FCC clears Cox acquisition of WJAX in Jacksonville market

The Federal Communications Commission’s Media Bureau approved the transfer of the license for WJAX in Jacksonville, Florida, from Hoffman Communications Inc. to Cox Television Jacksonville LLC, a subsidiary of Cox Media Group, while denying a petition from DirecTV seeking to block the deal.

The approval allows CMG to own two television stations in the Jacksonville market, where it already operates WFOX. The company had previously operated WJAX under a broadcast services agreement.

The FCC found the transaction complies with current ownership rules following the Eighth Circuit’s decision in Zimmer Radio of Mid-Missouri, Inc. v. FCC, which vacated the Top-Four prohibition and permits common ownership of two stations in the same market.

DirecTV argued the transaction would harm competition and lead to higher retransmission consent fees for distributors and consumers. The agency determined those claims were speculative and not supported by transaction-specific evidence.

“The proposed transaction fully complies with the Commission’s rules … and there are no issues or potential public interest harms identified in the record that would require further consideration,” the FCC said in its decision.

The Media Bureau also concluded that broader concerns about retransmission consent and market consolidation are better addressed through rulemaking rather than individual transaction reviews.

The FCC said the deal could provide public interest benefits, citing potential operational efficiencies and the possibility of expanded local news and programming.

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