Newsmax’s crusade against the merger of TV station groups Nexstar and Tegna, and the lifting of corporate ownership caps that would entail, spread to its columnist as well. Michael Dorstewitz groused in a Nov. 21 column:
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is poised to ignore statutory limits on TV station ownership and defy congressional authority as well as a founding principle of America.
Media giant Nexstar Media Group filed applications Tuesday with the FCC that seeks the commission’s blessing on a proposed acquisition of rival media group Tegna for $6.2 billion.
If the FCC approves the merger, Nexstar’s 201 local TV stations would combine with Tegna’s 64 stations, for a company total of 265 stations.
This would increase Nexstar’s reach to 54.5% of U.S. TV households. The FCC’s statutory maximum is 39%.
Nexstar is already the U.S.’s largest local TV provider, and the FCC, under its chair, Brendan Carr, appears ready to approve the deal.
An ownership cap was introduced during the Reagan administration as part of his deregulation efforts in the broadcasting industry, in order to promote diversity in media ownership and prevent monopolistic practices.
Dorstewitz then complained that TV station employees are too liberal to be trusted, with help from his boss:
“Reagan understood if you have left-wing networks like ABC, NBC and CBS — or groups like Nexstar today controlling every local station and their local news — Republicans would have little chance to win in state and federal elections,” Newsmax CEO Christopher Ruddy explained.
He told Newsmax host Rob Finnerty Tuesday that Nexstar is a left-leaning company that could have a disastrous, lopsided effect on local elections.
“Seventy-eight percent of Nexstar donations went to Kamala Harris — 78% — a very liberal company,” Ruddy continued. “I think that people need to realize that local news is everything in local elections, and that we’re going to give a handful of companies control.”
[…]The 39% cap is already excessive. It was initially set at 25% and should have remained there.
Dorstewitz concluded: “The FCC should reject Nexstar’s application and keep diversity of thought alive. It’s not just the right thing to do; it’s the only lawful thing to do.”
Ken Buck inveighed against the merger in a Dec. 31 column:
In today’s digital economy, where opaque algorithms prioritize inflated hyperbole and facts often trail fast-moving news cycles, independent media is more important than ever — and Americans know it.
In the 2024 election, two out of three voters cited freedom of speech as the deciding factor in who they voted for, higher than crime, immigration, and healthcare.
Nexstar’s proposed acquisition of fellow television network conglomerate Tegna — for which it’s seeking to rewrite federal law — poses a serious threat to the news and information everyday families receive.
It’s time Congress asserts its authority and stops this hostile takeover of our airwaves.
[…]Trump — who himself has been the victim of fake news attacks — understands the importance of a competitive media landscape.
Just last month he said he opposes nixing or raising the ownership limit, which, in his words, would “allow the Radical Left Networks to ‘enlarge.'”
The law supports the president’s position. The TV ownership cap was written to protect local and regional networks, ensuring that conglomerates like Nexstar don’t censor programming that gets aired from coast to coast.
[…]Trump understands the importance of a free and fair press, which is why I expect he will direct his FCC to keep the TV ownership cap in place. But Congress shouldn’t wait to act. It should demand answers and get to the bottom of who’s driving this misguided anti-consumer campaign.
Newsmax made its own contribution in a Jan. 14 letter to readers (boldface in original):
Dear Newsmax Reader,
We have very concerning news.
The FCC, under Chairman Brendan Carr, is moving to eliminate the National TV Ownership Cap.
The Cap is a policy originally started by President Ronald Reagan to prevent massive TV media consolidation.
For decades, this cap has blocked big TV networks from owning stations that reach no more than 39% of U.S. households.
Its purpose was simple: protect competition, preserve local voices, and prevent a handful of corporations from controlling America’s airwaves.
Reagan understood immediately the danger of big media.
Now, Chairman Carr and the FCC want to abolish Reagan’s cap entirely.
If this happens, giant networks like ABC, CBS, and NBC — along with large station groups such as the liberal-owned Nexstar — could own stations reaching 100% of American homes.
Consider this:
- In 2024, 78% of Nexstar employee political donations went to Kamala Harris.
- Nexstar’s cable channel NewsNation features left-wing figures like Chris Cuomo and Ashleigh Banfield.
Major organizations — including Newsmax, CPAC, OAN, and the Zionist Organization of America — are urging Congress to fight back and tell the FCC to keep the Cap.
In fact, we’ve documented how NewsNation is very much a right-leaning channel, as demonstrated by the right-wing Media Research Center’s love for it.