Sinclair Continues to Set its Aim on Fox News
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There has been longtime speculation that Sinclair wants to build a competitor to Fox News.
In the past, Sinclair has denied claims that they would want to take on the cable giant. But their actions speak much louder than their words.
Sources say that Sinclair boss David Smith has long said that he thought Fox News was too liberal (think about that for a second) and he wants to create a truly conservative competitor.
Smith and others from Sinclair have reportedly been speaking with both current and former Fox News personalities about joining the would-be network, which a knowledgeable source says could be led by Tribune Media executive Sean Compton. The company also recently made an overture to conservative radio host Michael Savage.
But before Baltimore-based Sinclair can take on Fox News, it must wait for federal regulators to approve the company's purchase of Tribune Media, which would give Sinclair a cable channel, WGN America, that could be converted to right-leaning news and opinion. "They don't want to cause any waves, but they are preparing for the network as soon as they can," says one source.
Former FCC commissioner Michael Copps, who has loudly opposed Sinclair's $3.9 billion takeover of Tribune, says the company is "trying to look as nonthreatening as possible and make this deal look as innocuous as possible."
Some conservative media insiders, however, don't think Sinclair will go through with a plan to compete against Fox News, and these include one of the television anchors who has spoken with Smith and Sinclair. This person points out that Sinclair "can't even begin to sort of half-make plans" until after the Tribune deal closes. Another source close to Sinclair plays down the significance of meetings with Fox News talent, saying that "a lot of meetings come and go."
