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At Press Time

Jul 23, 2001  •  Post A Comment

FCC approval near
Washington-The Federal Communications Commission is expected to approve News Corp.’s $5.35 billion acquisition of Chris-Craft Industries’ 10 TV stations early this week, giving the media giant at least a year to comply with relevant agency ownership limits. The media giant needs the regulatory slack because the deal will give it interests in stations reaching 41 percent of the nation’s TV households, and existing rules cap audience reach at 35 percent. News Corp. is also expected to get up to two years to hold the New York Post, its WNYW-TV station and Chris-Craft’s WWOR-TV in New York-even though the agency’s regulations bar a company from owning daily newspapers and TV stations in the same market. The FCC’s temporary waivers are expected to be approved 3-2, with the agency’s two Democrats dissenting. Sources say Fox is expected to sell the Chris-Craft station in Salt Lake City, KTVX-TV, to Clear Channel Communications.
DTV funding OK’d
Washington-Congress approved $20 million in digital transition funding for public broadcasters as part of a larger supplemental budget bill that now awaits the president’s signature. Public TV and radio stations will receive the money during fiscal year 2001. They had also sought a commitment for fiscal year 2002, but Rep. Billy Tauzin, R-La., chairman of the House Energy & Commerce Committee, blocked it over concerns that there are inequities in the way the Corporation for Public Broadcasting distributes funds to stations.
News director moves
New York-Neil Goldstein will replace Susan Sullivan as news director at WNYW-TV, New York. Mr. Goldstein, who is news director at WJBK-TV, Detroit, gave notice last week.