Content producer and distributor Kew Media Group closed on its buy for $8.3 million of London content distribution company TCB Media Rights, it said Tuesday.

Senate Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee ranking member Amy Klobuchar and Sen. Al Franken, both D-Minn., led a letter urging FCC Chairman Ajit Pai and DOJ Antitrust Division head Makan Delrahim to begin an investigation now into the impact of a potential Sprint/T-Mobile merger, ahead of any official announcement from the carriers. Sprint and T-Mobile reportedly are close to agreeing to terms (see 1709220056). “Beginning an investigation into a merger of T-Mobile and Sprint now will allow your agencies to quickly, but fully, review the agreement if it is announced,” said Klobuchar, Franken and seven other Senate Democrats. “The likelihood of the transaction occurring combined with the serious issues that it raises provide compelling reason for DOJ and the FCC to begin investigating the potential transaction.” Further consolidation of the U.S. wireless market “will thwart” benefits of competition shown among the current top-four carriers, which include “lower prices, better service, and more innovation,” the senators said. Other Democrats who signed the letter include Senate Commerce Committee members Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Ed Markey of Massachusetts. DOJ "is in receipt of the Senators' letter," a spokesman said. The FCC didn't comment.

Fox's planned buy of Sky wouldn't bring news providers "under common material influence" because it doesn't affect either the ownership or degree of control the Murdoch Family Trust has over Fox or News Corp., Fox said in a submission Tuesday to UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). It said the deal isn't a full combination of Fox, Sky and News Corp., since the affected Sky News and News Corp. news outlets would stay under the ownership of separate companies -- Fox and News Corp. -- with separate, majority independent boards. Fox said there can't be an adverse finding unless CMA concludes the transaction would lead to insufficient plurality, but the rise of online news sources and intermediaries has resulted in big pluralities in the news market. Fox said the alleged Murdoch Family Trust influence isn't a basis for finding insufficient plurality because increased influence isn't the same as insufficient plurality and there's no reason to believe the deal would materially enhance the Murdochs' influence over the news agenda. U.K. Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Karen Bradley last month referred Fox/Sky to CMA for a full, six-month investigation (see 1709140020). CMA said provisional findings are due in December.

Cloud networking provider GTT Communications paid $28 million cash to acquire Transbeam, a managed data and voice company, GTT said in a Tuesday news release. GTT adds broadband, wireless and Ethernet over copper capabilities plus hospitality, entertainment and retail clients.

Scripps/Tribune "should have been dead on arrival" at the FCC, said former Commissioner Michael Copps, now a special adviser at Common Cause, during a Coalition to Save Local Media news-media call Tuesday. The group strongly opposes Tribune's takeover (see 1708300053). Copps said no one company "should be allowed to wield the power that would be wielded by Sinclair," and it will lead to higher cable bills and local newsroom staffing cuts. He criticized the FCC as accelerating "corporatized media" trends. One America Network CEO Charles Herring said the proposed deal generated "the broadest opposition of any proposed merger ever," with a lot of cable programmers concerned. Sinclair has "unbalanced market powers," for example, forcing the Tennis Channel onto MVPD lineups at unfair rates and carriage terms. He criticized the reinstatement of the UHF discount, saying it "stinks worse than three-day-old fish." Rep. David Price, D-N.C., said the discount is a "consolidation power grab" that would be eliminated by the Local and Independent TV Protective Act he's co-sponsoring (see 1707280001). Copps said the bill needs sizable grass-roots support and organizing to move forward. Sinclair didn't comment.

