The American Civil Liberties Union has urged the FCC to deny Sinclair Broadcasting’s proposed merger with Tribune Media, in part defending smaller cable operators against potential harms from the deal.  

In comments filed Tuesday with the FCC, the ACLU attacked the transaction from numerous angles, arguing that it would stifle viewpoint diversity and competition, and taking aim at Sinclair’s reliance on the recently reinstated UHF discount to skirt media ownership limits.  

The ACLU also pointed to harms facing smaller cable stations, asserting that not only would the merger enable Sinclair to push smaller broadcasters, especially in rural areas out of business, it would also give the broadcast giant too much power during retransmission negotiations.