Nexstar to advocate for media deregulation – on its stations
Must-run segments parrot Sinclair’s
Nexstar Media Group is taking its crusade for deregulation to the streets – and the home viewer.
According to a report by The Desk, the broadcaster has instructed its 160-plus local stations to air a brief segment encouraging viewers to contact the FCC regarding potential changes to broadcast regulations that Chairman Brendan Carr is considering. Broadcasters contend that these outdated regulations threaten the viability of the local news model.
The regulations include the number of TV and radio stations one can own in a given market, and a cap restricting owners from reaching more than 39 percent of the country. The segment, labeled as a “must-run,” directs viewers to a station’s website where they can complete pre-written forms and submit them to the agency. The website became active late last week.
One such segment ran on Nexstar-owned WGN-TV over the weekend:
This comes as broadcasters are increasing their efforts to deregulate the industry to compete with unregulated tech companies, such as streaming services like Netflix and Amazon’s Prime Video, and music platforms such as Spotify and YouTube Music. The NAB is leading these efforts during its annual convention in Las Vegas this week.
“The FCC has asked for interested parties and the public to assist it in identifying regulations that should be updated or eliminated to address what Chairman Carr has called a ‘break-glass moment for America’s broadcasters,’” a Nexstar representative told The Desk. “That initiative is an important news story for local broadcasters, worthy of mention by the very newscasts and outlets that are under threat from the outdated regulations at issue.”
Broadcast executives were more than happy to see President Trump re-elected to a second term, and even more giddy to see Carr appointed to the top spot at the FCC.
WGN-TV posted the link to their page on X Friday night, and the replies – all from conservatives and MAGA types (some from out of town), slammed the station for pandering too much to the left, despite Nexstar Chairman Perry Sook’s ties to the Trump administration. Last year, Nexstar’s Oklahoma City station (NBC affiliate KFOR) was denied press credentials by Oklahoma’s Department of Education, with a former Parents Television Council staffer who now works for the agency labeling the station as an “illegitimate news operation”, while Florida Governor Ron DeSantis threatened to arrest Nexstar executives at its WFLA Tampa for showing a pro-abortion campaign ad.
But WGN-TV has heard it from the other side, too. On the night of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s victory, The Triibe’s Morgan Elise Johnson claimed she wasn’t treated fairly while Pat Brady dispensed right-wing talking points, generating complaints from Black viewers. A progressive North Side alderman blasted WGN for its “right-wing” bias. Former Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx has called the station’s crime coverage racist. And like other news outlets in the city, some viewers claim the station’s coverage of “teen takeovers” downtown and on the Near North Side is one-sided with too much emphasis on Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd), who represents those areas. WGN is often known for the worst political coverage in town, with a generically-titled “Political Report” TV show.
The “must-runs” Nexstar ran are right out of the Sinclair playbook, where its news stations regularly run mandated pieces produced from its Maryland headquarters, mostly pieces favoring President Trump and other Republicans. In 2018, anchors at Sinclair stations read a form script on-air, generating criticism from viewers.
Generally, viewers are not aware of media issues. But the segments doesn’t give them enough information on why they should care or even visit the website. The reasons why local television and radio are in trouble aren’t because of big tech but due to poor business decisions, leading to layoffs and reductions in news and local programming.
With regulations likely to be eliminated, you’ll see media consolidation run rampant. Companies will run up more debt, leading to more cutbacks and layoffs – something we saw after the 1996 Telecommunications Act was enacted. The Nexstars, Sinclairs, and iHeartMedias of the world will benefit due to the massive leverage they’ll have. It’s a cycle that never ends.
If there is a threat to local news, it’s actually from Nexstar themselves.