House Commerce Committee Democrats pushed FCC Chairman Ajit Pai again Friday to provide additional information on commission review of Sinclair's proposed buy of Tribune. Committee ranking member Frank Pallone, D-N.J., Communications Subcommittee ranking member Mike Doyle, D-Pa., and Commerce Oversight Subcommittee ranking member Diana DeGette, D-Colo., were following up on their August request for information on Sinclair/Tribune. They noted their concerns that FCC restoration of the UHF discount and other actions since Pai's chairmanship began in January may indicate a “pattern of preferential treatment” for Sinclair (see 1708140058). Pai told the Democrats the FCC didn't provide special treatment (see 1709190060). Pallone and the others pressed Pai again to supply any correspondence between his office and Sinclair officials. “Your failure to provide the requested correspondence between your office and Sinclair representatives is most troubling,” the lawmakers said. “We reiterate our request that you provide all correspondence between you and members of your office and representatives of Sinclair, including any lobbyists and lawyers representing Sinclair, since November 8, 2016, regardless of whether it is subject to a FOIA request.” The Freedom of Information Act “cannot be used to withhold information from Congress,” they said. The lawmakers set an Oct. 12 deadline. The agency didn't comment. Commissioner Mike O’Rielly should support an FCC review of media ownership regulations before approving Sinclair/Tribune, Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy told him in a meeting Monday, said an ex parte filing posted Thursday in docket 17-105. “Approving the Sinclair Merger before a comprehensive media ownership rulemaking makes little sense, creates uncertainty and likely results in a national ownership cap that will be in excess of 70 percent of television households.” It would “thwart congressional intent” and cause consolidation of stations, he said. The FCC also should review the “implications of vertically integrated MVPDs" and revise program carriage rules, Ruddy said. The Sinclair deal is more likely to lead to positive returns since it's no longer affected by an “overhang” caused by the possibility that Fox and Ion would enter into a joint venture, Wells Fargo analyst Marci Ryvicker emailed investors Thursday. Since it’s now believed Ion will elect must-carry for its stations by an Oct. 1 deadline instead of seeking retransmission consent, Fox wouldn’t be able to use Ion’s stations for retrans leverage for at least three years, Ryvicker said. That makes the rumored Fox/Ion deal less likely, and that in turn paves the way for the Sinclair/Tribune combination to do well, she said.

Himax Technologies agreed to sell its 14.5 percent stake in a Chinese manufacturer of display-driver chips for $32 million, the company said in a Tuesday announcement. Himax didn’t identify the “investee company” or the buyer. It invested $9 million in the company in 2007 and 2008, but held no seats on the board and didn’t participate in its day-to-day management, it said. “Himax decided to dispose of the investment as it believed the strategic value of the investment has diminished.” The company said it will use proceeds from the sale to partially fund “this year’s heavy capital expenditure.”

Privately held Procera Networks completed its acquisition of Canada-based Sandvine, which provides broadband network solutions for fixed and mobile operators, said the Fremont, California-based networking equipment provider in a Friday news release. The combined company will operate under the Sandvine name and be led by Procera CEO Lyndon Cantor. The Canadian $562 million deal (about $456 million U.S.) was announced in July.

SiriusXM completed its $480 million “strategic investment” to buy 19 percent of Pandora’s stock (see 1706090005), the satellite radio service said in a Friday announcement. SiriusXM Chairman Greg Maffei, CEO Jim Meyer and Chief Financial Officer David Frear will take seats on the Pandora board and Maffei will become Pandora chairman, the company said. The closing also marks Elizabeth Nelson’s departure from the Pandora board, which now has nine seats, it said.

T-Mobile and Sprint are reportedly close to agreeing to terms of a deal, reported Reuters. The most likely scenario is that T-Mobile parent Deutsche Telekom will own a majority of the equity and Sprint parent SoftBank 40 percent to 50 percent, New Street Research wrote investors. Wireless industry lawyers said Friday they remain skeptical until something is announced since bankers can hype these deals while discussions are ongoing. Free Press raised an alarm in a Friday news release. “No one but [President] Donald Trump’s pals on Wall Street wants to see this competition-killing, investment-killing and job-killing merger,” Free Press said. NAB said in a meeting with FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr the agency should look closely at “how T-Mobile’s possible merger with Sprint may impact how the Commission approaches repacking” after the incentive auction (see 1709220035). Sprint closed up 6.1 percent to $8.52. The companies didn't comment.