It didn't really need establishing, since Sinclair themselves acknowledged it. The debate was over whether that was normal, which it is not:
http://www.mediafiledc.com/sinclair-says-must-runs-normal-in...Lots of people like to point to AP or Reuters as examples of copy-paste news programming, but that ignores the primary difference: affiliates select which AP or Reuters stories they want to air and/or publish.
Others compare TV networks like ABC or CBS requiring shows to be aired at certain times, but none of the networks mandate local news coverage like Sinclair does.
