It’s hard to predict whether the FCC will require TV...
It’s hard to predict whether the FCC will require TV stations that provide services to other stations in the same market to report an attributable interest for ownership limit purposes, Sinclair Broadcast Group CEO David Smith told analysts during the…
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company’s Q4 earnings call Wednesday. “We don’t think it is even remotely fair to contemplate” making joint services or shared services agreements attributable, he said. Asked whether consolidation among TV station owners gives station groups more leverage with distributors or networks in retransmission consent and affiliation agreements, Smith said no. “The reality is a real television station stands on its own in every market that it’s in,” he said. “If you have a really great television station and run a great business … that’s all the negotiating leverage you need.” Sinclair Q4 sales increased 58 percent from a year earlier to $278.1 million on higher political ad sales and due to several stations the company acquired in the last year. Net income increased 69 percent to $144.7 million. Sinclair shares closed up 2 percent Wednesday at $14.49.