The Media Merger You Should Actually Care About

"During the first Trump Administration, Sinclair, a company that owns almost two hundred local TV stations across the United States, and is known for its conservative bent, instructed its news anchors to recite a near-identical script on air. The sharing of bias and false news has become all too common on social media, and more alarming, some media outlets publish these same fake stories without checking facts first."

"Last summer, Sinclair reportedly attempted to expand its empire, proposing a merger with Tegna, a broadcaster with nearly seventy stations. In the end, though, it was beaten out by a rival, Nexstar, which, in August, announced a deal to acquire Tegna for around six billion dollars. Nexstar was already the biggest station owner in the U.S. by revenue and market reach; if the acquisition went through, it would control more than two hundred and fifty stations across forty-four states."

"In response to a question about the Sinclair episode, Perry Sook, the C.E.O. of Nexstar, insisted that his company doesn't dictate content. The following month, however, Nexstar courted controversy of its own when it refused to air the late-night host Jimmy Kimmel's show on its ABC affiliates, raising questions about editorial independence."

Sinclair Broadcast Group, which owns nearly 200 local TV stations known for conservative leanings, previously instructed anchors to recite identical scripts criticizing media bias. Last summer, Sinclair attempted to merge with Tegna, a broadcaster with 70 stations, but was outbid by Nexstar. Nexstar announced a six-billion-dollar acquisition of Tegna in August, which would make it the largest station owner in the U.S., controlling over 250 stations across 44 states and Washington D.C. Nexstar's CEO claims the company doesn't dictate content, yet the company faced controversy when refusing to air Jimmy Kimmel's show on its ABC affiliates, raising questions about editorial independence and media consolidation.

Read at The New Yorker