World
Sinclair Snaps Up 8% Stake in Scripps in Advance of Potential Merger
Sinclair, which owns and/or operates 185 television stations in 85 markets, has disclosed that it has taken an 8.2% equity stake in E.W. Scripps, with an eye toward acquiring the local broadcaster.
In a Monday filing with the Securities Exchange Commission, Sinclair reported it has picked up what amounts to $15.6 million in Scripps’ Class A common stock on the open market. The acquisitions were made “in contemplation of a possible combination with the issuer.”
In the same document, Sinclair went on to state that it has been “engaged in constructive discussions with [Scripps] for several months regarding a potential combination of the two companies.” Should an agreement be reached, Sinclair believes that a “transaction could be completed within nine to 12 months.”
Sinclair believes that a buyout of Scripps could unlock some $300 million in synergies. A takeover would add another 61 stations in 41 markets to Sinclair’s local TV portfolio.
Scripps also owns the Ion TV network, which in June hammered out a multiyear extension of its deal to carry Friday night WNBA games. Ion began partnering with the WNBA in 2023, inking a three-year pact worth $40 million. In the last month, Ion has averaged 549,000 viewers per day, making it the fifth-biggest broadcast draw behind NBC, ABC, CBS and Fox.
In addition to its WNBA slate, Ion also airs Saturday night NWSL doubleheaders.
Shortly after Sinclair filed its Schedule 13D form with the SEC, Scripps responded with a statement in which it emphasized that its board “will take all steps appropriate to protect the company and the company’s shareholders from the opportunistic actions of Sinclair or anyone else.”
Scripps went on to note that its board “has and will continue to evaluate any transactions and other alternatives that would enhance the value of the company and would be in the best interest of all company shareholders.”
The Sinclair gambit comes on the heels of Nexstar’s $6.2 billion acquisition of rival Tegna. While that deal awaits regulatory approval, FCC chairman Brendan Carr appears poised to eliminate or otherwise relax the legacy regulations that prohibit any station group from owning a portfolio that reaches more than 39% of all U.S. TV households. A review of the cap is currently underway.
Investors were bullish on the announcement, as shares of Scripps closed Monday up 39.87% to $4.28. On Friday, the stock closed at $3.06. Sinclair ended Monday’s trading up 4.91% to $16.87.
Sinclair owned the Bally Sports-branded suite of RSNs from August 2019 until late 2022, when subsidiary Diamond Sports Group moved to block its parent company from having any further say over the day-to-day operation of the channels.
new video loaded: Moscow Tanker Blast Most Likely Russian Missile, Video Shows
By James McManagan, Paul Sonne, Malachy Browne and Jackeline Luna
June 19, 2026
World
Man charged with attempted murder, released after allegedly forcing toddler into crocodile enclosure at zoo
Man FORCES child into crocodile enclosure
A British man has been arrested after allegedly forcing a 3-year-old boy into a crocodile enclosure at a zoo. The child suffered critical injuries, and authorities say the suspect did not know the boy as the investigation continues.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A man was released from custody on Friday after he was charged with attempted murder for allegedly forcing a 3-year-old boy into a crocodile enclosure at a zoo.
Cambridgeshire police said that the man, who remains unidentified, wasn’t fit to be interviewed.
The boy suffered critical injuries in the incident at Johnsons of Old Hurst, a farm and zoo in Huntingdon, England, north of London.
The 30-year-old man will remain on bail until Sept. 30, pending further inquiries.
GEORGIA MOM’S WALMART TRIP DEVOLVES INTO ‘TUG-OF-WARRING’ IN DESPERATE ATTEMPT TO SAVE HER SON
A crocodile rests inside an enclosure at Johnsons of Old Hurst, a farm and zoo in Old Hurst, Cambridgeshire, Britain, on April 14, 2026. (Dorota Dee Trajdos/Reuters)
“The man, who is not known to the victim, was assessed as not being fit for interview,” police said in a statement.
The boy is in stable condition, after reportedly suffering a broken arm and pelvis.
He was saved from the crocodile by Tracey Johnson, the wife of the zoo’s owner.
MOTHER JUMPS INTO WATER TO SAVE 4-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER WHO FELL BETWEEN CRUISE SHIP AND DOCK
“I know Tracey very well and she’s a lovely lady and it’s nothing more than I’d expect from her,” a local told BBC News. “She’d always put her own life at risk to save someone else. She’s an extraordinary lady and very brave.
The villager added that Johnson put herself in “immense danger” during the rescue.
The owners said their tropical house would remain closed until further notice.
Crocodiles rest inside an enclosure at Johnsons of Old Hurst farm and zoo in Old Hurst, Cambridgeshire, Britain, on April 14, 2026. (Dorota Dee Trajdos/Reuters)
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the boy and his family following the incident that occurred today,” the owners wrote on social media.
Johnsons of Old Hurst is a farm and zoo north of London in Huntingdon, England. (Google Maps)
Huntingdonshire district councillor Charlotte Lowe said she couldn’t “fathom how it’s happened because they’ve got all the right protection and safety equipment, for want of a better word, in there,” The Guardian reported.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Cambridgeshire Constabulary for comment.
Published on
US President Donald Trump has doubled down on his comments on Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, saying she asked him “over and over” for a photo when the pair met at the G7 summit in France earlier this week.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Following the summit, Trump told an Italian journalist that he “felt sorry for Meloni” after she “begged me to take a picture with her”.
Meloni hit back in a video posted to social media, branding Trump’s claims as “completely made up” and insisting that neither she nor Italy begs anyone for anything.
The once close pair’s relationship has grown increasingly fractious in recent months, particularly since Rome refused to provide the US support for its operations in Iran and after Meloni defended Pope Leo XIV, who was criticised by the Trump administration over his remarks on the war and the US’s immigration policies.
“Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni asked, over and over, for a picture with me during the G-7 meeting in France,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social account on Saturday. “She is doing poorly in Italy with her level of popularity, possibly because she turned down the United States of America, a Country that truly loves and protects Italy, when it came to denying Iran from obtaining or developing a Nuclear Weapon”.
“Now, after the United States defeated Iran militarily, she wants to be friends again in order to get her “numbers up.” No thanks!!!” Trump added.
-
Los Angeles, Ca27 minutes agoArmed home invasion in L.A.’s Fairfax District leaves resident assaulted
-
Detroit, MI45 minutes agoTigers top Chicago White Sox 4-1; Detroit pitcher Troy Melton allows 1 hit in 6 innings
-
San Francisco, CA57 minutes agoMLB Rumors: Latest Intel on Potential Matt Chapman Trade for San Francisco Giants
-
Dallas, TX59 minutes agoDallas’ Fair Park to Get $2.5M Boost From McKesson – Dallas Weekly
-
Miami, FL1 hour agoAir quality alert in effect in Miami-Dade and Broward counties: National Weather Service
-
Boston, MA1 hour agoBoston Signs Big Blueliner Rylind MacKinnon To One-Year Extension
-
Denver, CO1 hour agoFire destroys home under construction in northwest Denver
-
Seattle, WA1 hour agoWe can stop pretending that a suburban stadium would be better for soccer in Seattle
