Sinclair CEO turns from ‘Over-Regulated’ broadcasting, looks to ventures and tech for future

Sinclair Inc. CEO Christopher Ripley has been running the nation’s second-biggest chain of broadcast TV stations since 2017. But broadcast is only part of Sinclair these days. Indeed, in a recent reorganization, the company removed the words “Broadcast Group” from its name, as it focuses on areas with higher growth potential, even though it continues to operate more than 190 stations in markets big and small from Washington D.C. to Seattle, Washington. In an exclusive interview, I talked recently with Ripley about broadcasting’s regulatory handicaps; the importance of sports and gambling to Sinclair despite its challenges with Diamond Sports Group, its now-independent (and in bankruptcy) collection of regional sports networks; building a venture-capital-style investment division, Wall Street’s “valuation disconnect,” and the company’s plans to use Next-Gen TV to make autonomous vehicles smarter. The interview has been edited for clarity and length. Forbes