Nexstar to acquire Tegna

[TVLurker 389]

13 minutes ago, ScottSchell said:

I doubt Nexstar would sell their CW station.

KDAF despite it's UHF position is still their home station because Nexstar is headquartered in Dallas, TX and also own the CW network.

 

I'm thinking that they may not win the court case and would be forced to divest the stations they just acquired from TEGNA. No use saying WFAA is the flagship when Nexstar has a temporary restraining order stopping the merger in its tracks for now.

[tylerSC 67]

On 3/26/2026 at 7:16 PM, MediaZone4K said:

Markets with duplicate stations will be consolidated. I predict that means simulcast news under one branding rather than a WBBH/WZVN duplicate operation one roof set up?

 

So digital output is finally a must? Does that mean ex Tega staions will no longer live stream news or will Nexstar join the present and allow their news stations to be live streamed?

In Charlotte, Nexstar will now operate WJZY, WMYT, and WCNC acquired from Tegna. With FOX, CW and now NBC. Are they likely to combine broadcast and news operations under one Queen City News brand? I don't foresee 2 competing news operations in the same market under the same owner. Not likely to compete against themselves.

[tyrannical bastard 4678]

Ratings usually parallel market share, so markets that seem to combine any of the top 4 with or without an existing -opoly are likely to be divested if the courts get their way.

 

Now in a place like Dallas where WFAA/KFAA and KDAF are, they're likely safe because the latter two stations don't hold a candle to WFAA's reach and market share.

[l_miro 245]

 

1 day does not a trend make, but NXST crashed at opening today. 
~$850,000,000 market-cap loss

[Georgie56 3661]

7 hours ago, Georgie56 said:

WFAA reverted to their pre-Nexstar copyright this morning. Good Morning Texas also reverted to the pre-Nexstar legalese and TEGNA-era copyright.

 

 

And this is why:

 

 

[GraphicsMan 345]

I still think this merger is gonna go through just a lot of divestments.

[ColtFromGulfcoast 869]

17 minutes ago, GraphicsMan said:

I still think this merger is gonna go through just a lot of divestments.

If they had just done the divestitures in the first place, we wouldn't be talking about this.  

 

In any case, I agree with you.  

[TVNewsLover 861]

On 3/29/2026 at 1:39 PM, GraphicsMan said:

No. KDKA is CBS Strongest station and a AFC market. 

CBS does not take the same NFL approach Fox takes. I’m happy to point out AFC markets where they do not own a station and non-AFC markets where they do own a station.

 

Both Houston and Washington are bigger markets and they would trade KDKA in smaller market Pittsburgh in a heartbeat. KDKA is also the only O&O in Pittsburgh. 

[mre29 1967]

23 minutes ago, TVNewsLover said:

CBS does not take the same NFL approach Fox takes. I’m happy to point out AFC markets where they do not own a station and non-AFC markets where they do own a station.

 

Both Houston and Washington are bigger markets and they would trade KDKA in smaller market Pittsburgh in a heartbeat. KDKA is also the only O&O in Pittsburgh. 

 

Of course, this assumes Nexstar would even be willing to let go of WUSA and/or KHOU...

 

[MidwestTV 1358]

2 hours ago, ColtFromGulfcoast said:

If they had just done the divestitures in the first place, we wouldn't be talking about this.  

 

In any case, I agree with you.  

 

"But we are! We're selling SIX stations!" 

 

Of which some are quite clearly worthless. Denver is one of the most egregious examples.

[mre29 1967]

I realized I was having trouble remembering all of the markets where there are likely conflicts, so I threw together a quick reference that I have to share as a screenshot because the forum doesn't accept PDFs.

 

 

[GoldenShine_10 263]

It's not just the conflicts, but the new market additions if the cap is an issue. The conflicts come in play if there is an antitrust issue.

[mre29 1967]

4 minutes ago, GoldenShine_10 said:

It's not just the conflicts, but the new market additions if the cap is an issue. The conflicts come in play if there is an antitrust issue.

 

Understood. I just wanted to be able to see the conflict markets separate from the others.

 

[nomadcowatbk 188]

On 3/29/2026 at 12:39 PM, GraphicsMan said:

No. KDKA is CBS Strongest station and a AFC market. 

also a battleground state

[DucNguyen0131 65]

9 hours ago, mre29 said:

I realized I was having trouble remembering all of the markets where there are likely conflicts, so I threw together a quick reference that I have to share as a screenshot because the forum doesn't accept PDFs.

 

 

You forgot Quad Cities. Nexstar owns WHBF, KLJB and KGCW while Tegna owned WQAD.

[tyrannical bastard 4678]

I see a lot of future CW O&Os....this move should not be sitting well with NBC.
https://www.ftvlive.com/sqsp-test/2026/3/30/nexstar-tells-stations-to-cut-nbc-news-channel

 

And once the Tegna stations are included in this...that includes WCNC.  Isn't NBC News Channel (this service) literally next door to their studios in Charlotte?

