Rep. Summer Lee, Sen. Warren, Lawmakers Push FCC, DOJ to Potentially Block Nexstar Acquisition of Tegna, Creating Media Giant Reaching 80% of US TV Households

Text of Letter (PDF)

WASHINGTON, DC - December 16, 2025 - Today, Congresswoman Summer L. Lee (PA-12), along with Representatives Doris Matsui (CA-07), Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, and Maxwell Frost (FL-10), and U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) wrote to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Brendan Carr and Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Department of Justice (DOJ), urging them to closely scrutinize Nexstar Media Group, Inc.'s ("Nexstar") proposed acquisition of Tegna Inc. ("Tegna") and to block this deal if they determine that it violates federal telecommunications or antitrust laws.

The letter comes amid heightened attention to concerns about media consolidation, with lawmakers already sounding the alarm about large-scale media mergers, including the potential sale of Warner Bros. to Netflix or Paramount Skydance.

"Regulatory approval of the conglomerate would likely raise prices for consumers, accelerate job losses, and weaken the independence and news coverage of local TV stations," wrote the lawmakers.

In August, Nexstar announced its intention to purchase competitor Tegna in a $6.2 billion deal. Nexstar is the largest owner of local broadcast television stations in the United States, controlling 201 stations and serving more than a third of local TV households nationally. Tegna owns 64 TV stations in 51 markets. A merger between Nexstar and Tegna would create a media giant reaching 80% of U.S. TV households. Currently, federal communications law prohibits an entity from owning any number of TV stations that reach more than 39% of all U.S. TV households. If this deal is allowed, the new merged company would surpass that threshold.

"The company's proposed acquisition of Tegna is presumptively illegal because it would allow Nexstar to exceed national caps on station ownership, creating a media giant that would far outstrip its competitors," wrote the lawmakers. "The FCC should abandon its attempt to circumvent Congress to change broadcast ownership rules, and should refrain from issuing a waiver to give Nexstar and Tegna permission to disregard the cap."

As a TV market industry expert explains, "ownership rules were designed to ensure local voices and limit concentration. Broadcasters were expected to serve their communities because the airwaves are publicly owned."

Already, the circumstances around regulatory approvals, potentially including this deal, have been politicized. One month after Nexstar announced its intention to acquire Tegna, FCC Chairman Carr said, with regard to Jimmy Kimmel Live!, that media companies "can find ways to take action on Kimmel, or there is going to be additional work for the FCC ahead." He added, "[w]e can do this the easy way or the hard way." Hours later, Nexstar preempted the distribution of Jimmy Kimmel Live! and only returned the show to the airwaves after public pressure.

For this reason, the lawmakers are pushing for a government process that clearly and transparently enforces laws that protect consumers, free from political influence or backroom deals. Notably, the public is feeling the stakes of media mergers more acutely as this is happening at the same time as the Warner Bros. bidding war, which has garnered a tremendous amount of attention.

"The industry's attempt to boost profits for executives through consolidation ultimately comes at the expense of viewers across the country and independent, local TV journalism," concluded the lawmakers. "We urge the FCC to carefully review the deal, including by holding public hearings, and block it if Nexstar cannot affirmatively prove that the deal will benefit the public, not just its shareholders."

Full text of the letter can be found here.

Congresswoman Summer Lee serves on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and the Committee on Education and Workforce. Since taking office in January 2023, she has delivered historic levels of federal investment totaling over $2.4 Billion brought back to Western PA, including over $580 million for infrastructure, over $110 million for affordable transit, over $500 million to keep clean energy manufacturing at home in Pennsylvania, and over $55 million on clean energy efforts in and around schools to help keep our kids and communities safe. These investments will help improve Western Pennsylvania's infrastructure and transit, ensure cleaner air and drinking water, lower housing costs, fund research institutions, fuel clean manufacturing, fund STEM innovation and entrepreneurship, boost workforce development, and create thousands of good paying union jobs.  Lee and her team have also delivered casework and constituent services to over 3,000 constituents with issues ranging from helping our seniors and disabled community access Medicare and social security to helping folks secure housing and helping families with immigration support and passports.