A coalition of eight state attorneys general has filed a lawsuit aiming to block Nexstar Media Group’s proposed purchase of TEGNA.
The lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California states that the movie would exceed the legal limits for TV station ownership. Currently, Nexstar Media Group has already been granted a waiver to exceed the cap of reaching 39% of U.S. TV households. The acquisition of TEGNA would grant them access to nearly 80%.
The attorneys general filing the motion come from California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, and Virginia.
In the filing, California Attorney General Rob Bonta called the potential merger between Nexstar and TEGNA “illegal, plain and simple.”
Under the proposed merger, Nexstar would own at least two broadcast stations in more than 25 markets around the nation.
The coalition of attorneys general launching the lawsuit comes after FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr has shared that he believes that lifting the ownership cap will allow television broadcasters to better compete with big tech firms. “I support that transaction. We’re going to be moving forward,” Carr said in February.
More than 40 Congressional Republicans have urged the FCC not to approve the merger until a “thorough review” of the acquisition is completed. President Trump, meanwhile, has signalled he would like approval fast-tracked.
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