Nexstar Media Group said it believes that the broadcast TV station landscape is “ripe for regulatory reform” despite President Donald Trump’s opposition to raising or eliminating the FCC’s 39% ownership cap.
“We agree with President Trump that the status quo is no longer acceptable, nor should the government do anything to strengthen the stranglehold of legacy media and Big Tech on the marketplace of ideas,” the company said in a statement on Monday. “Those platforms already reach into every pocket, purse, and backpack in America, and the best way to disrupt their monopolistic power is to allow local broadcasters an opportunity to compete on a level playing field. Americans want more access to local news and a variety of voices without the filter of the coastal elites.”
It argued that by modernizing the FCC’s rules, regulators will ensure that local communities benefit from “an array of fact-based local journalism—the anti-fake news—for years to come.”
“This is an historic opportunity to change the status quo and deliver a win for Americans across the country who are weary of legacy media’s leverage over local broadcasters,” the statement concluded.
Under the current rule, which was first implemented in 1941 and was raised by Congress in 2004 to ensure viewpoint diversity and prevent monopolization, the cap limits entities from owning or controlling broadcast television stations that, in aggregate, reach more than 39% of TV households in the United States.
The FCC’s chairman Brendan Carr has expressed a willingness to modify or eliminate the cap to empower local broadcasters, who have argued consolidation would help them better compete against legacy media and Big Tech.
In September, the FCC advanced its review of broadcast ownership rules, seeking public comment on retaining, modifying or eliminating the local radio, television and dual network rules. In June, it also refreshed the record and asked for public comment on whether to retain, modify or eliminate the national broadcast ownership cap.
Despite Carr’s support, the FCC’s sole Democrat Anna Gomez has previously said that the move would “drastically alter the media ecosystem and the number of voices that are a part of it” and that only Congress has the authority to modify or eliminate it. Meanwhile, Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy has said it would be a “disaster for conservatives around the country.”
“If this would also allow the Radical Left Networks to “enlarge,” I would not be happy,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. “ABC & NBC, in particular, are a disaster – A VIRTUAL ARM OF THE DEMOCRAT PARTY. They should be viewed as an illegal campaign to the Radical Left. NO EXPANSION OF THE FAKE NEWS NETWORKS. If anything, make them SMALLER!”
Nexstar and Tegna have filed broadcast license transfer applications with the FCC as part of their pending $6.2 billion merger, which would create a combined entity reaching 80% of U.S. TV households. In its statement, the company said it is “on the path to completing our transaction.”
Meanwhile, Sinclair has submitted a $7 per share offer to acquire rival E.W. Scripps’ outstanding shares after raising its ownership stake to 9.9%. Sinclair CEO Chris Ripley has said he expects the regulator to take action on the cap in the first half of 2026.
“We are confident that under existing rules, including the national cap, the transaction can be completed in a timely manner with limited select divestitures,” Sinclair said.
