The head of the National Federation of Filipino-American Associations (NaFFAA) has written the FCC to say it should approve the merger of Standard General with Tegna's broadcast group.
Tegna, which owns 64 TV stations in 51 U.S. markets, agreed to be acquired by Standard General in February for $8.6 billion including debt.
NaFFAA Executive Director Kelly Coldiron called Standard General founder Soo Kim a respected business leader in the Asian American and Pacific Islander community who has built a career investing in jobs and has demonstrated a passion for broadcast journalism by tourning struggling stations around by boosting local news.
Also: Civil Rights Groups Back Tegna-Standard General
"Diversity matters especially when it comes to local news. Mr. Kim understands the dreams, struggles, and passions of the AAPI community. Under his leadership Standard General and Tegna will have the financial resources required to create new community partnerships and bring diverse perspectives to local news coverage," Coldiron told Rosenworcel.
The FCC has sought additional info from the merging companies in response to critics' concerns about jobs and the deal structure.
Kim, for his part, has called the criticisms of the deal "fact free," an effort to define what constitutes a minority and diversity, and racially charged. ■
