Local News Consolidation: Now With Extra Corporate Grease

Published on: Sat, 07 Feb 2026 23:21:00 GMT
Original Story: Trump praises Nexstar-Tegna broadcast television deal he once opposed – AP News

The PC Load Letter of Corporate Mergers

I’m sitting here staring at my monitor, which has more blue light than a Best Buy showroom in 1999, trying to figure out why I should be surprised that the former (and future) leader of the free world has suddenly decided that massive corporate media consolidation is “terrific.” Remember when he was the populist hero fighting the “fake news” giants? Yeah, that aged about as well as a Zip drive in a humid basement. We’ve officially moved from the ‘fighting the man’ phase of the simulation to the ‘let’s just let the three remaining billionaires own everything’ phase. It’s like watching a reboot of a show that was already cancelled for being too depressing.

Your Cable Bill is the New Dial-Up Screech

Let’s talk about the “Personal Economic Annoyance” factor, because that’s the only thing that actually penetrates the brain fog these days. When Nexstar and Tegna—the two companies currently trying to Voltron themselves into a singular broadcasting behemoth—get the presidential thumbs up, it’s not just “business news.” It’s a direct hit on your checking account. These mergers are the reason your YouTube TV or cable bill keeps creeping up by $5 every six months. It’s called “retransmission fees,” a term so boring it makes Office Space look like an action movie, but it’s basically a tax on your ability to see the local weather report. When one company owns every local affiliate from Maine to Maui, they have the leverage to squeeze the streamers, who then squeeze you. It’s the circle of life, if the Lion King was directed by a private equity firm.

The Napsterization of the Truth

Back when we were illegally downloading Limp Bizkit tracks on Napster, we thought the internet would democratize information. Instead, we’re watching the media landscape get bundled and sold like a shitty “Now That’s What I Call Music” compilation. Trump’s flip-flop on this deal is as transparent as an iMac G3 case. He hated it when he thought it didn’t serve him; he loves it now that the corporate suits are lining up to kiss the ring. It’s wonky, it’s gross, and it’s exhausting. We’re being fed a steady diet of “must-run” segments produced in a boardroom a thousand miles away, all while paying a premium for the privilege. I’d say we should protest, but I’m too busy trying to find a streaming service that doesn’t cost as much as my first car’s insurance premium. Everything is a subscription, everything is consolidated, and I really miss when the biggest problem we had was whether our Winamp skin looked cool enough.

Related Coverage from Other News Outlets:

• ‘Non-negotiable’: Iran says missiles off the table in talks with the US (via Al Jazeera)
• ‘An unqualified insurrectionist’: outcry over Trump nominee in Wyoming (via The Guardian)
• Trump envoys met directly with Iran foreign minister in Oman (via Axios)