Attorney General Jeff Jackson announced on March 30 that his office has filed an emergency motion to stop Nexstar from integrating Tegna’s television stations into its operations, following a rapid sequence of events after states sued to block the merger. The legal action comes after a federal lawsuit was filed by several states on March 18 alleging the merger violates antitrust law.
The issue is significant because the merger would create the largest TV station owner in American history and eliminate competition in more than 30 markets. According to Jackson, this could lead to higher television prices for millions of families in North Carolina. “Less than 24 hours after we filed a lawsuit to block this merger, it was reported that the USDOJ dropped its investigation and the FCC waived its own rules, which helped Nexstar close this deal before the court could stop them,” said Attorney General Jeff Jackson. “It was an obvious end run around the court so they can raise TV prices on millions of families in North Carolina. We’re filing an emergency motion to freeze this merger in its tracks.”
If granted, the emergency motion would prevent Nexstar from consolidating newsrooms or laying off Tegna staff while litigation continues. Tegna’s contracts with cable and satellite providers would remain separate, and courts could still order effective relief if states prevail. If denied, Nexstar could immediately merge operations at stations such as WCNC (NBC) and WJZY (FOX 46) in Charlotte; WFMY (CBS 2) and WGHP (FOX 8) in Greensboro/High Point/Winston-Salem; and WVEC (ABC 13), WAVY (NBC 10), and WVBT (FOX) serving parts of North Carolina from Norfolk/Newport News.
Federal courts have authority to require companies to keep acquired assets separate or even unwind completed mergers if evidence shows reduced competition. DirecTV also filed a federal lawsuit seeking to block the same merger on antitrust grounds and submitted its own emergency request.
Jackson leads the North Carolina State Executive Attorney General’s office as attorney general according to the official website. The office aims to prevent crime, assist law enforcement, protect consumers, defend residents’ rights, represent state agencies in court, prosecute criminal appeals, and provide legal services across North Carolina according to the official website.
A copy of both the emergency motion and original complaint are available online.
