Dies at 87, CNN founder reshaped TV

Ted Turner, who reshaped television and changed journalism with his groundbreaking launch of CNN, died Wednesday at the age of 87. Though a cause of death has yet to be determined, Turner suffered from Lew Body’s Disease, the same kind of ailment Casey Kasem was diagnosed with as he passed away in June 2014.

Turner began his media empire by inheriting his late father’s billboard business. He expanded into TV in 1970 by buying three-year-old Atlanta UHF independent WJRJ-TV, which he renamed WTCG. In 1976, Turner put WTCG on satellite, expanding its reach beyond the Atlanta market and became the first “superstation”, making it available to cable viewers nationwide with Andy Griffith and Gilligan’s Island reruns as staples. WTCG became WTBS (for Turner Broadcasting System) in 1979, before becoming WPCH-TV in 2007 when its local broadcast and national cable channel seperated. During the 1980s, TBS developed award-winning original programming such as National Geographic Explorer and Portrait Of America. And from 1981 to 1997, began programs at :05 and :35 past the hour, being dubbed as “Turner Time” to stand out in program listings.

Turner also owned a struggling Charlotte UHF station, which is the current-day NBC affiliate WCNC-TV. In 1972, he came on the air to appeal to viewers for donations to save the station, but was reprimanded by the FCC, so he never tried it again. He sold it to Group W in 1979, a year after it successfully won the NBC affiliation after WSOC-TV dropped it for ABC, a trend that was common in the industry at the time given NBC’s third-place status.

Turner became an early pioneer in cable TV, launching Cable News Network in 1980 using the funds he acquired from the sale of his Charlotte station, becoming the first 24-hour all-news network at a time people scoffed at the idea. CNN won respect for its Persian Gulf War coverage in 1991, which critics lauded. 

He also made his mark in sports, purchasing the Atlanta Braves and putting them on WTCG, even managing the team for a game in 1977. The Braves gained a nationwide fan base – especially in the Southeast – thanks to being on the Superstation, which also aired the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks (which he also owned) and the NHL’s Atlanta Flames. Turner also aired plenty of wrestling, starting in 1971. In 1988, he bought National Wrestling Alliance  (which would later become World Championship Wrestling) to complete directly with the World Wrestling Federation. Turner became a World Series champion in 1995 when the Braves beat the Cleveland Indians to win the title for the first time since moving to Atlanta.

TBS also became the home of the NBA in 1984, exposing cable TV viewers to young stars like Michael Jordan. Charles Barkley, and Patrick Ewing. It would begin a relationship that would last 41 years. 

Turner also gambled by making some big business deals to launch new cable networks. Even though he failed to purchase CBS in a hostile takeover, he was able to buy MGM/UA for $1.5 billion in 1986 from Kirk Kerkorian using their vast film library to launch Turner Classic Movies in April 1994, showcasing classic cinema (although later in 1986, he would sell the studio and a few TV shows – but not the film library – back to Kerkorian, including the MGM name), and bought the Hanna-Barbera library in 1991 from Great American Broadcasting (formerly Taft) to launch Cartoon Network a year later.

In October 1988, he used the classic film Gone With The Wind to launch Turner Network Television (TNT), which began airing NFL games in 1990, becoming the second cable network to do so. 

Turner also launched a syndication unit in 1982, initially selling WTBS programming into syndication such as video-game show Starcade, and evolved into selling original programming including environmentally-concious animated series Captain Planet, Lauren Hutton’s talk show, off-network sitcom The Wonder Years, and several movie packages, including the return of Gone With The Wind to broadcast television in November 1990. 

As a philanthropist, Turner gave billions to charity, including to the United Nations and several environmental organizations. But he also had a brash personality, as some dubbed him as the “Mouth Of The South” given his Georgia roots, and his disdain for Vince McMahon and Rupert Murdoch were well-known. He was also criticized by the film community for colorizing classic black-and-white films, as longtime film critics Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert were not fans. Turner was even parodied for his efforts on the Fox comedy In Living Color in the sketch Ted Turner’s Colorization Theater.

In 1996, Turner sold his entire portfolio to TimeWarner, in a sale he would later regret, and joined the company’s board. A few years after AOL merged with TimeWarner, Turner left the company, and left the media business behind. 

Turner proved by being in Atlanta, he can be a media mogul without basing himself in the traditional entertainment capitals of New York City or Hollywood. Turner’s influence helped raise Atlanta’s and Georgia’s status as a production hub, with many film and TV projects being produced in the area (thanks to generous tax credits) including until recently, Marvel’s Avengers franchise. Today’s media executives are known as selfish and authoritarian oafs who try to please a certain person in the White House, but Ted Turner was a person who wasn’t persuaded by politicans and built his empire the way he wanted to. He was an original, and one who’ll never be forgotten and sadly, never see the likes of again. 

