Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) has penned a letter to FCC chair Brendan Carr about the Senator’s displeasure with the approval of the Nexstar Media Group/TEGNA deal.
In the letter sent to Carr on Monday, Sen. Cruz said the decision by the FCC to approve the deal is concerning.
“This decision raises serious concerns about the Commission’s use of delegated authority in matters involving significant legal, policy, and economic consequences,” Cruz wrote. “The transaction is unprecedented in scale … A transaction of this magnitude alone warranted consideration and a vote by the full Commission. Although you have indicated that a full Commission vote may still occur, the Commission has already approved the transaction on delegated authority, effectively determining the outcome. Under these circumstances, any subsequent vote risks being largely procedural rather than a genuine exercise of Commission responsibility.”
Ted Cruz continued by questioning the process Carr instituted to approve the merger between the companies.
“The size of the transaction and the scope of the waivers presented are precisely the type of novel and consequential issues that Commission precedent, as well as basic principles of administrative accountability to the American people, require to be decided by the full Commission,” wrote Cruz. “Equally troubling is the procedural consequence of this choice. Because bureau-level decisions are not final orders, parties must first seek Commission review before accessing the courts.
“In a transaction of this scale, where integration proceeds quickly and unwinding becomes impractical, delay in judicial review can insulate the decision from meaningful challenge,” continued Cruz. “That outcome is difficult to reconcile with the Commission’s obligation to ensure transparency and accountability in major actions.”
He concluded the letter with a series of questions he’d like Carr to respond to “no later than April 13, 2026.”
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