The TV megamerger that knocked Jimmy Kimmel off the air is illegal, state officials say

Site SearchClearSEARCHAdvanced Search ➔Search ResultsSymbolsNo results foundAll NewsArticlesVideoPodcasts0 ResultsNo Results FoundAuthorsNo results foundSectionsNo results foundColumnsNo results found The Trump administration just greenlit the TV megamerger at the center of Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension. It still may not be legal.Eight states and other broadcasters have filed antitrust suits against the $6.2 billion Nexstar-Tegna merger, which the Trump administration backed only after Nexstar moved to suspend Kimmel’s showLast Updated: March 19, 2026 at 8:53 p.m. ETFirst Published: March 19, 2026 at 1:26 p.m. ETShareResizeListen(7 min)Nexstar needed a major change to government rules for its deal to acquire Tegna to go through, and it led a fight to have Jimmy Kimmel’s show taken off ABC following criticism from the Trump administration. Photo: ABC/AFP via Getty ImagesThe Trump administration signed off on a television megamerger late Thursday which was at the heart of a move to push late-night host Jimmy Kimmel off the air last year and has faced a host of legal challenges as to whether it violated the law.Nexstar Media Group NXST, the nation’s largest local television-station owner, said it had closed its $6.2 billion deal to acquire Tegna TGNA, after receiving approvals from both the Department of Justice and the Federal Communications Commission. About the Author Lukas I. AlpertLukas I. Alpert writes about the media and entertainment industries for MarketWatch. He previously worked for the Wall Street Journal, New York Daily News, New York Post and the Associated Press. In 2019, he was part of a WSJ team awarded the Pulitzer Prize for national reporting. You can follow him on Twitter@lalpert1.Show Conversation (0)Back To TopA Dow Jones CompanyCopyright © 2026 MarketWatch, Inc. All rights reserved.Terms of UsePrivacy NoticeCookie NoticeArchive MarketwatchCustomer CenterContact UsNewslettersNewsroom RosterVirtual Stock ExchangeMarketWatch GuidesCopyright PolicyManage NotificationsCancel My SubscriptionCompanyDow JonesCode of ConductCorrectionsReprints & LicensingDigital Self ServiceYour Ad ChoicesCorporate SubscriptionsAccessibilityDow Jones NetworkThe Wall Street JournalBarron'sInvestor's Business DailyFinancial News Londonrealtor.comMansion GlobalDow Jones Smart MoneyIntraday Data provided by FACTSET and subject to terms of use. Historical and current end-of-day data provided by FACTSET. All quotes are in local exchange time. Real-time last sale data for U.S. stock quotes reflect trades reported through Nasdaq only. Intraday data delayed at least 15 minutes or per exchange requirements.