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But we all know what the REAL reason is

The latest battle between The Walt Disney Co.’s ABC and the Trump Administration took afoot Tuesday as FCC Chairman Brendan Carr ordered an early review of the network’s licenses for their eight owned-and-operated stations, including WLS-TV here in Chicago (branded as ABC 7 Chicago), over alleged violations of their anti-DEI policies. 

The review comes after President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump demanded the firing ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel for making a joke about her in a sketch on last Thursday night’s show, saying she was “glowing like an expectant widow.” On Saturday, a gunman entered the hotel where the White House Correspondents Dinner, attended by the President and First Lady and dozens of dignitaries.  A shot was fired and he was detained by security, coming nowhere near where the area where the dinner was taking place. 

On Monday night’s show, Kimmel declined to apologize, stating he was referring to Trump’s advanced age (he turns 80 on June 14) and not to any act of violence. 

Nevertheless, the FCC ordered an early review of ABC’s licenses, which were supposed to be up between 2028 and 2030. Given the coincidence, one could wonder if this decision isn’t due to those anti-DEI violations, perhaps accelerating the investigation because of the Kimmel joke.“The FCC determines that calling in Disney’s ABC licenses for early renewal, at this time, under the Communications Act’s public interest standard is essential within the meaning of agency regulations. Therefore, Disney’s ABC is hereby directed to file license renewals for all of their licensed TV stations within 30 days — in other words, by May 28, 2026.”, the FCC’s Media Bureau proclaimed.  

Anna Gomez, the lone Democrat on the three-person FCC, blasted the move, saying it violated the First Amendment, as did others including Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) and the National Association of Broadcasters, which supported much of the policies Carr championed to deregulate the TV business. This latest action comes after Kimmel was suspended by ABC for a few days last September after he commented on Charlie Kirk’s assassination, after its affiliates owned by Nexstar and Sinclair pulled the show off their airwaves, forcing ABC’s hand. Kimmel returned to airwaves a few nights later after viewers boycotted the network and canceled Disney Plus and Hulu subscriptions, and Nexstar and Sinclair did likewise. 

As of this writing, there has been no action taken by ABC, Nexstar, or Sinclair over Kimmel’s latest remarks. 

Disney is confident they will beat the charges the FCC is imposing on them. 

“ABC and its stations have a long record of operating in full compliance with FCC rules and serving their local communities with trusted news, emergency information, and public‑interest programming,” Disney said in a statement. “We are confident that record demonstrates our continued qualifications as licensees under the Communications Act and the First Amendment and are prepared to show that through the appropriate legal channels. Our focus remains, as always, on serving viewers in the local communities where our stations operate.”

ABC’s stations are mostly located in either blue states and/or blue metropolitan areas, including four of the five largest markets, with three in California alone (you can see a complete list of ABC-owned stations in the tags section below.)  ABC has until May 28 to turn in the paperwork associated with the renewals. From there, they can be renewed, or if there is a “question of fact”, the FCC can designate a hearing to an administrative law judge. If the judge denies the licenses, Disney can appeal to the D.C. circuit. The process can drag on for years – long after Trump and Carr are both out of office, as evidenced by the long, eleven-year battle for WSNS-TV’s license.

WSNS’ license was revoked by the FCC in September 1990 – the last time the agency took such an action – over issues during its ON-TV subscription TV era in the early 1980s, where the station was accused of airing “adults only” movies and not enough public affairs programming in a complex and an often confusing case. It took a year and-a-half for the license challenge (made in July 1983 by Monroe Communications) to reach an administrative law judge, in which Joseph Chachkin ruled in favor of Monroe, but the station’s owners at the time (Video 44 and Oak Industries, which shuttered ON-TV in July 1985 and flipped to Spanish-languaage programming), appealed the decision to the FCC, who rejected their license renewal for WSNS five years later after a federal appeal court overturned the agency’s decison to renew Video 44’s license a year earlier. This battle would continue until June 1993 when a financial settlement was reached between the parties (WSNS is now a Telemundo station owned by NBC.)

Although this is unprecedented with the number of stations involved, Carr and the FCC’s chances of actually revoking the licenses are slim to none given how the First Amendment is involved, and no administrative law judge in their right mind would rule in favor of agency, despite its’ “news distortion” policy, which is completely vague and constitutionally questionable. But the FCC action freezes ABC from buying or selling stations, as they are the smallest station group in terms of the local stations they own, compared to the three other broadcast networks and Nexstar, Sinclair, Gray, and Scripps. ABC has not bought any station since 1995, when they purchased WJRT Flint, Mich. and WTVG Toledo, Oh., which they sold back to their previous owner in 2010. 

