BIG by Matt Stoller • 28648 implied HN points • 19 Mar 26
- Eight state attorneys general sued to block the Nexstar–TEGNA merger because it would concentrate local TV ownership and threaten local news and public access to diverse voices.
- The combined company would gain huge local market power, driving up retransmission fees for pay-TV and streamers and reducing competition in many local markets.
- Consolidation lets owners cut local news and push political influence, and states are increasingly using antitrust actions to challenge media power when federal enforcement backs off.