Objections to Apollo Buy of Cox, Northwest Stations 'Speculative', Say Deal Partners

docket 19-98 Wednesday. “These ill-informed, speculative fears cannot provide a basis for delaying or denying.” Anticonsolidation groups claiming Terrier Media will gut local news programs because it's owned by private equity investors are ”simply wrong,” the joint filing said. “If Terrier Media ruins the local services the Stations provide, then it will have significantly undermined the value of its substantial investment in this business.” Arguments from the American Television Alliance that the acquisition would affect retransmission consent negotiations are “transparent regulatory rent-seeking” that the FCC has repeatedly rejected, the joint filing said. “No MVPD is ever required to sign any retransmission consent agreement. Ever.” ATVA, Common Cause and the United Church of Christ Office of Communications also failed to show that the transaction would affect any of their members, calling their standing into question, the joint filing said. The broadcasters also responded to an accusation from Darryl Beauford -- a viewer of Cox's WSB-TV Atlanta -- who said the deal should be rejected because he was denied access to the station’s physical public file when he tried to view it in 2015. Beauford didn't clearly explain what he was seeking, and station staff did let him view the physical file once it became clear which document he wanted to view, the joint filing said.