Sinclair/Allbritton Deal is DONE

Reuters reports the FCC has approved Sinclair Broadcasting's purchase of Allbritton's broadcast TV stations. The deal includes KATV/Channel 7/Little Rock.  

Thursday's approval "exemplifies the careful scrutiny the (FCC) will provide to broadcast transactions that propose new combinations of sharing arrangements and financial entanglements between a dominant licensee and a so-called sidecar entity," FCC Media Bureau Chief William Lake said in a statement.

"The Media Bureau has demonstrated clearly that it will not allow such combined arrangements to undermine the local TV ownership rule, which is in place to ensure competition and diverse voices on the airwaves."