Nexstar Media Group
U.S. center-right (corporate; local news mostly centrist, with some conservative-leaning national programming)
Background
Nexstar was founded in 1996 as Nexstar Broadcasting and grew by buying local TV stations. Its large acquisitions include Media General (2017) and Tribune Media (2019), which gave it WGN America. That channel became NewsNation. In 2022 it bought a majority of The CW. In March 2026 it closed a roughly $6.2 billion acquisition of Tegna, including debt, which added 64 full-power stations in 51 markets. The FCC waived the national ownership cap for the deal, with conditions that included divesting six stations. The deal needed the Trump administration's approval, which came after Trump had initially opposed it. In April 2026 a federal court in California issued a preliminary injunction limiting further integration while an antitrust suit proceeds. In September 2025, Nexstar and Sinclair preempted Jimmy Kimmel Live! after FCC Chairman Brendan Carr criticized Kimmel's remarks. Democratic lawmakers and press-freedom groups said this looked like yielding to government pressure, especially with the merger pending. Nexstar has said these were editorial decisions for its local stations. It has also been criticized for requiring uniform content across stations, such as shared 'must-run' segments. Its local news is generally regarded as centrist, with NewsNation positioned as a middle-of-the-road cable alternative.
Sources
- FCC Approves Nexstar-Tegna Deal Creating Local TV Giant - Bloomberg
- Nexstar Closes Tegna Merger Following FCC And DOJ Approval - Deadline
- Nexstar Media Group, Inc., Closes Acquisition of TEGNA Inc.
- Trump administration approves Nexstar takeover of Tegna - MS NOW
- Democratic lawmakers demand answers from TV station owners that pulled Jimmy Kimmel's show - NBC News
Profile compiled 2026-11-07; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.