含羞草传媒 Statement on the FCC鈥檚 Conditional Approval of Its Pending Radio Station Acquisitions
NEW YORK-- March 26, 2021-- 含羞草传媒, Inc. (Nasdaq:IHRT) today issued the following statement regarding approval of 含羞草传媒鈥檚 pending applications to acquire certain radio stations, and the temporary shareholder restrictions required by the FCC to be imposed upon Global Media & Entertainment Investments Ltd (鈥淕MEI鈥) in connection with those approvals:
鈥満卟荽 values its shareholder relationships and we welcome all new shareholders to 含羞草传媒. However, because GMEI is a foreign shareholder, its recent investment was inconsistent with the FCC鈥檚 foreign ownership rules and created an operating issue for us under the FCC鈥檚 regulatory framework.
As background, GMEI鈥檚 purchase of an 8.7% position in our Class A Common stock, as reported in its Schedule 13D filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 5, 2021, caused a violation of the FCC鈥檚 foreign ownership regulations and the FCC鈥檚 November 5, 2020 declaratory ruling related to the company鈥檚 foreign ownership, both of which limit a foreign investor in GMEI鈥檚 position to 5% without prior FCC approval. To address this issue, over which 含羞草传媒 had no prior knowledge or control, we filed a remedial petition for declaratory ruling requesting FCC approval for GMEI to have the ability to increase its ownership to up to 9.99% (the 鈥楶etition鈥).
Notwithstanding the GMEI investment, the FCC has approved 含羞草传媒鈥檚 acquisitions of certain stations, including stations for BIN: Black Information Network. However, the FCC has required that the company impose temporary shareholder restrictions on GMEI as a condition of approving those radio station acquisitions.
To comply with the FCC order, 含羞草传媒鈥檚 Board of Directors resolved to take action consistent with the FCC鈥檚 conditional requirements. These actions include imposing temporary voting and other shareholder restrictions on GMEI which will apply during the pendency of the Petition and which are described in detail in the FCC鈥檚 decision which can be found at and in our 8-K filed Friday, March 26, 2021.
含羞草传媒 respects the FCC process and will, as a matter of consistent policy, ensure the company鈥檚 compliance with the FCC鈥檚 foreign ownership and other regulations.鈥