ABC-owned stations have been the most successful of any group, even more profitable than the network at times, and for decades, its local news operations were either ranked first or second in the eight markets they are in. The station group is also home to powerhouse syndicated programming including Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy, Live With Kelly And Mark (and its predeccessors), and in the past, The Oprah Winfrey Show. ABC 7 has dominated the local ratings for 40 years, and has a strong community presence, so it’s crystal clear why Carr is going after ABC’s local stations given they have set the gold standard on how to run a successful local news operation. This action by the FCC has nothing to do with “failing local communities” and everything to do with Jimmy Kimmel making fun of Donald Trump on his show, curtained behind some fake “DEI” charges. 

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She replaces Lou Caneills in the role and becomes the face of Bears coverage

Northwest-suburban Palatine native Cassie Carlson has been promoted by Fox-owned WFLD-TV (Fox 32) to lead sports anchor, succeeding the since-departed Lou Canellis in the role. She will also become the face of Chicago Bears coverage, as the station is the team’s official partner. 

In a statement, Carlson said “It’s an honor and a dream come true to have the opportunity to lead the Fox Chicago sports team. Growing up in Chicago, I fell in love with sports because of the passion of this city, especially Sundays during Bears season. This city shaped me.”

Carlson will anchor Bears’ coverage including Bears GameDay Live, Bears GameNight Live, Bears Blitz, and The Offseason. She will also host the weekly 1st & Ten, which features a roundtable discussion about the week in the NFC North with sports anchors from Fox’s other owned stations in Detroit (WJBK), Minneapolis (KMSP), and Milwaukee (WITI) and will continue to anchor Chicago Sports Tonight, which airs weeknights on Fox Chicago Plus (WPWR-TV) and the Fox Local App. 

“Cassie is whip smart, a natural leader, creative, and full of the energy we need to take our sports team to the next level and into the digital age,” said WFLD Chicago Vice-President of News Sean O’Heir.

Carlson becomes only the second woman to lead a big-market television station’s sports department with former NBC-owned WMAQ-TV’ sports anchor Leila Rahimi becoming the first. A University of Illinois grad, Carlson joined Fox 32 in 2002 from Gray-owned NBC affiliate WMC Memphis, and started her career at KJTV Lubbock, Tex. 

For now, the only other person in Fox 32’s sports department is Tina Nugyen, who joined the station in January 2024 from Scripps-owned ABC affiliats KTNV Las Vegas, Nev.

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He’ll work alongside Mary Ann Ahern in yet another steal from Fox 32

In yet another coup, NBC-owned WMAQ-TV (NBC 5) announced Tuesday the hiring of Paris Schutz, who’ll be a general assignment reporter focusing on investigative and political stories starting May 4. The announcement comes only a day after Schutz left Fox-owned WFLD-TV (Fox 32) after just two years. He came to the station after fifteen years at WTTW in a variety of on-air roles, including co-anchoring Chicago Tonight. 

Schutz will also work alongside longtime reporter Mary Ann Ahern on the political beat.

“NBC 5 was the news station of record in my household growing up,” said Schutz in a statement. “I fell in love with this business because I watched legends like Carol Marin, Ron Magers, Warner Saunders, Allison Rosati, Phil Rogers, Dick Kay, Chuck Goudie, and Mary Ann Ahern. I want to thank Sally Ramirez and (President & GM) Kevin Cross for giving me the opportunity to join the most dynamic multi-platform newsroom in all of Chicago. It feels like a dream come true, an epic challenge, and a homecoming all in one. I can’t wait to get to work reporting on the issues and stories that impact our lives as Chicagoans.”

“Paris has long been one of Chicago’s most trusted, deeply sourced journalists,” said Sally Ramirez, who is Senior Vice President of news at NBC 5 and Telemundo Chicago (WSNS).  “His reporting is tough, fair, and drives the conversations that matter most in this city. Adding him to our newsroom strengthens our commitment to delivering essential, accountable journalism across Chicagoland.”

Schutz will also contribute to the station’s digital and social media platforms. 

This is another coup for NBC 5 as they have added on-air talent during the past year. Schutz is reuniting with another ex-Fox 32 personality, Lou Canellis, who left WFLD in January to join NBC 5 after seventeen years at the station. Other recent additions include Chuck Goudie and Richard Roeper, and unveiling a new, $70 million newsroom on the second floor, in a space where Jerry Springer and other TV shows used to tape. Ratings are up at NBC 5 thanks to its parent adding more sports, including NBA, Major League Baseball, and premium events such as the Super Bowl and Winter Olympics. NBC has the rights to the 2028 Summer Games from Los Angeles. In comparison, Nexstar’s WGN-TV and Fox 32 have steadily lost talent in the last few months. 

