DOJ Puts Brakes on Sinclair's Selling of St.Louis Station

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Sinclair recently announced that they planned to sell KPLR in St. Louis to Meredith they obtained the station in the Tribune deal. 

But, the U.S. Department of Justice "has denied the immediate right" of Meredith Corp. to buy KPLR for $65 million, Radio+Television Business Report reported Tuesday.

After the Tribune deal went through, it would mean that Sinclair would own KDNL (which they currently own) and pick up both KTVI and KPLR. Sinclair needed to shed one of the stations and their plan was to sell KPLR to Meredith soon after the Justice Department and Federal Communications Commission approved the Sinclair-Tribune deal.

But the Justice Department's antitrust division says now that it wants to review the plan and has not approved the sale, the publication said.

Meredith spokesman Art Slusark told the publication that his company does not agree with the justice department's position and is "trying to resolve the matter."

Stay tuned... 

H/T St. Louis Post Dispatch