States finally try to block broadcasting merger

It's only taken 30 years for them to figure this out.

When the far-right Telecommunications Act of 1996 lifted ownership caps for TV and radio stations - which stifled dissent and killed jobs - it should have been swatted down right away by the FCC and antitrust regulators. Now Nexstar Media Group and Tegna, Inc. are proposing a $6 billion merger that would become the biggest owner of TV stations in the country. Both Tegna and Nexstar already own multiple stations in some cities - which wasn't allowed before 1996.

Now a group of 8 states - but only 8 - is suing to block the merger under antitrust laws. The states include California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, and Virginia. Many states that have Nexstar or Tegna stations are glaringly absent from that list.

The merger as proposed would even violate the lax ownership caps that exist now. It would give the new company stations covering 80% of the American population.

Antitrust enforcement. Let's bring it back!