American Television Alliance Statement on FCC Issuing NAL Against Nexstar and Mission Broadcasting

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The American Television Alliance (ATVA) issued a statement in response to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issuing a Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture (NAL) against Nexstar Media Group and Mission Broadcasting, determining that the two entities willfully violated FCC rules by engaging in an unauthorized transfer of control of the WPIX(TV) station in New York, NY.

“The FCC confirmed today what many in the marketplace have known for a long time: Mission is not a real, independent broadcaster. Nexstar fully controls Mission (and WPIX) and has from the beginning,” said ATVA spokesperson Will Johnson. “We applaud the FCC for putting a stop to Nexstar’s unlawful behavior.”

The NAL requires Nexstar to pay $1,224,790 and Mission to pay $612,395. Furthermore, Mission will be required to either divest WPIX to an unrelated third party or formally sell WPIX to Nexstar. The parties can then file an application seeking the Commission’s consent to the assignment of license, with Nexstar divesting a sufficient number of other stations to reduce its national coverage footprint consistent with the National Ownership Cap.

To learn more about ATVA’s work on these issues and their impact on the American consumer, visit https://americantelevisionalliance.org/about-the-issue/.