Fox affiliate in antitrust probe

Nexstar Broadcasting is crying monopoly in one of the markets where it dropped a Fox affiliation, reports Televisions Broadcast.

The company filed a civil antitrust suit in the Northern District of Indiana against Granite Broadcasting, which picked up the Fox affiliation in for Fort Wayne. The agreement with Fox gives Granite control of three of the top four network affiliates in the market, number 107 in the nation.

Broadcasting Cable quotes Nextar as stating that it seeks “to remedy the anti-competitive impact that has been caused and will be caused by Granite's efforts to monopolise local advertising sales in the Fort Wayne, Indiana Designated Market Area resulting from exclusive affiliate agreements Granite has executed with two of the four major television networks,” said Nexstar.

“As a result of Granite's efforts and its shared services agreement with Malara Broadcasting in the Fort Wayne, Indiana Designated Market Area, Granite will control local television advertising sales for stations affiliated with the Fox, NBC and ABC networks, as well as the CW and MyNetwork TV networks.”

According to TV News Check, in its antitrust action against Granite, Nexstar has drawn some unlikely and perhaps unwelcome support from the American Cable Association.

The trade group of small cable operators said Nexstar was on target with its suit alleging that Granite was monopolising the local ad sales in Fort Wayne through its ownership or control of stations affiliated with NBC, ABC and Fox.