FCC approves merger of local television owners Nexstar and Tegna as two lawsuits seek to block it
Quick Insights
The Bottom Line
FCC approves Nexstar-Tegna television merger on same day two lawsuits filed seeking to block the deal.
How This Affects You
Consolidation of major local TV station owners could reduce local news competition and affect the quality and variety of news coverage in affected markets.
AI Summary
The Federal Communications Commission approved the merger of Nexstar Media Group and Tegna on Thursday, clearing a deal between two major local television broadcasters. The approval came the same day two lawsuits were filed seeking to block the transaction. The competing legal challenges suggest the deal may face court obstacles despite regulatory clearance. The merger combines two of the largest owners of local TV stations, a consolidation that opponents argue could reduce local news competition.
What's Being Done
Two lawsuits were filed on the same day as FCC approval, seeking to block the Nexstar-Tegna merger despite regulatory clearance.
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FCC approves the merger of local television owners Nexstar and Tegna
The FCC has approved the sale of Tegna television stations to rival Nexstar Media Group Thursday. The deal would create a company that owns 259 television stations in 44 states.
CorporateNexstar secures merger with Tegna after FCC, DOJ approval
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Department of Justice (DOJ) have cleared Nexstar Media Group’s acquisition of fellow local broadcaster Tegna, the company announced on Thursday. The company announced the deal’s closure after the FCC said in its own press release that it was granting Nexstar a waiver of the department’s rule capping the percentage…
CorporateFCC approves Nexstar's purchase of Tegna hours after lawsuits sought to block deal
The FCC announced Thursday that it had approved the $6.2 billion merger of major broadcast station owners Nexstar and Tegna.
CorporateStates challenge "broadcast behemoth" mega-merger
<p>Eight states sued to block the massive <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/08/19/nexstar-tegna-6-billion-broadcast-deal" target="_blank">$6.2 billion merger</a> of Nexstar and Tegna that could create the largest <a href="https://www.axios.com/media-trends-membership/2025/11/08/nexstar-tegna-merger-fcc-ownership-cap" target="_blank">local broadcast company</a> in the country by far.</p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>The deal, which would require lifting the limit on television station ownership, is a litmus test for the Federal Communications Commission's <a href="https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-410147A1.pdf" target="_blank">deregulation</a> drive.</p><hr><ul><li>FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr has already <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/federal-communications-commission-chair-backs-nexstar-tegna-merger-2026-02-18/#:~:text=Show%20more%20companies,against%20a%20company's%20ownership%20cap." target="_blank">signaled</a> he supports the transaction.</li></ul>...
CorporateF.C.C. Approves Nexstar’s Acquisition of a Local TV Rival
The $6.2 billion deal consolidates 265 stations in 44 states and Washington.
Government TransparencyTrump’s FCC chair wants American media to work like Iran’s state TV | Caitlin Vogus
<p>If Brendan Carr and the US president’s attacks on the press aren’t stopped, the outcome could be dire</p><p>Over the weekend, Donald Trump fumed on Truth Social about newspapers covering attacks on US tanker aircrafts in Saudi Arabia. Within hours, Federal Communications Commission chair Brendan Carr <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/14/fcc-broadcast-permits-iran-war-news">reposted</a> Trump’s rant and vowed to revoke the licenses of broadcasters who air what he called “fake news”. For some extra brownie points, Carr tossed in a line about Trump’s “landslide election victory”, too.</p><p>Early on Monday, Trump completed the sycophantic cycle with a second post <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/16/trump-fcc-chair-broadcast-license-threat-iran-war">announcing</a> that he’s “thrilled” by Carr’s threats and accusing unnamed media outlets of “treason” and a lack of patriotism for reporting on AI fakes linked to Iran. (It’s not clear what Trump w...

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