Unions Accuse Standard and Tegna of Misrepresentation

There's potential "material misrepresentation” by Standard General and Tegna in the proceeding over their proposed combination, said the Communications Workers of America's NewsGuild and the National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians sectors in a letter posted in docket 22-162 Thursday. “There is considerable information in the record indicating that if the applications are granted, Standard General intends to cut jobs at TEGNA,” the filing said. “These documents appear to directly contradict Applicants’ statements and explanations to the contrary made to the Commission.” The FCC's granting motions to require more information of the applicants could help determine if there was misrepresentation, the filing said. A recent White House executive order on national security and the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States “underscores that we are living in unusual times when it comes to foreign investment issues,” the filing said. “The Commission should not assume that CFIUS alone is responsible for the implications of anonymous foreign investment.” "From the day the transaction was announced, Standard General and [CEO] Deb McDermott have made clear the importance of local news to the future of TEGNA," emailed a Standard spokesperson. "They have consistently confirmed that their plans for post-closing TEGNA do not involve station-level layoffs."