June 2018

While offering billions in a bidding war for most of 21st Century Fox’s TV and film assets, both Disney and Comcast are also on the front lines of a battle of words, each trying to position its bid as the one most likely to gain regulatory approval from the government. To be sure, both deals would likely be scrutinized by the Justice Department for different reasons. “I’m not prepared to say which is better positioned,” said Georgetown Economics and Law professor Steve Salop .

The Communications Workers of America, National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians-CWA, the NewsGuild-CWA, and the Parents Television Council have all filed petitions with the Federal Communications Commission asking it to deny the merger between Sinclair and Tribune, which would create the largest broadcast group in the country with over 200 stations.

Federal Communications Commission nominee Geoffrey Starks got a thorough vetting by the Senate Commerce Committee June 20, including a charge from Committee Chairman John Thune (R-SD), who said the "hyperpartisanship of the last commission must come to an end" and called on Starks to "seek opportunities for common ground." Chairman Thune suggested the model for that was the current FCC Chairman Ajit Pai and his "spirit of openness, transparency and collaboration" that he encouraged Starks to embrace.