Conservative Networks Oppose Nexstar-Tegna Merger

Nexstar Media Group's proposed $6.2 billion acquisition of TEGNA is facing vocal opposition from conservative news outlets One America News (OAN) and Newsmax, who are urging federal regulators to block the deal. Both networks argue that approving the merger would require gutting a long-standing rule designed to prevent media consolidation.

The core of the dispute is the national television ownership cap, a federal limit established by Congress in 2004 that prevents a single broadcast company from owning stations that reach more than 39% of U.S. households. If the Nexstar-TEGNA merger were approved, the new entity would become the nation's largest broadcast television group, controlling 265 stations with a combined reach of approximately 60% of the country, far exceeding the legal limit.

The opposition has been pointed. In a recent post on X, OAN President Charles Herring framed the issue as a battle between "FREE MARKETS V. QUASI-MONOPOLY," stating, "OAN has consistently opposed lifting the 39% BROADCAST OWNERSHIP CAP."

Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy, a confidant of President Donald Trump, has taken an even stronger stance. Ruddy has indicated he will take the FCC to court if the agency relaxes the ownership rule to accommodate the transaction, predicting a judge would issue an injunction to halt the deal.

Nexstar, however, defends the merger as a necessary step for survival in the modern media landscape. CEO Perry Sookargues that the Texas-based company needs the increased scale to effectively compete against giant national media conglomerates and Big Tech players like Amazon and Google, which are not subject to the same ownership restrictions. The fate of the deal now rests with federal regulators, who must decide whether to maintain the current cap or allow for the creation of a new broadcast giant.