Ranking members of the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee have questioned Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Brendan Carr regarding his approval of Nexstar’s merger with Tegna. The criticism centres on Carr’s decision to approve the deal without a vote from the full commission, according to a Bloomberg News report. Nexstar Media Group is a leading diversified media company that produces and distributes content. Tegna Inc. is a media company that owns and operates television stations.
The letter to Carr was jointly sent by Republican Senator Ted Cruz and Democrat Maria Cantwell, as per the Bloomberg report. The senators allege that Carr improperly authorised agency staff to approve the merger, despite it involving the waiving of major anti-consolidation rules. They contend that significant policy questions arising from the merger should have been addressed by the full FCC through a vote.
The FCC approved the $3.54 billion sale of Tegna to Nexstar earlier this month, despite objections from Democratic-led states. The companies subsequently closed the deal. However, a U.S. judge last week ordered Nexstar to temporarily keep Tegna’s assets separate, pending a review of whether the deal violates federal antitrust laws.
Neither the FCC, the Senate Commerce Committee, nor Senators Cruz and Cantwell have yet responded to requests for comment on the matter outside of regular business hours.
