In the 22-page Hearing Designation Order that sees the Sinclair-Tribune merger headed to an hearing presided by an Administrative Law Judge, the petitioners who have standing in the matter were revealed. They include a key voice on Capitol Hill for small and independently-owned MVPDs; Newsmax; and 10 other groups.
At the tail end of the HDO is “Exhibit 1,” which offers an at-glance look at who has standing in the upcoming hearing.
At the top of the list are American Cable Association (ACA) President/CEO Matthew M. Polka and SVP/Government Affairs Ross J. Lieberman.
Who else is on the list? The head outside counsel for Newsmax Media, Jonathan Schiller of Boies Schiller Flexner LLP in New York.
Also gaining status as a petitioner: DISH Network, through its legal counsel at Steptoe & Johnson LLP and its in-house legal team headed by SVP & Deputy General Counsel Jeffrey Blum; Director and Senior Counsel Alison Minea; and Corporate Counsel Hadass Kogan.
Rounding out the petitioner list are Free Press, the Competitive Carriers Association, NTCA-The Rural Broadband Association, and one group representing the interests of Public Knowledge, Common Cause, and United Church of Christ, OC Inc.
The Attorneys General of the States of Illinois, California, Iowa, Oregon, Rhode Island, and the District of Columbia also have standing in the hearing, as does Michael Fletcher, CEO of RIDE Television Network, a Fort Worth, Tex.-based operation.
Who else is on the petitioner list?
David Goodfriend, Chairman of the Sports Fan Coalition has standing, as does Cinemoi President Daphna Edwards Ziman and Public Knowledge Senior Policy Counsel Phillip Berenbroick.
Don’t forget the National Hispanic Media Coalition, too.
