She is not on the Tonys but Bette Middler has much to say. The outspoken Star of Broadway's Hello Dolly tweeted out a truth we should all heed.

She was, of course, referring to the current expansion plan of Sinclair Broadcasting.

Sinclair, which has quickly evolved into an official mouthpiece for this Administration, already owns 173 local TV stations which reach 38 percent of US homes. If the FCC allows the company to buy Tribune Media, an estimated 72 percent of American households would live in a place where Sinclair controls at least one of the broadcast television stations.

People who tune into local affiliates of ABC or CBS owned by Sinclair often hear conservative commentary mixed into local news. Sinclair is a tough task-master of its stations and requires them to air its Trump-friendly messages.

Even some conservative voices like Glenn Beck have spoken against this deal, "Regardless of political affiliation, we should agree that robust democracy demands a variety of viewpoints from a myriad of sources; yet, the Sinclair/Tribune merger threatens this core value."

So yes, follow Bette's advice. Write to the FCC -- Federal Communications Commission/445 12th Street, SW, Washington, DC 20554 --or call them -888-863-2244 -- or tweet to them @FCC. Object to the Sinclair-Tribune merger. Repeat Bette's wise words, "Once you control a country's press, half the job of dictatorship is done."

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August 8, 2017