Dangerous Media Deal Dies in South Bend
Posted August 10th, 2009 by Megan Tady
Last fall, Free Press warned that “One of the most damaging media consolidation deals in the country was quietly underway in Indiana’s fourth largest city – South Bend.”
And now, we’re happy to report, the deal has quietly died.
Free Press formally opposed the license transfer of two low-power TV stations in the South Bend market to the market’s already dominant TV and newspaper owner, Schurz Communications.
After hearing from local citizens (thanks to the Free Press petition and help from our lawyers at the Media Access Project), the Federal Communications Commission did not act on the license transfer request, and Schurz abandoned the sale last week.
One local Free Press activist who signed the FCC petition, Joshua Leuthold, said this about the victory:
“I’m glad it turned out in the favor of the public this time around. I think it was more important that a group like Free Press was paying attention enough to know that action was needed. I would not have known what process to follow had they not been there to help me. I’m glad that they were able to get my voice through the appropriate channels for it to be heard.”
