On May 8, 2017, Hunt Valley, Maryland-based Sinclair Broadcast Group—owner of KUTV, independent station KJZZ-TV (channel 14), and St. George-based MyNetworkTV affiliate KMYU (channel 12)—entered into an agreement to acquire Tribune Media for $3.9 billion, plus the assumption of $2.7 billion in debt held by Tribune. While KMYU (due to contours that do not overlap) and KJZZ (not ranking in the top four in ratings) are not in conflict with existing FCC in-market ownership rules and would be retained by Sinclair in any event, the group is precluded from acquiring KSTU directly as broadcasters are not currently allowed to legally own more than two full-power television stations in a single market (without satellite exemptions) and both KUTV and KSTU rank among the four highest-rated stations in the Salt Lake City market in total day viewership (Sinclair CEO Christopher Ripley cited Salt Lake City as one of three markets, out of fourteen where ownership conflicts exist between the two groups, where the proposed acquisition would most likely result in divestitures).