Overview
- U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley issued a preliminary injunction Friday that halts integration, with the order taking effect Tuesday at 5 p.m. PDT as a temporary restraining order stays in place until then.
- The judge said eight state attorneys general and DirecTV are likely to win their antitrust case, finding the merger would reduce competition in violation of federal law.
- Regulators at the FCC and the Justice Department had cleared the $6.2 billion deal, including an FCC waiver of the 39% national TV ownership cap, to form a group of roughly 259 to 265 stations reaching about 80% of U.S. households.
- Plaintiffs argue the deal would raise retransmission fees that flow into cable bills, heighten blackout risks that could cut viewers off from events like NFL games, and lead to newsroom cuts and fewer independent local voices.
- Nexstar is expected to appeal, the consolidated lawsuit proceeds in the Eastern District of California, and court-ordered hold-separate rules keep Tegna operating as a standalone competitor for now.