The Sinclair Broadcast Group could be widening its reach in Austin. As part of an agreement with Fox Broadcasting, the conservative media giant plans to sell off seven stations for $900 million, in an effort to help win approval from federal regulators examining its highly questionable merger bid with Tribune Media, allowing the company to capture a whopping 70% of the country’s local TV viewership. Within the Fox deal, Sinclair has the option to purchase KTBC Fox 7 Austin for $160 million. Along with its KEYE CBS and Telemundo Austin affiliates, Sinclair would own half of the city’s major TV stations. The media behemoth has come under fire recently for forcing affiliates across the country to spew the same scripted lines denouncing fake news and bias, words that echo President Trump’s Orwellian media criticisms. In a chilling video that circulated online, local CBS anchors were found participating in the segment (“The Propagandists in Our Backyard,” April 6). Considering the backlash KEYE received, it’s hard to imagine the city wanting more Sinclair TV.
This article appears in May 18 • 2018.