More than a dozen unions, non-profits, media organizations and advocacy groups have filed petitions over the last 48 hours demanding the Federal Communications Commission block a proposed merger between Sinclair Broadcasting Group and Tribune Media.
The groups opposing the merger include the American Civil Liberties Union, Newsmax Media, Dish Network and the Communication Workers of America. The petitions also include a single joint request filed by the state attorneys general of Iowa, Rhode Island and Illinois; Tribune Media, one of the two merging parties, is headquartered in the latter state.
The petitioners claim the merger would not be in the public interest, would harm independent broadcasters and create an atmosphere of unfair competition in the industry. The groups say Sinclair has not meet the high burden necessary to justify the merger.
A collated version of the documents filed with the FCC is embedded below.
