The Growth of Sinclair’s Conservative Media Empire

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/10/22/the-growth-of-sinclairs-conservative-media-empire

Now Sinclair is talked about again but this time the comparisons to Fox News comes into play. and it goes back to the failed Tribune talks to what we mentioned last week over the Rumored report that Sinclair was going to take over the Cox Owned Stations(WFXT, WSB and KIRO) and Fox Sports West (LA regional Sports Outlet)

https://www.bizjournals.com/baltimo...roadcast-ceo-eyes-deal-for-foxs-regional.html

 

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

https://deadline.com/2018/10/sincla...own-deregulation-talk-fcc-tribune-1202485335/

Here is more on Sinclair talking on the FCC, and more rumored deals.

https://www.adweek.com/tv-video/sin...r-the-right-price-ill-literally-buy-anything/

If anyone thought Sinclair Broadcast Group might be skittish about future mergers and acquisitions in light of the federal government’s push to shut down the $3.9 billion merger with Tribune Media, think again.

“We are proponents of deregulation, and we are too small of an industry not to be,” Sinclair CEO Chris Ripley remarked this afternoon at the NAB Show in New York.

ADVERTISING

inRead invented by Teads
Ripley, who referred to himself as “a reformed investment banker,” maintained that Sinclair is still focused on consolidation in television, despite pushback from the federal government, which led to Chicago-based Tribune pulling out of the deal. The Tribune-Sinclair debacle wasn’t discussed during the 30-minute conversation, much to the chagrin of many in the audience.

Ripley was asked if Sinclair—America’s largest owner of U.S. TV stations—would ever consider purchasing a cable operator. He remarked that while no offer is presently on the table, “I’ll never say no to anything … for the right price, I’ll literally buy anything,” a response which elicited a chuckle from the audience.

This was in lockstep with comments Ripley made a few months ago that Sinclair would be interested in acquiring Fox’s regional sports networks that Disney would likely have to sell off as a result of the 21st Century Fox deal. He maintained his interest level today.

Ripley also spoke about Sinclair’s desire to attract young people through its emerging media platforms. He asserted that the next generation wants that local broadcast content for which Sinclair is so well-known, and that it’s working on providing content to this cord-cutting generation through these platforms.

From the Rumored deal with Disney and Fox to get Fox Sports West to a Rumored network to get Trump Viewers away from Fox News.

 

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

http://www.baltimoresun.com/enterta...clair-epshteyn-anti-press-20181025-story.html


Here is a Follow up story on Sinclair

I took a pass last month on writing about an interview Boris Epshteyn, chief political analyst for the Sinclair Broadcast Group, did with President Donald Trump.

But given what happened yesterday with the attempted delivery of bombs addressed to CNN and various Democratic leaders whom Trump has rallied his supporters against, such as Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, I need to denounce the performance of Epshteyn and the role of Sinclair in this interview in no uncertain terms. This kind of production not only supports and enables Trump in his toxic rhetoric, it amplifies his message and surely legitimatizes it in the minds of some.



I have written until my fingers ached about the dangers of Trump’s anti-press screeds the last three years. And I have certainly not spared any words in denouncing Fox News enablers of Trump like Sean Hannity.


But Sinclair is in my backyard with its headquarters in Hunt Valley. And while I suspect I have written more about it the last two years than any other media critic in the country, it’s not enough when an institution that sells itself as journalism is spreading a propagandistic message with the potential to further inflame the passions of a hyper-polarized country careening toward midterms.