Nexstar Media’s CEO has expressed deep concerns that unchecked growth by major technology companies like Google, YouTube, and TikTok threatens the viability of local television news operations affiliated with ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC. Without the proposed acquisition of Tegna, local broadcasters risk following the path of many community newspapers that collapsed under digital competition, potentially leaving vast regions of the country without reliable, fact-based local reporting. This all comes from an op-ed Nexstar’s CEO Perry A Sook wrote in Fortune.
Sook highlighted how outdated regulations have long limited the growth and investment capabilities of local television broadcasters. These stations serve as primary providers of trusted local news across communities nationwide. Meanwhile, a small number of Big Tech companies have built enormous scale, fundamentally altering news consumption patterns. Platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, Amazon, Meta’s Facebook and Instagram, and Netflix dominate screens and devices, reaching nearly every household.
The scale of these tech entities is immense. YouTube alone accounts for a significant portion of total television viewing time in the United States. A substantial share of younger adults now turns to TikTok for news. Advertising figures underscore the imbalance: YouTube’s video ad revenue reportedly exceeded that of all broadcast television combined in the previous year. Projections indicate that five major digital players could soon command about 65 percent of a $260 billion advertising market.
According to Sook’s analysis, these platforms prioritize engagement metrics like clicks over factual accuracy or civic responsibility. Their algorithms favor viral or sensational content rather than the verified, community-focused reporting that local broadcasters deliver. This structural difference creates an urgent competitive threat to traditional local news operations, which play a vital role in democracy by informing citizens and holding local institutions accountable.
Sook drew a parallel to the decline of local newspapers. Once central to community life and highly trusted, many papers succumbed to online competition and shifting ad revenues. Thousands of publications closed or reduced operations dramatically, resulting in the loss of nearly 270,000 journalism jobs over two decades. Regulatory relief arrived too late for many, leaving numerous areas with diminished or no local print coverage. Sook positioned local television at a similar critical juncture, where inaction could lead to parallel erosion.
Nexstar, which Sook built from a single station in Scranton, Pennsylvania, in 1996, now operates alongside Tegna to reach more than 130 communities. The combined entity employs over 18,000 people, including nearly 9,000 journalists, and generates hundreds of thousands of hours of local news and programming annually. Local newscasts consistently rank as the most trusted information source for Americans, providing essential facts amid widespread misinformation and polarization.
The merger, Sook contended, would deliver the necessary scale for local broadcasters to compete effectively for viewers and advertisers while investing in quality journalism. Without growth opportunities, stations would face challenges in audience retention, revenue generation, and sustaining newsrooms. The combined company would still control only about 15 percent of the more than 1,700 full-power stations in the country and maintain no presence in 20 percent of markets, indicating room for broader industry competition.
Sook warned of a potential future dominated by algorithm-curated feeds, unverified viral videos, and artificial intelligence summaries. In such a scenario, local voices could fade, reducing institutions dedicated to factual reporting and community-specific dialogue. Residents might increasingly depend on national sources that overlook regional diversity or on automated systems lacking accountability. The Tegna acquisition, in his view, offers a pathway to maintain authentic local news options for future generations.
This perspective frames the Nexstar-Tegna deal as more than corporate expansion. It emerges as a strategic response to economic and technological shifts that have already transformed other media sectors. Proponents see it as essential for preserving a vibrant local media landscape capable of serving public interest needs that Big Tech platforms do not prioritize. As regulatory reviews continue, the arguments underscore ongoing tensions between legacy broadcasting and digital disruption in the evolving information ecosystem.
Local television’s role extends beyond entertainment to essential civic functions, including emergency alerts, election coverage, and accountability journalism tailored to specific regions. Sook’s position emphasizes that sustaining these services requires adapting to modern market realities through consolidation where appropriate, rather than relying on protections that may no longer align with competitive dynamics. The outcome of the merger could influence not only network affiliates but the broader availability of reliable local information across the United States.
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