FCC and DOJ Approve $6.2 Billion Nexstar–Tegna Merger After Waiving National Ownership Cap as Eight States Sue
The FCC and Justice Department approved Nexstar’s $6.2 billion acquisition of Tegna, with the FCC waiving the 39% national TV ownership cap to allow Nexstar to control roughly 259–265 stations across about 44 states (after required divestitures) and imposing certain divestiture, localism and affordability conditions. The deal prompted immediate legal challenges—eight Democratic state attorneys general and DirecTV sued in federal court in Sacramento—and drew criticism from Democratic FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez and state AGs, who called it a “broadcast behemoth” approved “behind closed doors,” while Nexstar and supporters argue the merger is necessary to sustain local journalism and counter national programmers.
📌 Key Facts
- The FCC and the Justice Department approved Nexstar’s $6.2 billion acquisition of Tegna, with the FCC explicitly waiving the 39% National Television Ownership Rule (national audience cap) to permit the transaction.
- After agreed divestitures, Nexstar will control roughly 259–265 local TV stations across 44 states, with reports noting ownership in about 132 of 210 U.S. TV markets and 31 markets where Nexstar and Tegna each currently own a station.
- FCC Chair Brendan Carr said the approval included 'concrete conditions' — including station divestitures and commitments on localism and affordability — and defended the merger as necessary to sustain local broadcasters and counter powerful national programmers.
- Democratic FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez and several state officials criticized the approval as done 'behind closed doors' without transparency, warning it creates a 'broadcast behemoth,' risks newsroom consolidation, reduces competition and could lead to higher cable prices.
- On the same day as the FCC approval, eight Democratic state attorneys general filed an antitrust lawsuit in federal court in Sacramento to block the merger, and DirecTV filed a separate suit alleging Nexstar will use Tegna to drive up retransmission fees and consumer bills.
- Reporting highlights Nexstar’s past leverage over programming (notably ordering its ABC stations to pull Jimmy Kimmel’s show), and notes Nexstar’s public framing of itself as 'the anti‑fake news'—with CEO Perry Sook publicly thanking President Trump and FCC Chair Brendan Carr after the approval; Trump had publicly urged approval on TruthSocial after reversing an earlier position.
📊 Relevant Data
As of 2025, racial minorities hold majority stakes in only 5% of commercial TV stations in the US, while Whites hold 74%, compared to minorities comprising about 42% of the US population (e.g., Blacks 13.6%, Hispanics 19%).
FCC: Women Have Majority Stakes in 10% of Commercial Stations — TV Technology
African Americans hold a majority ownership interest in 3% of commercial broadcast stations as of 2025, a low figure attributed to broadcast consolidation that has driven out minority owners since the 1996 Telecommunications Act.
FCC Biennial Ownership Report Finds Women, Minorities Control More Noncommercial Stations — Inside Radio
Media consolidation by large conglomerates has led to changes in local TV news content, such as reduced coverage of local events, with effects varying by the acquiring company's agenda.
How Media Consolidation Affects the News You See — Chicago Booth Review
📰 Source Timeline (5)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Confirms that both the FCC and the Justice Department approved Nexstar’s $6.2 billion takeover of Tegna, not just the FCC.
- Details that the FCC explicitly waived the National Television Ownership Rule 39% national audience cap, allowing Nexstar to own 265 stations in 132 of 210 U.S. TV markets across 44 states.
- Reports that Nexstar CEO Perry Sook publicly thanked President Donald Trump and FCC Chairman Brendan Carr by name for “enabling this transaction to move forward.”
- Reveals Trump initially opposed the merger but reversed course after Nexstar pulled Jimmy Kimmel’s show following his comments about Charlie Kirk, then personally urged approval in a TruthSocial post attacking “fake news” networks.
- Includes on‑the‑record criticism from Democratic FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez that the deal was approved “behind closed doors” with “no transparency,” and from California AG Rob Bonta warning it will reduce competition and local journalistic checks on power.
- Describes Nexstar’s own filings branding the company as “the anti-fake news” and explicitly echoing Trump’s rhetoric to justify the merger.
- NPR states the combined Nexstar–Tegna entity will own 259 television stations in 44 states (previous coverage put the figure at 265 stations in 44 states and D.C. after divestitures).
- The NPR piece is a brief news hit confirming the FCC approval and basic scale of the merged company, aligning with but not substantially extending prior multi‑source reporting.
- Confirms that the FCC, chaired by Brendan Carr under the Trump administration, granted waivers of rules limiting how many local stations one company can own in order to approve the merger.
- Specifies that Nexstar will own 265 television stations in 44 states and D.C. after divesting six stations, and that most are affiliates of ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC.
- Details that the state and DirecTV lawsuits were filed in U.S. District Court in Sacramento, California, and that there are 31 markets where Nexstar and Tegna each currently own at least one station.
- Provides new, on-the-record quotes: from FCC Chairman Carr defending the deal as necessary to sustain local broadcasters; from Democratic FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez blasting the approval as done 'behind closed doors' without a formal vote and warning of newsroom consolidation; and from New York AG Letitia James predicting cable price spikes.
- Notes that Nexstar claims to have DOJ approval, which AP/NPR says it could not independently verify immediately, and that President Trump personally endorsed the merger in February on social media, framing it as needed 'competition' against 'Fake News National TV Networks.'
- Adds a concrete example of Nexstar’s past leverage over content: its decision last fall to order its ABC stations to pull Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show.
- The FCC has formally approved Nexstar’s $6.2 billion acquisition of Tegna, saying the combined group will still own less than 15% of U.S. TV stations and help counter the power of national programmers.
- FCC Chair Brendan Carr says Nexstar agreed to 'concrete conditions,' including divesting some stations and taking 'localism' and 'affordability' steps, as part of the approval.
- Democratic Commissioner Anna Gomez publicly denounced the approval as creating a 'broadcast behemoth' that violates the FCC’s National Television Ownership rule and said the deal was approved 'behind closed doors' with no full Commission vote.
- On the same day as the FCC’s approval, eight Democratic state attorneys general filed an antitrust lawsuit in federal court in Sacramento to block the merger, and DirecTV filed a separate case arguing Nexstar will use Tegna to drive up retransmission fees and thus consumer bills.
- The FCC statement frames the merger as enabling local broadcasters to counter 'national programmers,' while Nexstar claims the deal is 'essential' to sustaining strong local journalism in its communities.