Feds OK with Buffett's WPLG Buy

By John Eggerton
( Broadcasting & Cable )
published

The Federal Trade Commission announced Thursday that it has granted early termination to Warren Buffett's deal to acquire WPLG TV Miami from Graham Holdings Co. in a deal that includes cash and stock.

That means neither the Federal Trade Commission nor the Justice Department have any antitrust issues with the deal that would require conditions or prompt it to sue to block the deal.

The FCC must still approve the license transfer as in the public interest, a standard that goes beyond whether it presents no antitrust issues.

WPLG is an ABC affiliate in the 16th largest market.

John Eggerton
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.