Raleigh -- August 11, 2026: A federal judge has ruled that broadcast media giant Nexstar Media Group violated a court injunction ordering a freeze on its proposed $6.2 billion acquisition of Tegna Inc., North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson announced Monday.
U.S. District Judge Troy Nunley found that Nexstar breached the preliminary injunction—which required Nexstar and Tegna to maintain completely separate operations while state antitrust lawsuits proceed—by installing its own top executives onto Tegna’s Board of Directors.
The court is appointing a special master or magistrate judge to oversee compliance and ensure both media entities remain fully independent through trial.
Executive Board Appointments Spark Judicial Scrutiny
The multi-billion-dollar deal would unite two of the nation's largest television station owners, placing Nexstar content in roughly 80% of American households. Attorney General Jackson, along with a coalition of state attorneys general, originally filed suit to block the merger, citing concerns over higher consumer cable bills, reduced market competition, and newsroom consolidation.
After Nexstar attempted to rush the acquisition, the court issued a preliminary injunction mandating a complete freeze. The order strictly mandated separate management teams and independent newsrooms.
Despite the court order, Attorney General Jackson returned to court after discovering Nexstar had placed key leadership—including its CEO, president, chief financial officer, and general counsel—directly onto Tegna’s board.
Nexstar argued that the board structure did not violate the court-ordered freeze. Judge Nunley rejected that defense, stating in his ruling that "it is shocking that Defendants think installing a Board of Directors comprised primarily of Nexstar executives would not create influence over Tegna management." The judge also criticized Nexstar for a "lack of candor" regarding its actions.
"The court ordered this merger frozen, and Nexstar didn’t follow that order," said Attorney General Jeff Jackson. "Now the judge is putting a monitor in place to make sure Nexstar follows the order. Our case to block this merger is still moving ahead, and we’re going to see it through."
Immediate Remedies Ordered by the Court
To restore compliance with the preliminary injunction, the court has directed Nexstar to complete the following actions:
Remove all executive officers from Tegna's Board of Directors immediately.
Submit monthly compliance reports to Attorney General Jackson and partner states to demonstrate independent operation.
File a formal status report with the federal court within 10 days detailing steps taken.
Submit to external monitoring under a court-appointed special master or magistrate judge.
High Impact on North Carolina Broadcast Markets
North Carolina stands as one of the states most affected by the proposed consolidation due to major broadcast overlaps across three key regions:
Charlotte: Nexstar operates WJZY/Queen City News (FOX) and seeks to acquire Tegna's WCNC (NBC).
Piedmont Triad: Nexstar owns WGHP (FOX 8) and would gain Tegna's WFMY (CBS 2).
Northeastern North Carolina (Norfolk-Newport News Market): Nexstar owns WAVY (NBC) and WVBT (FOX), and would acquire Tegna's WVEC (ABC).
Combined, these affected regions encompass over two million television households in North Carolina. State regulators argue that allowing single ownership of multiple major network affiliates in the same market eliminates direct broadcast competition, raising retransmission fees that cable and satellite providers pass directly to consumers.
The full trial determining whether to permanently block the Nexstar-Tegna merger is scheduled to begin on July 6, 2027.
For updates on local news, regional broadcast developments, and coverage across Western North Carolina, stay tuned to wnctimes.