The Feds are stepping up efforts to shut down so-called
“sidecar” agreements, which critics say allow TV station owners to circumvent
media-ownership rules and control multiple stations in the same market, according to wsj.com.
The Justice Department on Monday filed an antitrust lawsuit
to block one such agreement tied to Gannett’s proposed $1.5 billion acquisition
of Belo Corp. As a result, Gannett and Belo have agreed that Belo’s St. Louis
station will be sold to an independent third party.
Because Gannett already owns a top network affiliate in St.
Louis, such a sidecar deal would have resulted in Gannett owning one of the top
stations in St. Louis “and having significant influence over a second top-three
station serving the same area,” the Justice Department said.
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