FCC Chairman Ajit Pai wasted no time issuing a statement on Monday regarding the Inspector General’s report on the FCC’s dealings with Sinclair. That’s because the report concluded that there was no evidence that the FCC showed favoritism towards Sinclair with regard to the Sinclair-Tribune merger.
Here is Pai’s statement:
“I’m pleased that the Office of Inspector General has concluded that there was ‘no evidence, nor even the suggestion, of impropriety, unscrupulous behavior, favoritism towards Sinclair, or lack of impartiality related to the proposed Sinclair-Tribune Merger.’ I have called on the FCC for many years to update its outdated media ownership regulations to match the realities of the modern marketplace. As I said when this investigation was first announced, the suggestion that I favored any one company was absurd, and today’s report proves that Capitol Hill Democrats’ politically-motivated accusations were entirely baseless.”
In his press release, the Commissioner tagged on a list of “highlights” from the report, as if to drive the message home.
It’s a hurdle cleared for the controversial commish but don’t be surprised if this one hasn’t gone away yet. [See our story below on the statement released by Energy and Commerce Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ).
