My in-depth and comprehensive content analysis of the mega-group’s news-producing stations suggest that it just might be. I wonder if David Smith knows about this.
JESSELL AT LARGE
Is Sinclair Too Liberal And Too Anti-Trump?
Since Sinclair announced in May that it was buying Tribune Media, barely a week has gone by without some news outlet running a story raising concerns that not only will the merged group be unduly large (more than 200 TV stations!), but that its newscasts will reflect the conservative political views of its guiding force, David Smith.
I, myself, wrote a column wondering why Smith would want to muck up local newscasts with national “must-run” stories aimed at “balancing” the mainstream media and commentaries from the right-wing Mark Hyman and Trump apologist Boris Epshsteyn.
But, being the good reporter that I am, I decided to take a closer look and, lo and behold, I found that most of Sinclair’s news-producing stations were as mainstream as the Mississippi River.
And if you believe that mainstream is synonymous with liberal (I don’t), then Sinclair will be, upon closing of the Tribune deal, the nation’s undisputed purveyor of liberal news and views in broadcast television.
In my diligent research, I found many damning news reports about President Trump, his populist agenda and his apparent collusion with the Russians during the campaign.
On top of that, I found crackling satire aimed at Trump and the GOP leadership just about every day in late night and heaps of scripted entertainment programming that make a mockery of traditional family values.
BRAND CONNECTIONS
Many of these stations, I would note, are not in blue states where the out-of-touch elites dwell, but in solidly red states that generally back Republicans and supply Trump with his he-can-do-no-wrong supporters.
They are in towns like Huntsville, Ala.; Memphis, Tenn., Fort Smith, Ark.; and Columbia, Mo.
As I’m sure you’ve guessed by now, I really didn’t do much research at all. I merely counted the number of ABC, CBS and NBC affiliates Sinclair will have post-merger. The number I came up with is 71 (26 ABC, 27 CBS and 16 NBC) based on a station list supplied by BIA/Kelsey. That’s 71 markets out of 108 that Sinclair will have post-merger, assuming it isn’t forced to spin off some by the FCC.
Here’s a footnote: With the Tribune buy, Sinclair is absorbing eight Big Three affiliates that once belonged to what Smith would say is the most liberal of all the America-hating liberal media — the New York Times Co.
The Times sold its mid-market group of eight Big Three affiliates along with an independent in 2007 to a private equity firm, which flipped it six years later to Tribune.
When Sinclair closes on Tribune, that Times DNA will become part of Sinclair. I wonder how the longtime employees of those stations feel about going to work for Sinclair.
So, think about it. Although critics of the Sinclair-Tribune merger sound alarms that Sinclair is aiming to create a conservative propaganda machine on the order of Fox News, it will be, in fact, the major conduit for the rather conventional broadcast news of Anthony Mason, David Muir and Lester Holt.
The Big Three news operations may eschew outright commentary, but they deliver heavy doses of critical news analysis from the likes of Jonathan Karl, George Stephanopoulos, Chuck Todd and John Dickerson.
Sinclair responded this week to the MVPDs and self-appointed public interest groups that have petitioned the FCC to block the Tribune merger.
In its defense, Sinclair says that its Washington news bureau “contributes not only to the quantity and quality of information available to local viewers around the country, but adds to the diversity of viewpoints on national issues by providing a new voice in addition to those of ABC, NBC and CBS, which currently dominate the national broadcast news offerings in most local markets.”
That first struck me as odd. It sounded as it was not fully aware that it was responsible for the dominance of the Big Three in national broadcast news in dozens of markets.
But I think I get it.
In 2004, Sinclair created a big stink when it ordered its ABC affiliates not to carry a segment of Nightline showing servicemen who had died in Iraq. Sinclair explained that it felt the segment was politically motivated and aimed at undermining the nation’s war effort in Iraq.
That didn’t go over well, serving only to confirm for many that Sinclair was a cranky right-wing outfit, ever more dangerous the bigger it got.
Plus, Sinclair can’t really make a habit of preempting its Big Three news offerings as a business matter. The networks simply will not stand for it, although affiliates’ right to preempt is insured by the FCC. Like everything else the networks offer, the news is for all intents and purposes “must run.”
I’m guessing Sinclair’s strategy is to counterprogram itself. If ABC, CBS and NBC are going to spin stories one way, its local newsrooms in Washington and Baltimore will spin them another while covering stories that the networks miss because of their liberal myopia.
It’s hard to fault such a strategy.
I believe that Sinclair’s national news is much more conservative than the networks’ are liberal. But, for the foreseeable future, the networks will be pumping out far more national news than Sinclair is. As Sinclair said in its filing, the Big Three “dominate the national broadcast news offerings in most local markets.” Right now, it all kind of evens out.
So, the next time you hear someone say that Sinclair will destroy America by broadcasting politically driven news, you should ask: What news — ABC, CBS or NBC?
Harry A. Jessell is editor of TVNewsCheck. He can be contacted at 973-701-1067 or here. You can read earlier columns here.
Comments (18)
Snead Hearn says:
August 25, 2017 at 2:37 pm
Harry your article is interesting and thought provoking and I happen to agree. However I am willing to bet you will get some strong feed back from people who oppose this merger and do not see ABC,CBS or NBC being politically motivated.
