Nexstar Secures Trump OK for $6.2B Tegna Merger
SkimNews Take
Local TV news's adoption of a Trumpian style, coinciding with his legal scrutiny and a significant cash infusion, suggests a new model where regional media platforms are financially incentivized to align with national political narratives.
Get the Tech newsletter
Daily tech — startups, AI labs, chips, the launches that shape the next decade. Free.
- Nexstar announced a $6.2 billion acquisition of Tegna after FCC Chairman Brendan Carr altered ownership rules, allowing the deal to bypass the 39 % market cap.
- Trump publicly endorsed the merger in mid‑March, after earlier denouncing it as “fake‑news expansion,” indicating a rapid shift in his stance via Truth Social posts.
- Chris Ruddy sued to block the merger, alleging Nexstar’s fee hikes would push Newsmax off the air while offering its sister network NewsNation at lower rates.
- NewsNation hired pro‑Trump commentator Katie Pavlich and increased pro‑Trump content, reflecting a rightward editorial shift amid the merger.
- Judge Troy Nunley granted an emergency restraining order on March 27 and later issued an injunction requiring Tegna to remain a separate financial entity from Nexstar.
- Sen. Ted Cruz sent a joint letter with Maria Cantwell criticizing FCC Chairman Brendan Carr for waiving regulations without a full commission vote.
- Sen. Maria Cantwell warned that the rushed FCC approval could shield the merger from meaningful judicial review.
Why it matters: The merger would give Nexstar control of over 80 % of the local TV market, boosting its ad‑revenue share against streaming giants, while antitrust challengers and rival broadcasters risk losing carriage fees and editorial independence, and regulators face criticism for sidestepping standard FCC procedures.
Ask SkimNews
