Sinclair Broadcast Group  a conservative, Trump-friendly television empire  is poised to become one of the most powerful players in the mainstream media. The relatively unknown company, whose stations have mixed conservative commentary with local news, is now on the verge of a deal that would allow it to reach nearly three-quarters of American households.



On May 8, Sinclair announced its plan to buy Tribune Media Company and its 42 television stations for $3.9 billion  a merger made possible by the Trump administration relaxing regulations on broadcast ownership. If the acquisition goes through, Sinclair would become the nations largest broadcast group by a country mile, as Sinclair CEO Christopher Ripley put it to investors Monday morning. An estimated 72 percent of American households would live in a place where Sinclair controls at least one of the broadcast television stations.



This is a big deal  literally  because local news programs are some of the most-watched shows in America. About 23 million Americans tune into the evening local news, and 12 million watch the early morning local news. The three top cable networks  CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC  only get around 3 million primetime viewers daily.



People who tune into Sinclair stations for local news often end up getting some conservative commentary in the mix as well. The broadcaster has a history of airing right-leaning segments critical of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. According to Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner, the Trump campaign struck a deal with Sinclair to air exclusive interviews with Trump during the election.



The companys vice president for news, Scott Livingston, has accused mainstream news outlets of being too liberal. He claims that Sinclair is more balanced. I think maybe some other news organizations may be to the left of center, and we work very hard to be in the center, he told the New York Times recently.



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Sinclair is a notable company not just for its size, but for its efforts to inject conservative views into the news.



For instance, over 80 Sinclair stations regularly air a 90-second segment called Behind the Headlines, where conservative commentator Mark Hyman gives his opinions on the news. In a recent spot, Hyman defended Trumps first 100 days, claiming that the media was unfairly harsh on the president. In February, Hyman criticized the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit for ruling against Trumps travel ban on people from seven Muslim countries.



The company also produces national news segments  often with a conservative tinge  that it requires stations to run during their local news broadcasts.



A Washington Post investigation revealed that during 2016 election, Sinclair executives often forced their stations to run pro-Trump or anti-Clinton segments during their evening or morning local news programs. One of the mandatory segments emphasized problems about Clintons health and questioned her trustworthiness. Another mandatory segment featured Ivanka Trump talking about her potential role in her fathers White House.