In addition, over 90 percent of Cunningham's stock is controlled by trusts in the name of Sinclair founder Julian Smith's children.

Based on these arrangements, Cunningham appears to be a shell corporation which Sinclair uses to circumvent Federal Communications Commission regulations on television station ownership.

However, Glencairn held itself out as a minority-owned broadcaster (Edwards is African American), gaining instant favor with the Federal Communications Commission.

In late 1993 or early 1994, Sinclair Broadcast Group merged with Abry Communications, which owned WNUV (channel 54) in Baltimore.

However, due to the Smiths' controlling interest in Glencairn, Sinclair effectively had a duopoly in Baltimore – and had all but emasculated its principal rival.

Among the more notable purchases: In 1999, the FCC finally relaxed its ownership rules and allowed one company to own two stations in the same market starting in 2001.

[6] This situation led Sinclair Media Watch, a grassroots organization based in Asheville, to file informal objections when WLOS and WBSC's licenses came up for renewal in 2004.