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The sale of the Nebraska Television Network to Blackstar Communications has met with some opposition in Washington, D.C.
The more than $12 million sale agreement is subject to approval by the Federal Communications Commission. Fant Broadcasting of Birmingham, Ala., which has owned NTV since 1993, and Blackstar applied June 28 for the license to be transferred.
A petition to deny that transfer was filed Aug. 14 on behalf of Citadel Communications Co. of Bronxville, N.Y.
Citadel President Philip Lombardo said his petition does not reflect any ill will toward the people behind Blackstar and was not filed to protest the Washington, D.C.-based company's broadcasting in Nebraska.
Lombardo said the petition was the only way he could get the FCC to look into what he called inappropriate behavior by Fant.
Citadel owns ABC affiliate KCAU-TV in Sioux City, Iowa, which also broadcasts as KCAN-TV in Albion. The FCC allowed Citadel to move its Channel 8 from Albion to Lincoln and operate a full station there, but it required the company to replace its Albion channel.
Lombardo said he intended to replace the Albion station with a satellite station that would broadcast programs from the Lincoln studio. Channel...