Meanwhile, Fox 32 has tapped Tia Ewing to replace Schutz as host of The Chicago Report, a show he helped create, and there is still no word on a replacement for former 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. anchor Scott Schenider, who was dropped from the station a few weeks ago. 

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“Chicago Report” host the fourth on-air talent to leave the station this year

[Editor’s Note: This story was updated at 9 p.m. on April 27, 2026.]

After just two years, Fox 32/WFLD-TV political reporter and “Chicago Report” host Paris Schutz is exiting the station as his contract is expiring, per Axios Chicago.

He confirmed the news this evening on X, stating he was stepping down and seeking new opportunities.

“The last two years have been the most intense, fun, and rewarding of my career”, Schutz said. “I owe a deep debt of gratitude to the management at Fox 32 Chicago for giving me the runway to cover Chicago politics in exactly the way I love to do it. Together, we established this station as the gold standard for in-depth, impactful reporting on city, state and national issues. We put together numerous election specials, debates, and built “The Chicago Report.” I want to thank the amazing shooters, editors and crew members. You are true professionals and it was always a pleasure to have the good fortune to work with you – your expertise and artistry made me a better reporter.”

“And thank you to the most talented, hard working, and fun newsroom I’ve ever been a part of. I walked in as a stranger and leave with so many new lifelong friends.”

Schutz arrived at the Fox-owned station in April 2024 after a long stint as co-host of Chicago Tonight, who started as a producer and composed the show’s theme song as he is a part-time musician. Schutz covered politics for the station, replacing the retired Mike Flannery in the role. 

He also hosted The Chicago Report, a show that featured discussions on the day’s news events and political discussions. The program airs live on Fox 32’s Fox Local App and on Fox Chicago Plus (WPWR-TV) at 6:30 p.m., with a replay at 10 p.m. on Fox 32, opposite live, local newscasts on the other owned-and-operated stations. 

This is the latest change at Fox 32, which saw sports anchor Lou Canellis leave for a similar role at NBC 5, the firing of Dawn Hasbrouck’s 9 p.m. co-anchor Scott Schneider, and the departure of veteran Roseanne Tellez. Fox 32 has made some changes to its lineup on sister station in recent weeks, removing the Fox Chicago Playlist show from Fox Chicago Plus’ weeknight schedule and replacing it with two more Fox Local programs: a weather-related show called The ISO Bar at 8 p.m. and a “news pre-show” at 8:30 p.m. Fox Chicago Playlist now airs only on Sundays, from 5 to 7 p.m. 

Schutz declined comment on where he might be headed next. 

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Possible merger could be driven by increased appetite for podcasts

The merger mania gripping local television and Hollywood is now spreading to the podcasting world. 

Reports surfacing in Bloomberg and The Wrap on Friday that satellite radio company SiriusXM and terrestrial broadcaster iHeartMedia are discussing a possible merger – one that could drastically reshape radio and podcasting.

The Bloomberg report suggested SiriusXM was in serious discussions acquiring iHeartMedia, but could end without any agreement in place. Another report from The Wrap stated that former Ticketmaster CEO and super agent Irvin Azoff is looking to by both companies and merge them.

Sirius and XM merged in 2008; both satellite radio companies stated at the time their companies compete with other audio platforms, including terrestrial radio and on-demand audio content, known as podcasting. Formerly known as Clear Channel, iHeartMedia owns 860 radio stations in the U.S., with six stations (and one in a lease deal with WVON) in Chicago including 93.9 The Lite and 103.5 Kiss FM. 

Both companies have struggled financially over the last decade as SiriusXM has lost subscribers and iHeart is in debt and has filed for bankruptcy in the past.

So why merge? You can point to the rapidly growing demand in podcasting as the platform has landed premium names. SiriusXM has deals with Alex Cooper with her Call Me Daddy podcast and her Unwell channel, which this space profiled last year. iHeart has the very popular Breakfast Club, which is the top-rated Black radio show in the country.

Both companies also have to complete with others, including Spotify and Google’s YouTube. Similar to the Nexstar-Tegna (now on hold by the courts) and Paramount-Warner Bros. mergers, observers are pointing to the growing power of unregulated big tech companies as a reason to scale up, as the Trump Administration has made the environment friendlier to big business, as illustrated by reports of potential mergers have surfaced in other industries, including one between Chicago-based United Airlines and Dallas-based American, though it’s likely it won’t happen. 

