The largest TV station group in the U.S. may soon become a reality. The FCC, the nation’s broadcasting authority, and the U.S. Department of Justice have both cleared the $6.2 billion merger between Nexstar Media Group and Tegna. However, a coalition of eight U.S. states, including New York and California, has filed a lawsuit to block the merger.
Based in Irving, Texas, Nexstar operates The CW television network and owns 197 local TV stations, while Tysons, Virginia–based Tegna owns 64 local TV stations. Combined, the group would reach about 60 percent of the nation’s TV households, although federal law limits any single company’s reach to 39 percent.
Satellite broadcaster DirecTV has also filed a lawsuit to block the merger.
The Nexstar–Tegna merger has been favored by former U.S. President Donald Trump, who said that a larger Nexstar would help balance what he called “fake news” from national TV networks.
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