FCC says Nexstar-TEGNA vote will come sometime this year
The FCC informed a federal appeals court that it expects to vote on the Media Bureau's approval of the $6.2 billion Nexstar-TEGNA merger sometime this year. The agency requested that the court not dictate its timetable for the decision process.
Key Takeaways
- The FCC said the $6.2 billion Nexstar-TEGNA merger is under “active consideration.”
- FCC General Counsel Adam Candeub told the court the agency expects to act on the application for review “this year.”
- A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit asked when the FCC would fulfill its “nondiscretionary obligation” to vote.
- The FCC argued a court-ordered deadline would be a “dramatic departure” from its usual resource-management discretion.
- The vote would address the Media Bureau’s March 19 approval of the deal.
Why It Matters
For now, the practical issue is timing: the FCC is telling the court it will vote on the Nexstar-TEGNA review this year, but it does not want judges to set the schedule. That keeps the $6.2 billion transaction in a live regulatory queue rather than closing the door on review. The broader signal is that the agency is treating the Media Bureau’s March 19 approval as still subject to commissioner action. What to watch next: the FCC’s eventual vote on the application for review, and whether it lands before year-end as the agency said it expects.
Read full article at policyband.com