New York Attorney General Letitia James announced on Mar. 19 that she has joined seven other attorneys general in filing a lawsuit to block the proposed merger between Nexstar Media Group and Tegna, Inc., two of the largest owners of local television stations in the United States. The coalition argues that the merger would create the largest broadcast station group in the country, reduce competition, raise consumer costs, and harm the quality of local news.
The lawsuit is significant because it addresses concerns about media consolidation and its potential impact on consumers’ access to independent local news. According to James, “Competition among local TV stations allows consumers to enjoy a variety of affordable options for quality coverage of news, sports, and more.” She added, “This illegal merger threatens local news and could raise fees for consumers by combining hundreds of TV stations under the same owner. I’m suing to stop Nexstar’s illegal merger with Tegna to keep cable bills down and ensure New Yorkers can access the independent local news options they count on.”
Nexstar currently controls more than 200 stations across 116 U.S. markets, while Tegna owns 64 stations in 51 markets. If completed, the merger would affect 31 media markets where both companies own competing stations, including Buffalo in New York. These stations are affiliates of major networks such as ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX. Cable providers like Comcast and DirecTV pay fees to retransmit these channels; higher fees resulting from reduced competition could be passed on to subscribers.
James and her colleagues argue that eliminating competition would give Nexstar greater power over pricing and programming decisions. They also cite concerns about diminished diversity in news coverage due to practices like “news duplication” and newsroom consolidation by Nexstar when it owns multiple stations in a market.
The lawsuit alleges that the proposed merger violates federal antitrust law by unlawfully limiting competition. It seeks a court order declaring the deal illegal and preventing its completion.
The New York Attorney General promotes social justice through civil rights enforcement and consumer advocacy according to its official website. The office also protects New Yorkers by ensuring public safety, defending civil rights, upholding consumer protections, preserving the environment according to its official website, and is headed by Letitia James according to its official website. The agency operates regional offices across New York State according to its official website and provides services such as consumer fraud investigations, charities oversight, tenant dispute mediation according to its official website, functioning as a public law enforcement entity for New York according to its official website.
Joining James in this legal action are attorneys general from California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, North Carolina, Oregon, and Virginia.
