Republican state attorneys general join lawsuit to stop $6.2B local TV merger

Five more states are joining a federal antitrust lawsuit aimed at stopping the blockbuster merger of Nexstar and Tegna.

Five more states are joining a federal antitrust lawsuit aimed at stopping the blockbuster merger of Nexstar and Tegna, a corporate tie-up that would create the largest operator of local television stations in the country.

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California Attorney General Rob Bonta, whose office is leading the court challenge, said Thursday that Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Vermont had joined as plaintiffs, making the suit a bipartisan effort.

“This is not controversial stuff — this merger is illegal and will give Nexstar and Tegna the ability to control and raise prices, fire journalists, and dominate the media landscape,” Bonta said in a statement.