D.C. Memo: Phillies, Sixers, Flyers Back Murdochs in TV License Dispute at FCC
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Fox 29: Philly sports teams are backing the Murdochs. That includes the Sixers (NBA), the Phillies (MLB), and the Flyers (NHL). In an undated letter, Philadelphia 76ers COO Lara Price is asking the FCC to renew the broadcast license of News Corp.-owned Fox 29 Philadelphia, which is being challenged by the Media and Democracy Project (MAD) over 2020 presidential election coverage by sister news outlet Fox News, a cable channel. “Fox 29 has a great pulse on our city and without Fox 29, we would all lose a trusted source for local news. We ask that you take our strong recommendation and support local news by renewing Fox 29’s broadcast license,” Price said. In a May 23 letter, Bonnie Clark, Vice President of Communications and Senior Advisor to the Managing Partner of the Philadelphia Phillies, praised the station for helping raise money for local charities. “We need Fox 29 Philadelphia,” Clark said. “The network goes beyond just covering our wins and losses – they cover our community efforts across our city.” Todd Glickman, EVP and Chief Revenue Officer of the Philadelphia Flyers, said in an undated letter, said Fox 29 was valued not just for helping local charities but also for its “commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion,” pointing to educational programming about black history in the game of hockey. “We ask that the FCC approve the renewal of Fox 29’s broadcast license and allow the station to continue its work as a medium for non-profit work that benefits the Philadelphia community,” Glickman said. According to CNBC, Murdoch family trusts control roughly 40% of the voting rights of News Corp. MAD wants the FCC to conduct an evidentiary hearing which the group thinks will ultimately lead to Fox 29’s license revocation. MAD contends that Fox News and Fox29 aired election falsehoods documented in the Dominion Voting Systems lawsuit that cost News Corp. $787.5 million to settle. Fox Corp. attorneys have dismissed the MAD effort as a sideshow that has nothing to do with a TV license renewal. “Despite the changing landscape of the news media, Fox 29 continues to be a consistent and reliable source for local news in the Philadelphia region,” the Sixers’ Price said.