“This is not controversial stuff,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta said. “This merger is illegal, and we will [not] give Nexstar and Tegna the ability to control and raise prices, fire journalists, and dominate the media landscape.”
Five states have joined a federal antitrust lawsuit that seeks to prevent the merger of Nexstar and Tegna, which, if approved, would lead to the creation of the largest operator of local television stations in the country.
According to NBC News, California Attorney General Rob Bonta, whose office is leading the litigation, announced on Thursday that five more states have joined the lawsuit. The new plaintiffs include the attorneys general of Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Vermont. Bonta noted that the lawsuit’s expanded scope means that it is now a bipartisan effort.
“This is not controversial stuff,” he said. “This merger is illegal, and we will [not] give Nexstar and Tegna the ability to control and raise prices, fire journalists, and dominate the media landscape.”
“We welcome our sister states into the fray and look forward to fighting alongside them,” Bonta added.
In response to the litigation, a spokesperson for Nexstar said that the lawsuit is “misguided” and accused Bonta and his colleagues of “strangling local journalism.”
“The AGs, none of whom has a track record of advocating for local media, would do well to understand the industry they purport to protect,” Nexstar said, arguing that local broadcast stations need more resources than ever to compete with digital platforms.
“The alternative to this deal is not more independently owned outlets—it’s the demise of your local broadcast station,” Nexstar said.
NBC News notes that the Federal Communications Commission and the Justice Department both approved the merger last month. President Donald Trump has also publicly voiced his support for the deal. However, in backing it, the Federal Trade Commission was forced to waive a rule prohibiting any single company from owning television stations that reach more than 39% of all U.S. households. The combined entity would own 264 stations and reach about 80% of all households.
Federal Communications Commission Brendan Carr said that waiving the rule was “consistent” with the agency’s legal authority. The waiver itself is being challenged by a separate lawsuit, the plaintiffs in which range from the right-wing channel Newsmax to a coalition of progressive advocacy groups.
Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy said that he believes that it is “unlawful” for FCC to waive the 39% rule, as the rule was established by an act of Congress and amended as recently as 2004.
“Basically,” Ruddy told NBC News in April, “the FCC has decided to try to invalidate the law by an administrative decision. I think it’s wrong. I think it’s a threat to democracy.”
Sources
Pennsylvania attorney general joins lawsuit against Nexstar and Tegna merger
Republican state attorneys general join lawsuit to stop $6.2B local TV merger
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