Attorney General Charity Clark announced on April 30 that Vermont has joined a bipartisan coalition of 12 attorneys general in filing an amended complaint against Nexstar Media Group, Inc. and Tegna Inc. to challenge their proposed merger. The lawsuit seeks to block the $6.2 billion deal, which would create the largest broadcast station group in the United States.
The coalition argues that combining Nexstar and Tegna, currently the nation’s largest and third-largest television-station conglomerates, would consolidate control over approximately 80% of U.S. television households. The attorneys general say this could reduce local jobs, increase cable bills, and impact how news and media content are delivered across the country.
In recent weeks before the anticipated closing of the merger, reports surfaced regarding layoffs of long-standing journalists by Nexstar in major cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York. These developments have raised further concerns about potential negative effects on local journalism if the merger proceeds.
A previous lawsuit was filed by a state coalition on March 18 to block the deal. On April 17, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California granted a preliminary injunction halting completion of the merger while litigation continues. This followed a temporary restraining order issued after a challenge brought by DIRECTV; both cases have since been consolidated by the court.
Defendants have appealed these court decisions to halt proceedings to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, with Nexstar’s opening brief due May 20.
Clark joins attorneys general from California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Kansas, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Virginia in pursuing this legal action.
