Question about the Sinclair stations..are they in trouble

[Peacetrain]

As bad as Fox is, the Sinclair syndicate is going to be upwards of 60% or more of our local stations.. They are a conservative group.. I have heard that they are in some financial trouble (fingers crossed) and then listening to CNN on the chyron it said... senators are encouraging federal agencies to advertise on local media.. here is the question... Are they trying to get a bail out?? Looking to those who have greater insight into this than me... Thanks!!

[mwooldri]

1. I don't know much... but here's my take

Sinclair last summer/fall bought a whole lot of Regional Sports Networks (RSNs) (often branded Fox Sports XXX or some other local name) from Fox via Disney. Then sports shut down in March. Also that there's a bunch of contract renewals and companies like AT&T, Dish, Comcast etc are finding the cost of renewing the contract to carry the RSNs a bit too much to swallow and aren't carrying them anymore, or threatening not to.

Now the local broadcast stations have similar downward pressure - advertising budgets being cut back, so less revenue...

I say Sinclair Broadcast Group are struggling but probably just as much as Nexstar - who acquired a bunch of stations lately. Tegna (former Gannett TV operations) is in a good place as before the lockdown they were subject to a hostile takeover bid. But all broadcast media will have downward pressure due to a weak advertising market right now.

[yonder]

2. Thanks for the insight.

[Peacetrain]

3. Thank you... like I said we saw the statement go by on the chyron

and Hubby and I both went straight to .. some one is trying to bail them out.. I know I should not jump to conclusions..but with this group, you can not trust them as far as you can throw them..

[Blue_true]

5. Like the thug character Mel Gibson played said after blowing up some mobsters,

"They were right not to trust me". You are always right not to trust Trump or anyone that is in his orbit out of free will.

[crickets]

4. Interesting. Thanks for that. nt

[Boomerproud]

6. Fingers crossed indeed

[Hermit-The-Prog]

7. They would never achieve such a percentage if we had an FCC working for us.