Overview
- Trump urged approval on Truth Social, calling the proposed merger a way to counter what he labeled “Fake News” and writing, “GET THAT DEAL DONE.”
- Nexstar announced the $6.2 billion purchase in August, pairing its more than 200 owned and partner stations and networks like The CW and NewsNation with Tegna’s 64 stations.
- The transaction still requires regulatory approval, with the FCC reviewing ownership rules as recent court decisions have altered previous limits.
- Critics in Congress, including Sen. Michael Bennet and Rep. Joe Neguse, argue the combined reach could approach about 80% of U.S. households, well above the FCC’s 39% cap.
- Nexstar has cast the deal as necessary to compete with Big Tech and has described itself as “anti‑fake news” in filings and public appeals linked to the administration’s deregulatory stance.