Report: FCC to Levy Multimillion-Dollar Fine on Sinclair

Reuters reported Friday that the FCC was proposing to fine Sinclair over $13 million for running paid promotions for a cancer institute without labeling them appropriately.

The FCC would not confirm the fine, and Sinclair had no comment, but if that is the case, Sinclair will have a chance to respond, then challenge the fine if the FCC proceeds to levy it.

A coalition including, cable operators and programmers, seeking to block the Sinclair/Tribune merger leapt on the news to renew its call to deep six it.

“The latest fine the FCC plans to levy against Sinclair just adds to the long list of evidence that the FCC-licensed broadcaster will not act in the public interest if its proposed merger with Tribune is approved," said the Coalition to Save Local Media.

Coalition members are a diverse group that includes the American Cable Association, Dish, and Common Cause.

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.