Justice Department This/Close to Approving Sinclair/Tribune Deal

It was only a matter of time...

Word is that President Trump’s Justice Department is days away from clearing the controversial acquisition of Tribune Media by Sinclair Broadcasting.

Antitrust lawyers at the department, which has primary oversight, have recently reached out to colleagues at the Federal Communications Commission to advise them of the move, one source familiar with the matter told the NY Post. 

To gain regulatory approval, Sinclair, which is acquiring 42 Tribune stations, is selling 13 of them, sources said. FTVLive was the FIRST media outlet in the world to tell you that some of those stations would be likely bought by Fox Television. 

The Justice Department approval will come after Sinclair announces agreements on the divestitures, they said.

The FCC will continue its review, which is seen as a much easier hurdle to clear. That decision is expected in August, a source said.

On April 2, Trump addressed the criticism tweeting, “Sinclair is far superior to CNN and even more Fake NBC, which is a total joke.”

So is anyone surprised that his Justice Department is going to sign off on the deal? 

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