Attorney General Jay Jones announced on Mar. 20 that he has joined a coalition of eight attorneys general in filing a lawsuit to stop the $6.2 billion acquisition of Tegna Inc. by Nexstar Media Group, Inc. The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California and seeks to prevent what would become the largest broadcast station group in the United States.
The proposed merger is significant because it would give Nexstar control over programming reaching approximately 80% of U.S. television households, raising concerns about increased costs and reduced local news coverage for consumers. The lawsuit alleges that this consolidation would violate Section 7 of the Clayton Act, which prohibits mergers that substantially lessen competition or create monopolies.
Jones said, “Our free press is under constant threat from Donald Trump, and Virginians simply cannot afford to lose more independent local news voices. Unfortunately, we already know what happens when Nexstar comes to town to buy local television stations – stations close, jobs are cut, and local news quality is reduced.” He added that trust in local news remains high among Virginians compared to national outlets: “Reports show that over 65% of Virginians trust local news to report accurately, compared to less than 46% for national news. Trust that is built by the independent local news voices heard in homes throughout Virginia every day. When stations close and those voices are eliminated, ties to the community become strained or broken altogether. Virginians deserve to get their news from the diverse, community-focused reporting that they trust, not recycled content created to serve only the bottom line.”
The complaint also points out that President Trump publicly supported the deal on Feb. 7 via social media posts encouraging its completion as a way to counter “Fake News National TV Networks.” FCC Chairman Brendan Carr responded with support for moving forward with the merger.
In addition to antitrust concerns raised by state officials, federal agencies such as the Department of Justice and Federal Communications Commission have authority over such mergers due to rules designed to protect competition and diversity in media ownership.
The Attorney General of Virginia supports civil rights enforcement and victim assistance programs according to its official website. The office also provides legal counsel and representation for state agencies while promoting public safety and defending constitutional rights as detailed online. Miyares currently serves as Virginia’s 48th Attorney General according to official records, serving all residents across the Commonwealth as noted by his office. The office addresses issues including human trafficking and domestic violence through legal advocacy according to its website and offers consumer protection resources related to identity theft and fraud reporting as noted online.
Looking ahead, observers will watch how federal regulators respond given both political pressure and existing regulations meant to preserve competition within American media markets.
