NABET-CWA Hosts Town Hall Against Nexstar/TEGNA Merger

On July 11, NABET-CWA, including NABET-CWA President Charlie Braico, hosted a town hall meeting to both inform and get feedback from members regarding the proposed Nexstar/TEGNA merger. The virtual meeting covered the current state of the antitrust case and what members can do to help fight the deal.

If approved, the merger could increase Nexstar’s national reach to 80 percent of U.S. television households, more than twice as large as the 39 percent limit set by Congress. NABET-CWA and allies warn of a marked loss of local news, viewpoint diversity, and overall broadcast competition. This merger would put more power into the hands of an elite few corporate owners and weaken the fair and free press necessary to hold those in power to account.

Other major concerns include further deregulation of the broadcasting industry, resulting in more mergers and layoffs.

A State Attorneys General lawsuit has halted the merger pending the final outcome of the lawsuit. Members and supporters are encouraged to participate in a solidarity action on July 23 and to sign a petition calling for the Federal Communications Commission to stand firm on the National Cap.

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This post originally appeared on cwa-union.org.