Citizens for the Republic is against the Sinclair-Tribune merger. The political action committee (PAC), founded by then presidential candidate Ronald Reagan in 1977 to espouse conservative causes, has joined the Coalition to Save Local Media, whose goal is not to save the merger, which it argues would put corporate elites in charge of the news.
“Even in the most capable and responsible hands, Centralized power, in all its forms, breeds exploitation and is anti-conservative,” said Craig Shirley, chairman of Citizens for the Republic (CFTR).”“Conservatives celebrate competition but this proposed merger would eliminate that. Local media news networks are some of the most trusted hard news sources in America. Permitting this merger would dramatically undermine this trust and fake news would spread like wildfire.”
The coalition already comprises a strange bedfellows collection of liberal and conservative voices united in their opposition to the deal. Its membership includes the American Cable Association, Common Cause, the Competitive Carriers Association, the Computer and Communications Industry Association (Amazon, Google, Facebook, Netflix are all members), DISH Network, the Leased Access Programmers Association, NABET-CWA, NTCA (The Rural Broadband Association), One America News Network, Parents Television Council, Public Knowledge, RIDE TV, the Sports Fans Coalition, TheBlaze, and the United Church of Christ.
Full Content: CFTR
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