Five more attorneys general, including two Republicans, have joined the antitrust lawsuit seeking to block the $6.2 billion dollar merger of Nexstar Media Group and Tegna, expanding the plaintiffs to a total of 13 states.
The AGs also filed an amended complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California.
The deal was approved by the Federal Communications Commission and Justice Department, but it is on hold after a federal judge granted a preliminary injunction halting the transaction while litigation proceeds.
“Antitrust enforcement is not political—it’s about protecting working families and helping ensure the benefits of a vibrant economy are for everyone, not just well-connected corporations,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in announciing the additional plaintiffs. “Today, five additional states join us in our challenge of the Nexstar/Tegna merger, now making this lawsuit a bipartisan effort.
“This is not controversial stuff—this merger is illegal and will give Nexstar and Tegna the ability to control and raise prices, fire journalists and dominate the media landscape,” Bonta continued. “State attorneys general nationwide understand just how important robust antitrust enforcement is to American life, and what a rotten deal this is for consumers, for workers, for affordability and for our local news. We welcome our sister states into the fray and look forward to fighting alongside them.”
Following the filing of the original complaint by eight AGs, all Democrats, on March 18, a judge in the Eastern District of California granted a preliminary injunction halting the merger.
That injunction followed a temporary restraining order granted in a challenge brought by DirecTV. The court has consolidated the states’ case with DirecTV’s related case. Defendants appealed the preliminary injunction to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, and Nexstar’s opening brief is due May 20.
In filing the amended complaint, the state coalition now includes the attorneys general of Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Virginia.
In response, Nexstar issued a statement: “By aligning with private equity-backed DirecTV, these misguided attorneys general are strangling local journalism—the most trusted source of independent, fact-based news available to Americans. 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. They should also recognize the binding commitments Nexstar has made to increase the amount of local news coverage in many markets, including today's settlement with the Ohio Attorney General. And they should be far more wary of the real drivers of the decline of local news: the unchecked rise of Big Tech platforms, the spread of misinformation on social media, and the economic pressures that have already led to widespread newsroom closures. Tellingly, none of them appeared on local broadcast news to discuss this issue, but their social media posts were immediate.
“In today’s media landscape, multibillion-dollar technology companies compete directly with local broadcasters while facing none of the same ownership, reach, or size constraints, putting untenable pressure on the economic model that supports local news,” the statement continued. “The alternative to this deal is not more independently owned outlets—it’s the demise of your local broadcast station.”
