The Rainbow PUSH Coalition wants the FCC to...
The Rainbow PUSH Coalition wants the FCC to review and reverse the Media Bureau’s approval of Sinclair’s buying Allbritton Communications’ TV stations, said an application for review filed Monday. The request for review hinges on Rainbow PUSH’s 11-year-old contention that…
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Sinclair has improper control over Cunningham Broadcasting, with which it is involved in several shared service arrangements, the application said. In 2002 and 2003, Rainbow successfully challenged Sinclair over its relationship with Glencairn, and the coalition maintains that Cunningham is a successor to Glencairn. Sinclair controls Cunningham’s financing, staffing and programming as it had for Glencairn, Rainbow PUSH said. “All of these protocols worked to the disadvantage of Glencairn and to the advantage of Sinclair for no apparent legitimate business reason.” In approving the Allbritton deal, the bureau didn’t correctly address Rainbow PUSH’s concerns about Sinclair’s conduct, the application said. By approving the Allbritton deal despite previously finding that Sinclair acted improperly with Glencairn, the commission has set a precedent that could encourage recidivism, Rainbow PUSH said. The Allbritton deal should be reversed and the full commission should hear arguments on whether Sinclair and Cunningham should be broadcast licensees and on the nature of Sinclair’s sharing arrangements, Rainbow PUSH said.