Eight US states ask judge to temporarily stop $3.5bn Nexstar and Tegna merger

States argue deal would create largest broadcast station group in US, cut jobs and increase consumers’ cable bills Eight states asked a US judge on Friday to issue a temporary restraining order to stop a $3.5bn merger of Nexstar Media Group and Tegna. On Thursday, the local broadcast station owners received merger approval from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the US Department of Justice and said they had closed the transaction two hours after approval. The states argue that the deal, which would create the largest broadcast station group in the US, would “put more broadcast programming in the hands of fewer people, cut local jobs, increase cable bills, and significantly impact the delivery of news and other media content to Americans nationwide”. California, Colorado, Illinois, Oregon, New York, North Carolina, Connecticut and Virginia seek to maintain the status quo and argue without action the companies “would be free to proceed with – and even accelerate – integration”. The states also argue that the merger would give the deal’s principals the power to raise fees for pay-TV providers and abolish separate news operations in markets with more than one station. US