CT AG Joins 8 States to Block Nexstar-TEGNA Merger

CT Attorney General Press Releases

Filed March 20th, 2026

Detected March 21st, 2026

Summary

Connecticut Attorney General William Tong, joined by eight other state attorneys general, has filed an emergency motion to stop the merger between Nexstar Media Group and TEGNA Inc. The merger, which received regulatory approval from the FCC and DOJ, is expected to create the largest broadcast station group in the US, potentially leading to job cuts and increased consumer costs.

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What changed

Connecticut Attorney General William Tong, along with eight other state attorneys general, has filed an emergency motion for a temporary restraining order to block the merger of Nexstar Media Group and TEGNA Inc. This action follows the attorneys general's lawsuit filed the previous night, aiming to halt the combination which was approved by the FCC and DOJ shortly before the motion was filed. The merger is anticipated to create the largest broadcast station group in the United States, significantly increasing market concentration, particularly in Connecticut where Nexstar would control a substantial portion of the 'Big Four' network television market. Concerns include reduced competition, potential job losses in local newsrooms, and increased costs for consumers.

Regulated entities, particularly those in the media and broadcasting sectors, should monitor this developing legal challenge. While the merger has received federal approval, the state-level intervention indicates significant ongoing opposition. The immediate focus is on the court's decision regarding the temporary restraining order. The implications for market structure, local journalism, and consumer pricing are substantial, and further legal actions or regulatory scrutiny may follow. Compliance officers should be aware of the potential for increased antitrust enforcement in the media sector.

What to do next

Monitor court proceedings regarding the temporary restraining order.
Assess potential impacts of increased media consolidation on local markets and competition.

Source document (simplified)

The Office of the Attorney General William Tong

Press Releases

03/20/2026

Attorney General Tong Files Emergency Motion to Stop Nexstar/Tegna Merger

(Hartford, CT) — Connecticut Attorney General William Tong today joined a coalition of eight attorneys general in filing a motion for a temporary restraining order to stop the combination of TEGNA Inc. (TEGNA) and Nexstar Media Group, Inc. (Nexstar), after the broadcasting giants announced the closed deal yesterday evening, minutes after receiving regulatory approval from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). The night before that, Attorney General Tong filed a lawsuit to block the merger, a deal that is expected to create the largest broadcast station group in the United States, put more broadcast programming in the hands of fewer people, cut local jobs, increase cable bills, and significantly impact the delivery of news and other media content to Americans nationwide.

"This merger would create an unprecedented concentration of control over local TV markets, giving a single company more control over what we watch, what we pay, and the news we rely on. This kind of consolidation hurts competition, drives up costs, and threatens local journalism. We're asking the court to stop now before the damage is done,” said Attorney General Tong.

If approved, this multibillion-dollar deal would combine the nation’s largest and third-largest television-station conglomerates, creating a titan covering 80% of U.S. television households. In Connecticut, Nexstar would control 63.6 percent of the state's “Big Four” network television market, one of the largest post-merger increases in Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI), a well-established method for measuring market concentration. The loss of competition between Nexstar and TENGA will also likely lead to the consolidation of local television newsrooms. It will likely lead to the consolidation of Nexstar’s News 8 and TENGA’s Fox 61, leaving only NBC CT and Eyewitness News 3 as independent.

The Trump Administration has shown states and consumers that it is more concerned with protecting corporate interests than in doing its job to defend the public and uphold consumer protection and antitrust laws that help make life more affordable for American families. Attorney General Tong has responded by intervening when the Trump Administration allegedly greenlit the Hewlett-Packard Enterprises/Juniper Networks merger not for the public interest, but to line the pockets of its friends, and by continuing to fight for a better deal for consumers after U.S. DOJ settled days into the much-awaited Live Nation/Ticketmaster trial — an action promptly rejected by a bipartisan group of attorneys general.

Assistant Attorneys General Julian Quiñones, Rose Levine and Deputy Associate Attorney General and Chief of the Antitrust Section Nicole Demers assisted in this matter.

Twitter: @AGWilliamTong Facebook: CT Attorney General