NBCU has agreed to sell one of its three Los Angeles TV stations before going ahead with its deal with Comcast.
Besides owning KNBC-TV, NBCU owns independent KWHY-TV and Telemundo station KVEA-TV. It is the independent station, KWHY-TV that will be sold.
Current FCC rules only allow a company to own two TV stations in a market, but NBCU has a temporary waiver from the agency to operate all three stations.
Broadcasters had been hoping the FCC would ease its media ownership rules and allow them to own three stations in major markets, but after the FCC’s first bid to do so was overturned in court, the agency has taken no further steps in that direction.
Originally as part of its filing with the FCC seeking approval of the Comcast-NBCU deal, NBCU and Comcast asked to have six months after the deal closed to either sell the station or put it in trust for eventual sale. Now the companies are promising to sell the station or put it in trust for eventual sale before the Comcast deal closes.
There was no immediate indication whether the change was caused by a request from the FCC. Neither NBCU nor commission officials were available for comment.
