Federal Judge Blocks Nexstar-Tegna Merger

A federal judge, U.S. District Judge Troy Nunley, has issued a preliminary injunction blocking the $6.2 billion merger between Nexstar Media Group and Tegna. This decision comes despite the deal having received regulatory approvals from the United States===Federal Communications Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice, and having already closed. The injunction was a major victory for DirecTV and a coalition of eight state attorneys general, led by United States===California's Rob Bonta, who argued that the merger would violate antitrust laws, hinder competition, and lead to higher prices and reduced quality of local television programming for consumers. Nexstar Media Group has announced its intention to appeal the decision to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The ruling requires Tegna to continue operating as a separate and independently managed business unit from Nexstar Media Group while the legal dispute proceeds.