Center for American Rights Pushes for Nexstar/Tegna Approval
The FCC should approve the Nexstar/Tegna deal in part because Nexstar provides a platform for conservative voices and offers conservative perspectives on issues, said the Center for American Rights in a filing posted Tuesday in docket 25-331. “Nexstar’s proven commitment to viewpoint diverse programming and fact-based news validates its record as a custodian of the public interest,” CAR said.
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The group praised Nexstar for hiring former Fox News personalities such as Katie Pavlich and commended NewsNation anchor Chris Cuomo for showing “a different tone” than he did at CNN. Nexstar has delivered “a variety of voices and down the middle news -- classic journalism, in the President’s phrase,” CAR wrote. It called on the FCC to repeal the national ownership cap or grant waivers to allow Nexstar to buy Tegna. Nexstar “can demonstrate that a waiver does not compromise the Commission’s diversity or competition goals,” the group said. “Diversity can be demonstrated in a commitment to fair, unbiased, fact-based news coverage and the inclusion of different voices and perspectives within or across programs.” The FCC “should adopt a ‘trust but verify’ attitude that allows ownership consolidation when applicants make appropriate commitments to protecting localism and viewpoint diversity.”