Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced on Apr. 20 that the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California has issued a preliminary injunction stopping the merger between Tegna Inc. and Nexstar Media Group, Inc. while ongoing litigation continues.
The court’s decision comes after Raoul and a coalition of eight attorneys general requested an emergency order following recent approvals of the merger by federal regulators. The case was consolidated with DIRECTV’s related challenge, which had already resulted in a temporary restraining order last month.
“I commend the court for its decision to halt this illegal merger between Nexstar and TEGNA as we litigate this case to prevent the control over an unprecedented share of broadcast television content, including local news and sports,” Raoul said. “We are fighting to keep lower prices for Illinois consumers without jeopardizing competition in local news or cutting jobs in the newsroom. Now more than ever, consumers should have access to the diverse ideas represented in independent newsrooms.”
Raoul joined other attorneys general on March 18 in filing a lawsuit aimed at blocking what is described as a multibillion-dollar deal that would combine two major television-station conglomerates, covering about 80% of U.S. households if completed. Concerns include potential increases in cable bills, loss of local journalism jobs, and less diversity in media content delivery nationwide.
In Illinois markets such as Chicago, Quad Cities, and St. Louis—including several southwestern counties—Nexstar and TEGNA currently own multiple network-affiliated stations each. According to reports cited by Raoul’s office, there have already been staff reductions at WGN-TV ahead of any final merger decision.
The Illinois Attorney General has advocated for vulnerable groups including workers, immigrants and seniors according to the official website. The office handles thousands of consumer complaints annually according to its official website and aims to protect consumers while promoting safer communities as well as environmental advocacy according to its official website. These efforts extend across Illinois with services such as complaint filing for consumer fraud or civil rights issues according to its official website, along with partnerships supporting crime victims and open government initiatives according to its official website.