Erik Stone says:
August 25, 2017 at 2:48 pm
point is that there is always an abc cbs nbc fox in every dma …. dont like the news you got options…..
Julien Devereux says:
August 25, 2017 at 3:10 pm
Is Sinclair Too Liberal And Too Anti-Trump?
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Brian Bussey says:
August 25, 2017 at 3:17 pm
no media should have 70% penetration. I don’t care if they were owned by the Girl Scouts..
John Livingston says:
August 26, 2017 at 12:13 am
Were heading there I’m fine with 55 to 60% of the country. I think the cap go’s up to 45 to 50% just my opinion.
Bo Berezansky says:
August 25, 2017 at 3:22 pm
Agreed, Harry.
H Schlenger says:
August 25, 2017 at 3:24 pm
Was this your deliberate “well researched and diligent provocative lie” or was a cosmic stream of anti-consciousness sweeping through from the Van Alien belt beta-frequencies at the time of writing? (quote) Here’s a footnote: With the Tribune buy, Sinclair is absorbing eight Big Three affiliates that once belonged to what Smith would say is the most liberal of all the America-hating liberal media – the New York Times Co.
H Schlenger says:
August 25, 2017 at 3:25 pm
“America hating” Liberal Media? Strewth fake news.
Jean Garneau says:
August 25, 2017 at 3:44 pm
Come on. Just covering the man gives him control of the message. It does not matter how he is portrayed. Wanna damage Trump? Ignore him entirely. This is all subterfuge. BTW, the merger is not as interesting as the FCC proposal to eliminate main studio rule.
Veronica Serrano Padilla says:
August 25, 2017 at 4:37 pm
True. The one thing President Cheeto-face hates is to be ignored, hence his hissy fit (and alternative fact lies) over lesser number of attendees at his inauguration than Obama’s…
Dan Levitt says:
August 25, 2017 at 6:28 pm
Poor choice of a day to post such a popular topic on a weekend exodus. Yet another distraction from the more serious issues of the merger which include monopoly of ad revenue from via CoxReps and revenue derived from advertising and marketing disguised as News content and unfair trade practices by elimination local production houses from producing advertising because these (Tribune) Stations run the ads on a news budget while airing the ads as news rather than the old-fashioned way of commercial production and ads run as :30 second spots. Also the continued confusion of programmatic and corruption of ad agency kickbacks and bid-rigging, which the DOJ is still investigation. TVnewscheck is a hand puppet of Sinclair/Tribune/Coxreps and never has any real articles opposed to the merger
John Livingston says:
August 26, 2017 at 12:18 am
Even with Sinclair’s must runs they also take stuff from CBS, ABC, NBC news service as they take CBS reports for WWMT seen it on there noon newscast & 5PM newscast. When I turn to them for the weather forecast no matter those that say Sinclair is conservative aren’t going to change their minds I believe Sinclair is conservative and I have no problem with it. Since 80% of the media is liberal now granted I know a lot will disagree with that and say there isn’t a liberal bias but I believe there is a liberal bias.
Daniel Koenig says:
August 26, 2017 at 12:21 am
WBMA ABC3340 (Birmingham, AL is definitely left leaning. The station does everything they can to discredit or put down President Trump, emphasizing every negative. Only reason I watch the station is their long serving & very popular weatherman, James Spann. Otherwise, I just turn the sound off & bring up the sound for weather & sports.
Mark LeGrand says:
August 26, 2017 at 2:30 am
The article failed to mention that Sinclair’s takeover of Tribune Media includes the three biggest markets: WPIX in New York, KTLA in Los Angeles and WGN in Chicago, none of which are ABC, CBS or NBC affiliates. WGN has the highest rated morning and primetime newscasts in the market… and if Sinclair is shortsighted enough to destroy the station’s credibility with embarrassing must-run national political propaganda disguised as objective news coverage and commentary (as recently featured on “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver”), drive away beloved and respected talent, alienate long-time loyal viewers and advertisers, Sinclair may very well turn what is arguably Chicago’s most beloved local television station into the most hated… and that would make ABC, CBS and NBC in Chicago very happy.
Teri Keene says:
August 26, 2017 at 7:14 pm
I live there, and I can concur. WGN anchor Mark Suppelsa recently announced his retirement, and could be the first of many heading for the exits.
Dan Levitt says:
August 26, 2017 at 3:18 pm
The other problem with this article is that it doesn’t concern Real TV People. Anybody who really had a concern about the merger would be saving the Political ramifications for last. Concerns of Consolidation and layoffs etc. is what REAL TV People should be concerned about. Political Agenda is a VIEWER Issue and anybody HERE talking about Right or Left Agenda doesn’t amount to a hill of beans.
Teri Keene says:
August 26, 2017 at 7:28 pm
I’ve seen this in radio – particularly in the 2000’s with Clear Channel and Cumulus. Jessell doesn’t seem to be sympathetic to Real TV people, who obviously care more about the medium and see it as more than just a vehicle to sell junk. I’ve seen enough of backstabber “Paul” from Sprint and Mark Wahlberg and his damn chipmunk. And the moron signing “Sweet Caroline” in his car.
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