America


Federal Judge Blocks Nexstar Merger


$6.2 billion deal would lessen local TV competition and increase fees for viewers, he says.


F


cc chairman brendan Carr moved to give the lib- eral-leaning Nexstar group the biggest merger in televi-


sion history. But now, in a major blow to Nex-


star and the FCC, Chief Judge Troy Nunley for the Eastern District of California granted a temporary restraining order. Nunley found that the transaction


likely violates Section 7 of the Clayton Act by substantially lessening com- petition in local television markets and increasing retransmission fees for distributors and consumers. DirecTV, the nation’s largest satel-


lite video programming distributor, brought the suit in March seeking to halt Nexstar’s $6.2 billion acquisition of Tegna. The merger would make the liberal-


leaning Nexstar a giant conglomerate owning 260 stations across 44 states. The combined company would


own more stations than NBC, ABC, Fox, and CBS combined. “The federal court took the unusual


step of stopping this merger because Brendan Carr rubber-stamped the most massive TV consolidation in history using a kangaroo process,” Newsmax CEO Christopher Ruddy said, commenting on the ruling. The DirecTV case is one of mul-


tiple legal actions underway after the FCC under Carr approved the Nex- star merger in early March. At the time of the approval, eight


state attorneys general led by Califor- nia also filed suit in federal court to block the merger. Soon after, Newsmax, along with six state cable associations, filed suit


22 NEWSMAX | MAY 2026


in the District Court for the District of Columbia, seeking a stay of the FCC’s merger approval. Newsmax argued that the FCC


merger approval will give Nexstar reach to 80% of U.S. homes through its new combined network — far more than the 39% allowed under U.S. federal law. A three-judge federal panel heard arguments from Newsmax and Nex- star on the stay request. In its case in California, DirecTV


argued that the merger would dra- matically increase Nexstar’s bargain- ing power, allowing it to extract high- er fees on cable and satellite operators and impose more frequent blackouts. If the merger is allowed to go


through, in 23 markets Nexstar would own two or more major station affili- ates — including ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox — giving it market domi- nance in the broadcast sector. On the public interest, the court


stressed that antitrust law prioritizes preserving competition. Newsmax, the Conservative Politi-


cal Action Conference (CPAC), the Zionist Organization of America, consumer advocacy groups, and bipartisan policy organizations have all opposed Carr’s approval and have raised alarms about the implications of lifting the ownership cap. These groups argue that increased consolidation could reduce viewpoint diversity and localism in broadcast- ing — two principles the FCC has historically cited as core to its public interest mandate. Conservatives argue the Nexstar


merger opens the door to massive consolidation — a move that will


leave two or three media conglomer- ates owning all the major TV stations across the nation. Supporters of the merger, including


Nexstar and FCC leadership, main- tain that the deal strengthens local broadcasting by creating scale needed to compete with digital platforms. Senate Commerce Committee


Chair Ted Cruz, R-Texas, sharply crit- icized the FCC for the way it approved the merger, arguing the agency side- stepped proper procedure by failing to hold a full commission vote. His insistence on a full commis-


sion vote reflects broader concerns in Congress about administrative agen- cies making sweeping policy deci- sions without sufficient transparency or accountability. But the federal restraining order


poses a major obstacle to the left’s long-held desire to gain consolidation in broadcasting television. President Ronald Reagan first cre-


ated the national TV ownership cap to block major networks from own- ing all the small stations across the nation — and controlling local news. Carr is seeking to overturn Rea-


gan, but the courts may decide oth- erwise.


NEXSTAR LOGO/PIOTR SWAT/SHUTTERSTOCK / TEGNA/ANDREW HARNIK/GETTY IMAGES


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