FCC Opens Docket on Media General and New Young Broadcasting Merger

The FCC has opened a docket on Media General's bid to merge with New Young Broadcasting.

According to the FCC, the merger would create a group consisting of 32 full-power and 17 low-power TV stations. The FCC would need to extend waivers of its multiple ownership rules in three markets. It would not require a waiver of the newspaper-TV cross-ownership rule because Berkshire Hathaway, which owns newspapers in some Media General markets, would not have an attributable interest in Media General after the merger.

The FCC said it opened the docket, which creates an online repository for comments and reply comments, to make it easier for public participation. The move follows the FCC's announcement earlier in the day to open a docket on another proposed "super group," the combo of Gannett and Belo.

John Eggerton

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.