Up until now, people in Philadelphia have watched the Sinclair controversy from afar. That could change very soon. Lawyers at the Justice Department and regulators at the Federal Communications Commission are believed to be just days away from decisions that could allow the Maryland-based Sinclair — which currently either owns or operates a whopping 173 local TV stations — to acquire an iconic Philadelphia channel, PHL17, which now is home to the Mummers Parade and an occasional Phillies game but could be home to robo-propaganda in time for 2018's midterm elections. PHL17 is just one of 42 stations now owned by Tribune Media that Sinclair is trying to buy for $3.9 billion, pending approval from its friends in the Trump administration.