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Friday, September 9, 2011

CBS can put L.A.'s KFWB (980) in a trust, and forbid a format change

CBS Radio Mt. Wilson FM Broadcasters owner Saul Levine has challenged several moves by the big owners in the Los Angeles market, and he has long maintained that CBS shouldn't be allowed to own two TV stations, six radio stations, and also have KFWB-AM kept in a divestiture trust. The situation dates back to May 2002, when CBS's predecessor Viacom wanted to buy KCAL-TV. The decision was made to spin KFWB, and the FCC gave the company a six-month temporary waiver. But many years went by, and in February 2010, CBS revised the terms of the proposed trust to conform to recent FCC precedents, and it added language that prohibited the trustee from changing the format. That element is what KKGO owner Saul Levine was challenging, arguing that it amounted to CBS holding a "cognizable interest" in KFWB. Friday (9/9), the FCC denied Levine's petition for reconsideration, as you can read here. The Los Angeles Board of Radio-Info.com is talking about the latest decision from the FCC, here.

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