FCC Chairman Ajit Pai is under investigation for possible collusion with Sinclair Broadcasting
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai is being investigated by the FCC inspector general over suggestions that he improperly scrapped regulations to help Sinclair Broadcast Group buy rival TV station operator Tribune Media, Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) and two congressional aides told The New York Times on Thursday. The investigation was reportedly launched in December, and it is unclear how far along it has come or when it will conclude. The FCC inspector general's office doesn't always publish its findings, though they can be procured through Freedom of Information Act requests.
Last April, Pai pushed through the first of several regulatory changes that allow TV broadcasters to increase the number of stations they own — Sinclair, already the nation's largest TV broadcaster, would own 223 stations reaching 72 percent of households if its $3.9 billion Tribune purchase goes through. Under rules in place since the 1970s, broadcasters were limited to 39 percent of markets. Pai calls those rules outdated in the internet age, but critics say the conservative Sinclair's vast expansion would limit the diversity of news in markets across the U.S.
Pai had met with Sinclair executives right before President Trump elevated him to chairman and corresponded with Sinclair officials several times afterward, and Pai has refused requests from Democratic lawmakers to hand over his communications with Sinclair and the White House. "For months I have been trying to get to the bottom of the allegations about Chairman Pai's relationship with Sinclair Broadcasting," Pallone told the Times. "I am grateful to the FCC's inspector general that he has decided to take up this important investigation." A spokesman for Pai has described the accusations as "baseless," pointing out that Pai has long favored deregulation and the FCC fined Sinclair for deceptive advertising in December.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
'A great culture will be lost if the EV brigade gets its way'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Visa and Mastercard agree to lower swipe fees
Speed Read The companies will cap the fees they charge businesses when customers use their credit cards
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
What does 'Quiet on the Set' mean for the future of kids' TV?
In the Spotlight A new documentary exposes the 'dark underbelly' of Nickelodeon productions
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Visa and Mastercard agree to lower swipe fees
Speed Read The companies will cap the fees they charge businesses when customers use their credit cards
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Reddit IPO values social media site at $6.4 billion
Speed Read The company makes its public debut on the New York Stock Exchange
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Housing costs: the root of US economic malaise?
speed read Many voters are troubled by the housing affordability crisis
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Feds cap credit card late fees at $8
speed read The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau finalized a rule to save households an estimated $10 billion a year
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Immigration helped the US economy outpace peers
speed read The U.S. economy grew at an annualized rate of 3.2% last quarter
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
4-day workweek gets boost from UK study
Speed Read Following a six-month trial, the majority of participating British companies are still using the truncated schedule
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US sues to block Kroger-Albertsons merger
Speed Read The Federal Trade Commission sued to block the $24.6 billion merger between the grocery giants
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Nvidia sees historic stock rise on AI chips success
Speed Read U.S. chipmaker Nvidia achieved the biggest one-day increase in value of any company in history
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published