Judge Finds Nexstar Violated Order To Keep Tegna Separate During Merger Fight

CHICAGO — A federal judge has found that Nexstar Media Group violated a court order requiring it to remain separate from Tegna Inc. while a multistate legal challenge to their proposed merger proceeds.

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and a coalition of 12 attorneys general announced the ruling, saying the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California agreed that Nexstar ran afoul of a preliminary injunction by placing current or former Nexstar executives on Tegna’s board of directors.

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The court ordered monthly reporting and directed the parties to propose procedures for continuing third-party compliance monitoring, potentially through a special master, according to Raoul’s office.

The latest ruling follows an April preliminary injunction that halted the merger while litigation proceeds. That injunction came after Illinois and other states challenged the combination of Nexstar and Tegna, which are the nation’s largest and third-largest television station groups, respectively.

“Despite a court order requiring Nexstar and Tegna to remain separate, Nexstar stocked Tegna’s board with its own current and former executives, effectively beginning the merger in violation of that order,” Raoul said in a statement.

“I am pleased the court ordered monthly reporting and independent third-party monitoring to hold Nexstar to the court’s order.”

Merger Would Reach 80 Percent Of U.S. TV Households

The proposed multibillion-dollar combination would create the largest broadcast station group in the country and reach about 80 percent of U.S. television households, according to the Attorney General’s Office. Illinois and the other states have argued that the merger would reduce competition, threaten local newsroom jobs and potentially increase costs for consumers.

Those concerns have been particularly visible in Chicago.

In February, Patch reported that Nexstar-owned WGN-TV had laid off at least eight on-air anchors and reporters amid broader job reductions at Nexstar stations. The cuts included Sean Lewis, Ray Cortopassi, Bronagh Tumulty, Judy Wang, Julian Crews, Paul Lisnek, Chris Boden and Dean Richards.

At the time, Nexstar was reporting what it called “solid” financial results while preparing for the Tegna transaction. Patch also reported that newsroom positions had been eliminated at WGN over the preceding months.

Illinois Markets Part Of States' Concerns

The states have also pointed to potential concentration in several Illinois television markets.

In the Quad Cities, Nexstar controls CBS- and FOX-affiliated stations while Tegna owns the ABC affiliate. In the St. Louis market, which includes portions of southwestern Illinois, Nexstar owns FOX- and CW-affiliated stations while Tegna owns the NBC affiliate, according to Raoul’s office.

Raoul and seven other attorneys general initially sued in March to block the transaction. The coalition later expanded to include attorneys general from California, Colorado, Connecticut, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Virginia.

A trial in the case is scheduled for July 6, 2027, according to Raoul’s office.