1. United States
2. Ohio
3. Letter

I am writing to express my strongest possible objection to the FCC’s recent approval of the Nexstar-Tegna merger on March 19. This broadcast behemoth would reach 80% of U.S. households, a clear and dangerous violation of the 39% national ownership cap established by Congress in 2004. The FCC’s decision to grant a waiver for a company to more than double the legal limit is an overreach of its authority and a threat to our information ecosystem. I object to this merger for three primary reasons: 1. Illegal Expansion: The 39% cap is a statutory limit, not a suggestion. By waiving this, the FCC has bypassed the will of Congress. 2. Higher Costs for Families: This level of market power allows Nexstar to demand exorbitant retransmission fees from cable and satellite providers, costs that are passed directly to me and my neighbors in our monthly bills. 3. The Death of Localism: When one company owns 265 stations, "local" news becomes a corporate script written in a distant boardroom. This destroys the unique community coverage we rely on. I urge you to use your oversight authority to: - Support a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to nullify this approval. - Investigate the procedural shortcuts used to bypass a full commission vote. - Reaffirm that the 39% cap is a hard limit that the FCC does not have the authority to waive. I expect my representatives to protect the public interest and competitive markets, not the expansion of a media monopoly. I look forward to hearing your position on this matter.