Edited March 31 by tyrannical bastard

[GraphicsMan 345]

12 hours ago, TVNewsLover said:

CBS does not take the same NFL approach Fox takes. I’m happy to point out AFC markets where they do not own a station and non-AFC markets where they do own a station.

 

Both Houston and Washington are bigger markets and they would trade KDKA in smaller market Pittsburgh in a heartbeat. KDKA is also the only O&O in Pittsburgh. 

I guess so Pittsburgh is considered a mid sized market now, it’s even smaller than mine we outgrew them. Well I guess it’s profitable that’s why.

[MarkBRollins88_v2 355]

2 hours ago, tyrannical bastard said:

I see a lot of future CW O&Os....this move should not be sitting well with NBC.
https://www.ftvlive.com/sqsp-test/2026/3/30/nexstar-tells-stations-to-cut-nbc-news-channel

 

And once the Tegna stations are included in this...that includes WCNC.  Isn't NBC News Channel (this service) literally next door to their studios in Charlotte?

Perry pretty much made clear during the town hall the goal is to eventually disaffiliate all stations from their networks. 

[JRyan 694]

2 hours ago, tyrannical bastard said:

I see a lot of future CW O&Os....this move should not be sitting well with NBC.
https://www.ftvlive.com/sqsp-test/2026/3/30/nexstar-tells-stations-to-cut-nbc-news-channel

 

And once the Tegna stations are included in this...that includes WCNC.  Isn't NBC News Channel (this service) literally next door to their studios in Charlotte?

 

Far removed from the days WCNC would send an anchor next door to do live hits to cover national headlines.

[NowBergen 924]

5 hours ago, MarkBRollins88_v2 said:

Perry pretty much made clear during the town hall the goal is to eventually disaffiliate all stations from their networks. 

Glad I libr in a DMA with all O&O networks.  Good luck filling all that time. Unlike Fox, the networks provide morning, afternoon and evening programming plus major sports coverage of all 4 big sports league plus golf.  All Nexstar has for the CW is the leftover sports scraps TBH.  I can’t imagine his stations will have much value. 

Edited March 31 by NowBergen

[TennTV1983 870]

28 minutes ago, MarkBRollins88_v2 said:

Perry pretty much made clear during the town hall the goal is to eventually disaffiliate all stations from their networks. 

 

What Nexstar is doing (and to some extent what Sinclair has been doing) is bad for the industry when you dump the network news services in favor of your own.

Edited March 31 by TennTV1983

[MidwestTV 1358]

3 hours ago, tyrannical bastard said:

I see a lot of future CW O&Os....this move should not be sitting well with NBC.
https://www.ftvlive.com/sqsp-test/2026/3/30/nexstar-tells-stations-to-cut-nbc-news-channel

 

And once the Tegna stations are included in this...that includes WCNC.  Isn't NBC News Channel (this service) literally next door to their studios in Charlotte?

 

Barring your NBC affiliates from taking NBC News special reports seems like a great way to have NBC strip all your affiliates of their affiliation.

[tyrannical bastard 4678]

4 hours ago, TennTV1983 said:

 

What Nexstar is doing (and to some extent what Sinclair has been doing) is bad for the industry when you dump the network news services in favor of your own.

I guess Perry is going all-in for the FAFO route.  When the networks decide to leave, he'll realize that it's the networks (with all of their live events) that drive in the viewers, and not all of his inbred, self-serving, advertiser-driven drivel.  And as for stations like WANF and WPLG, how's that going for them?  Could it be done several times over in every market Nexstar serves?

While a network like NBC may take issue to not using their fed content in local newcasts, they will blast them if they willingly deny any network special reports fed by NBC News.

 

[l_miro 245]

39 minutes ago, tyrannical bastard said:

I guess Perry is going all-in for the FAFO route.  When the networks decide to leave, he'll realize that it's the networks (with all of their live events) that drive in the viewers, and not all of his inbred, self-serving, advertiser-driven drivel.  And as for stations like WANF and WPLG, how's that going for them?  Could it be done several times over in every market Nexstar serves?

While a network like NBC may take issue to not using their fed content in local newcasts, they will blast them if they willingly deny any network special reports fed by NBC News.

 

 

Uncle Perry should be thinking this way. Actually, you can make an argument that he has no choice but to plan for it given what ABC did to WPLG for refusing more retrans $ reverse comp. As the story is told, WPLG actually said we can't but let's talk about it, ABC went silent and started scheming with Sunbeam, didn't tell WPLG until after Sunbeam announced it. Perry knows he's going to get knifed eventually.

 

NBC did it to WHDH, to teach Ed Ansin a lesson for what they feel is him ruining Jay Leno at 10pm - offered him money for the WHDH transmitter but not the business, and if you believe insiders - laughed

 

I mean, FOX kept saying how much they love WSVN, great relationship, strength yadda yadda then went trying to grab WSFL 

 

NBC has decided they'll live or die by Peacock. FOX has FOXOne etc. Right now broadcast stations and networks are in that late stage of an abusive relationship where the battered spouse is making plans to leave but can't just yet because money

 

 

 

Edited March 31 by l_miro

[TVLurker 389]