Media firms want the court of federal appeals in Washington to bar the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from forcing their hand in revealing details of TV contracts regarding two pending merger reviews.
A recent request for an emergency stay, which was filed this week, came after the FCC maintained its position for contracts to be accessible for third parties to review Comcast Corp’s acquisition proposal of Time Warner Cable Inc. and a pending purchase of DirectTV by AT&T.
Television owners 21st Century Fox, Time Warner, Scripps Networks Interactive, Walt Disney, CBS Crop, Viacom Inc., and Univision Communications Inc. have urged the court to vacate the order, escalating the battle regarding the issue.
Media firms argued that the contracts consist of sensitive business information and that such details, if fallen into the wrong hands, could place them at a disadvantage in the market.
In a recent filing, media firms argued the releasing contract details could cause major and substantial harm.
Comments