Judge halts Nexstar/Tegna merger after FCC let firms exceed TV ownership limit

March 31, 2026

So, here’s something that’s shaking up the TV world — despite the Trump administration giving the green light to Nexstar’s $6.2 billion buyout of Tegna, a judge just put the brakes on everything. US District Judge Troy Nunley, an Obama appointee, issued a temporary restraining order that bans Nexstar and Tegna from merging their assets until the court decides further. Now, here’s where it gets interesting — Nunley agrees with DirecTV’s concerns that rushing this merger could reduce competition, lead to newsroom layoffs, and make it harder to undo if needed. According to Jon Brodkin reporting for TechCrunch, the judge is worried that integrating these firms too quickly could harm consumers and markets. And get this — Nunley highlights that the FCC actually let the companies exceed TV ownership limits, which adds another layer of controversy. So what does this actually mean for the future of local news and media giants? Well, it’s a standoff that could reshape how media consolidation is handled in the US.

Although the Trump administration approved Nexstar Media Group’s $6.2 billion purchase of Tegna, a US judge has ordered the two companies to stop integrating their assets and operations. US District Judge Troy Nunley, an Obama appointee, issued a temporary restraining order on Friday prohibiting integration of the companies until further rulings by the court.

"Defendants must immediately cease all ongoing actions relating to integration and consolidation of Nexstar and Tegna," wrote Nunley, the chief judge in US District Court for the Eastern District of California.

Nunley said he agrees with plaintiff DirecTV that immediate integration of the merging firms could eliminate competition, result in newsroom layoffs and shutdowns, and make it more difficult to divest Tegna stations if the court ends up requiring a divestiture after reviewing the merger. DirecTV has established that "the Nexstar-TEGNA merger will substantially lessen competition in markets in which it participates," and that there would be irreparable harm if a restraining order isn't issued, Nunley wrote.

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