Holes in Record Necessitate Standard/Tegna Pause, Critics Say

The Standard/Tegna record still has unanswered questions about transferee Standard General's qualifications to be an FCC licensee, so the agency shouldn't start discussing deal conditions until the threshold qualifications issue is resolved, the Communications Workers of America's NewsGuild and the National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians told an aide to Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and Media Bureau Deputy Chief Sarah Whitesell, per a docket 22-162 filing Friday. The workers' groups urged the commission to suspend its deal review shot clock until the record is also supplemented on whether the purchase is in the public interest. Standard's plans for cutting station-level jobs or not post-transaction still need clarification and if the companies have misrepresented those plans, the applications must be designated for hearing, the groups said. Standard outside counsel didn't comment.