Nexstar faces conservative opposition over $6.2B Tegna merger as Kimmel suspension lingers

Nexstar Media’s bid to acquire Tegna for $6.2 billion is drawing opposition from conservatives and right-leaning media outlets, complicating regulatory prospects for the megadeal. Nexstar announced on Wednesday that it will continue to preempt Jimmy Kimmel Live! on its ABC-affiliated stations after Kimmel’s return to ABC late Tuesday, even as Disney reinstated the late-night program earlier in the week.

Opposition is led by Newsmax and One America News Network, which say the Tegna deal would concentrate local-TV power with Nexstar, reducing competition. Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy has close ties to top GOP lawmakers and former President Trump, according to insiders. The critiques come as regulators weigh the deal, with supporters arguing the suspensions are not connected to Tegna’s approval and opponents calling it a pretext to influence the White House and the FCC.

Public attention has centered on the balance of programming on the public airwaves as the regulatory review advances. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has signaled that national and local broadcasters airing content over the air must show broader viewpoints and not rely on a single-leaning slate of programs. He has warned he could withhold local-licensing approvals and throttle mergers if the balance is not demonstrated. Some people familiar with the matter say Nexstar hopes its Kimmel suspension will meet any such balance expectations, though the company publicly says the move is unrelated to Tegna and the review.

Nexstar owns roughly three dozen ABC affiliates, which carry the network’s content, including Kimmel’s late-night show and ABC’s sports programming. The Tegna deal would dramatically expand the company’s local-television footprint, potentially bringing its reach to about 80% of U.S. households—well above a government-acknowledged 39% cap cited in discussions about consolidation in the local-broadcast market. Market watchers say such expansion would intensify regulatory scrutiny over competition, media plurality, and the concentration of local news.

The tension around the deal comes as Disney, which owns ABC, announced the reinstatement of Kimmel after a five-day suspension tied to a controversial monologue about the “MAGA gang” and Kirk’s assassination remarks. The episode fueled a broader dispute over the balance of political viewpoints in broadcast news and late-night programming. Nexstar and a rival, Sinclair Broadcast Group, have both suspended Kimmel at times in recent weeks; both groups would require regulatory clearance for certain licenses or mergers, heightening the regulatory stakes of the current review.

Industry observers note that Newsmax’s Ruddy has pressed lawmakers and regulators for a tougher stance on Nexstar’s expansion, arguing the company would gain near-monopoly power in local broadcasting if the Tegna merger proceeds. Ruddy contends that Nexstar has tolerated campaigns against the company’s critics for years and points to the broader reach of Nexstar’s combined footprint as a potential antitrust concern.

The regulatory path remains uncertain. Proponents of the Tegna merger argue that consolidation can yield efficiencies and scale in a fragmented local-media landscape facing rising costs. Critics say such consolidation risks reducing diversity of viewpoints and increasing the political influence of a single owner over local news coverage. The White House and FCC have signaled a careful, detail-oriented review, with the balance issue at the forefront of discussions about whether the deal should be approved, modified, or rejected.

In the meantime, Nexstar emphasizes ongoing conversations with Disney to ensure programming reflects and respects the diverse interests of the communities it serves. A spokesperson declined to comment further on the Tegna process, and no final decision has been announced. As regulators weigh the deal, the industry will watch how programming decisions, such as Kimmel’s status, intersect with antitrust and communications policy considerations in a rapidly evolving media market.