California Attorney General Rob Bonta today issued the following statement after a court granted the states’ motion raising concerns about actions by Tegna Inc. (Tegna) and Nexstar Media Group, Inc. (Nexstar) that violate the court’s hold-separate order. The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California found that Nexstar is violating the preliminary injunction by putting current or former Nexstar executives on Tegna’s Board of Directors and ordered the companies to provide regular reporting to the states.

"In a shocking move, Nexstar attempted to control Tegna despite a court order preventing the companies from merging. My office and our sister states went back to court, and today, the court demanded that the companies comply. The stakes here are high: This illegal mega-merger is expected to put more broadcast programming in the hands of fewer people, cut local jobs, drive up cable bills, and significantly impact how Americans get their news. We thank the court for its attention to this matter and look forward to arguing our case and blocking this merger." – AG Bonta