FCC Approves Nexstar's $6.2 Billion Takeover of Tegna, Creating Nation's Largest Local TV Empire — Eight States File Emergency Suit

The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday formally approved Nexstar Media Group's $6.2 billion acquisition of rival broadcast station owner Tegna, creating what critics immediately called the largest local television empire in American history and triggering a legal firestorm that could ultimately determine the future of local news across the United States. Eight state attorneys general and pay-TV giant DirecTV filed lawsuits within hours of the approval, seeking emergency court orders to halt a deal they argue will drive up consumer prices and gut local newsrooms.

The deal, originally announced in August 2025, pairs Nexstar — already the largest local TV station operator in the country, with 177 stations — with Tegna's 64 stations, creating a company that will own 265 stations in 44 states and the District of Columbia. Most of the stations are affiliates of ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr approved the acquisition with conditions, including Nexstar's agreement to divest a number of stations and increase investment in local content. To complete the deal, the FCC waived its own National Television Ownership Rule, which prohibits any single company from owning TV stations that collectively reach more than 39 percent of U.S. households. The combined entity will reach approximately 80 percent of American homes — more than double the previous limit.

President Trump publicly endorsed the merger in February, writing that "we need more competition against THE ENEMY, the Fake News National TV Networks." White House officials lobbied the FCC to approve the deal, which industry analysts said made it politically untenable for the commission's Republican majority to reject it. FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, the lone Democrat on the commission, dissented sharply. She called the approval a "broadcast behemoth" and condemned what she characterized as a lack of transparency in the review process. "The FCC has once again chosen bureaucratic cover over public accountability," Gomez said in a statement.

The legal challenge came swiftly. A coalition of eight Democratic state attorneys general — from California, New York, Colorado, Illinois, Oregon, North Carolina, Connecticut, and Virginia — filed suit in federal court in Sacramento alleging the merger violates Section 7 of the Clayton Act, which prohibits deals that substantially lessen competition or create a monopoly. California Attorney General Rob Bonta called the deal "illegal, plain and simple," arguing the combined company will use its leverage to extract higher retransmission-consent fees from pay-TV providers — fees ultimately passed to consumers. DirecTV, which already pays substantial fees for Nexstar stations, filed a separate antitrust challenge.

For local news consumers, the outcome of the legal battle will have major real-world implications. Nexstar already operates with a centralized news production model, producing portions of newscasts at national hubs rather than local studios. Critics say the Tegna merger will accelerate that trend, eliminating hundreds of local reporter, anchor, and production jobs and reducing coverage of city councils, school boards, and local courts. Nexstar disputes that characterization, saying the merger will produce efficiencies that allow it to invest more in local content. The state attorneys general and DirecTV have asked a federal judge for a temporary restraining order that could freeze the merger within days, and the case will likely ultimately require a Supreme Court ruling on the permissible scope of FCC waivers.