Maybe not a done deal just yet. 

Eight states sue to block Nexstar's plan to acquire rival Tegna

RadioActive wrote:

RadioActive wrote:

Maybe not a done deal just yet. 

Eight states sue to block Nexstar's plan to acquire rival Tegna

Despite the suit, the merger has now been approved. That means when all is said and done, Channels 2 & 4 in Buffalo will be under the same owner. And that likely and sadly means cuts are coming.  

Federal Regulators Approve Nexstar’s $3.5B Tegna Broadcasting Acquisition

And if that is the case, I will shift my newswatching to Channel 7.

HOPEFULLY, Scripps will decide to beef up their relatively thin newsroom at 7 Broadcast Plaza as things shake out.

For the record-and if I remember right-the suit came BEFORE the FCC approval. 

Last edited by ckg927 (March 20, 2026 4:43 pm)

Current employees of both Channel 2 and Channel 4 understandably can't talk about what the merger of owners Tegna and Nexstar will mean to TV news in Buffalo. 

But former employees are free to talk and they have a lot to say. Most fear a loss of jobs and differing news sources in the market, which has always been extremely competitive. Until, it seems, now. 

“Very few make a living wage and that will get worse with the merger,” wrote [retired former WGRZ chief photographer Andy] DeSantis. “There’s very little storytelling these days and the overall quality will suffer. Fewer employees and shared responsibilities between stations mean layoffs and low pay... 

“So, there’s no competition and that also relates to less quality, more on-air mistakes, and a low story count! I’m glad I don’t have to deal with it!”

And longtme Buffao news anchor and Windsor native Keith Radford also doesn't like what the future may hold. 

"The internet and technology have completely changed the game. As they say, everything changes, not always for the better. I was so fortunate to be in the business for most of its glory days.”

There are lawsuits trying to prevent the merger from happening, but with FCC approval, it's far from certan this can be stopped. 

Former local TV news staffers fear impact of Nexstar-Tegna merger

Turns out this isn't a done deal just yet. I wonder how the employees in Buffalo feel about all this uncertainty?

Judge Pauses Nexstar-Tegna Merger Over DirecTV Lawsuit

The Buffalo News' editorial on the potential merger between the two broadcasters is decidely negative, recognizing the effect it would have on two prominent news voices in the city. And it supports the lawsuits that have been launched to try and stop this from happening. 

Although employees of both Channels 2 (Tegna) & 4 (Nexstar) are understandably reluctant to comment publicly, the paper notes staffers have already started to disappear, without being replaced. 

"Already, layoffs and departures at Channel 4 and Channel 2 have been linked – albeit through the rumor mill – to the controversial merger. Charlie Specht, a former News reporter and, until recently, an investigative reporter at Channel 2, is one of the departures, along with his colleague, Sean Mickey, another investigative reporter... 

Neither reporter has – as of yet – been replaced. It takes a special kind of gullibility to believe that one entity owning both stations will lead to prompt staff replacements, much less additional hiring."

Nexstar/Tegna merger will undermine local news choice in Western New York