Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday has joined a bipartisan coalition of more than a dozen states in a lawsuit to block the acquisition of TEGNA by Nexstar Media Group. The legal challenge argues that the $6.2 billion deal violates antitrust laws and would create the largest broadcast station group in the United States. Officials claim the merger would reduce competition among major network affiliates, including ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX, in dozens of markets nationwide.
The lawsuit specifically highlights potential impacts on viewers in northeastern and central Pennsylvania, including the Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, and Harrisburg markets. Attorney General Sunday stated that the consolidation could limit local television choices and lead to higher subscription costs for consumers. While federal regulators approved the transaction in March, a judge has recently ordered a pause on the combining of assets as the litigation proceeds. Pennsylvania joins states such as California, Indiana, and Kansas in the effort to maintain market diversity for news and sports programming.
