Another Stumbling Block in the Nexstar/Tegna Deal

Five more states have joined a federal antitrust lawsuit aimed at stopping the blockbuster merger of Nexstar and Tegna, a corporate tie-up that would create the largest operator of local television stations in the country. The expanding legal challenge now highlights a rare moment of political agreement, as attorneys general from both sides of the aisle unite to oppose the deal.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta, whose office is leading the court challenge, announced Thursday that Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Vermont had joined as plaintiffs. The inclusion of Republican attorneys general from Indiana, Kansas, and Pennsylvania alongside their Democratic colleagues solidifies the effort as a fully bipartisan coalition. Bonta emphasized the shared goal of protecting the media landscape, stating that the merger is illegal and would give Nexstar and Tegna the ability to control and raise prices, fire journalists, and dominate local markets. Bonta added that his office welcomes the coalition of states into the fray and looks forward to fighting alongside them to protect consumers and local newsrooms.

In response, Nexstar criticized the coalition of state attorneys general as misguided, accusing them of actively harming the local journalism they claim to protect. The company argued that the officials lack a track record of advocating for local media and fail to understand the pressures the industry faces. According to Nexstar, the proposed merger is necessary to achieve the scale required to compete with dominant Big Tech platforms. The company warned that the alternative to this deal is not a resurgence of independently owned outlets, but rather the continued economic decline and eventual demise of local broadcast stations. Tegna did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the expansion of the lawsuit.

The new additions join a lineup that previously included the state attorneys general for Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, and Virginia. With these additions, the expanded coalition of thirteen state attorneys general officially filed an amended complaint in federal court on Thursday.