Five years ago this week… FCC Chairman Ajit Pai (2017-2021) handed the issue of US broadcaster Sinclair’s attempted purchase of Tribune Media to an administrative judge. The merger would have controlled local news coverage serving around 72% of the US audience—breaking the 39% maximum rule. Pai argued Sinclair was attempting to bypass the limit by selling off TV stations in a way that would still allow the broadcasting behemoth to control them in practice, even if not in name. The merger was ultimately called off by Tribune a month later in August 2018, and in 2020 Sinclair agreed to pay a then record $48 million fine to the FCC to close investigations into the unaccomplished deal. Witbe, a provider of…