Fox in talks to buy TV stations from Sinclair: report
21st Century Fox is in talks to acquire roughly 10 television stations from Sinclair Broadcast Group roughly a month after Walt Disney Co. acquired much of Fox, The Hollywood Reporter reported Wednesday.
The price of the potential deal was unclear, but could provide 21st Century Fox an additional 10 local stations. Trump ally Rupert Murdoch is co-chairman of 21st Century Fox.
Representatives for Fox declined to comment to The Hollywood Reporter.
{mosads}Disney last month announced irts plans to purchase most of Fox’s assets for $52.4 billion. The deal does not include Fox News, Fox Business, Fox Sports 1 or 2, the Big Ten Network or local Fox broadcasting stations.
Sinclair, meanwhile, is seeking government approval for a proposed $3.9 billion purchase of Tribune Media. The deal, if approved, would allow Sinclair stations to reach roughly 72 percent of U.S. households.
Sinclair is known for its right-of-center slant and requires stations to run segments that often include conservative op-eds.
Its potential merger with Tribune Media has drawn criticism from Democrats, who argue the deal would reduce competition in local television markets. Some have said Sinclair should be required to sell some of its stations for the deal to go through.
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