation, NHMC will continue to highlight the harms of corporate mergers.