SiriusXM and iHeartMedia each have popular apps with tons of streaming content, but it isn’t known how they would integrate with one another should the merger occur. Primarily known as a portal for those who commute in their car, SiriusXM has made a serious push into streaming, targeting those who don’t drive or take public transportation. SiriusXM has over a hundred streaming-only channels on its app.

Recently, iHeart struck a deal to carry TikTok Radio, ending a relationship with SiriusXM. Clear Channel was a financial partner in XM when it originally launched, and had deals to carry their CHR powerhouses WHTZ New York and KIIS Los Angeles on its satellite platform for years, continuing to do so even after Sirius and XM merged.

Both SiriusXM and iHeart declined comment on the reports.

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Sports business program already cleared in 85 percent of the country

In a first-of-its-kind programming venture, Front Office Sports, a sports business publication owned by Redbird IMI, is launching a nightly, half-hour syndicated strip called Front Office Sports Tonight, already clearing 85 percent of the country with the Fox owned-and-operated stations as the main launch group, debuting September 14.

The program will feature sports business news, with Front Office Sports journalists providing interviews and on-the-ground content. The show’s executive producer is Today alum and former NBC entertainment president and CNN CEO Jeff Zucker, who has taken more than his share of lumps in this space.

Zucker is also CEO of Redbird IMI, which is a joint venture between private equity firm Redbird Capital Partners and the United Arab Emirates-funded International Media Investments, better known as IMI.

“As media changes every day, one thing is clear: sports has never been more important,” said Jeff Zucker, CEO of RedBird IMI and chair of the Front Office Sports board of directors. “And no one covers the business of sports like Front Office Sports. We are thrilled to bring FOS reporting to local television stations across the country, on a daily basis, beginning this fall.” Zucker is one of three executive producers on the show, along with Patrick Dimon and Morgan Hertzan.

“There has never been more interest in the business and culture of sports, with storylines driving just as much attention as the play on the field,” said Front Office Sports CEO Adam White, who founded the publication in 2014 as a student at the University of Miami. “Now consumers will have a place to watch the daily expertise and access that only Front Office Sports can provide.”

The program has found a home in ten Fox duopoly markets, including Chicago’s Fox 32 and Fox Chicago Plus, and other stations in New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston, Washington D.C., Phoenix, Seattle, Orlando, and Minneapolis-St. Paulusa tod (see the tags section below for the Fox stations listed), plus WTXF Philadelphia. “The timing couldn’t be better for this. It fits our strategy, and more importantly our customers, perfectly,” said Frank Cicha, EVP of programming at Fox Television Stations.

Other station groups signing on include Nexstar, Hearst, Sinclair, Gray, Scripps, American Spirit, Lockwood, and Sunbeam.

There is no doubt sports business news – and sports media news, have grown in popularity in the recent years. In the website space, FOS competes with Sports Business Journal, Sports Media Watch, and Awful Announcing. Each website also has sports business & media podcasts, along with The Business Of Sports With Andrew Brandt and Sports Media With Richard Deitsch from Audacy.

CNBC has also jumped into the sports business derby with CNBC Sport, a weekly newsletter and podcast from reporter Alex Sherman.

This is the first production for FOS, with the company handling distribution itself with station sales headed up by syndication veteran Barry Wallach, whose resume include similar positions at Genesis Entertainment and NBCUniversal Syndication Studios. National advertising sales are being handled by Marathon Ventures, although it isn’t known what the national/local barter split will be.

Front Office Sports’ nightly show comes as several studios have cut back on producing first-run syndicated content. Last month, NBCUniversal pulled the plug on its remaining first-run portfolio, after Kelly Clarkson announced she was stepping down from her daytime talk show. Lionsgate’s Debmar-Mercury shelved Sherri, leaving them with only Family Feud to syndicate for the 2026-27 season.

Front Office Sports Tonight is being targeted for prime access wnd late-night time slots, and could wind up replacing one of shows NBCU canceled, Access Hollywood on some stations.

FOS syndicating the show itself is also notable – but comes with a risk as history shows, independently-syndicated programs have fallen flat on their faces. In 2018, Discovery Channel found out the hard way when its reruns of various programs under the True Crime Files umbrella flopped with viewers, and perhaps the biggest example of all, the failure of USA Today on TV, an ill-fated news magazine form GTG Entertainment, a venture formed between producer Grant Tinker and Gannett just to syndicate the show. The expensive first-run strip floundered on the air between September 12, 1988 and January 7, 1990, never delivering the ratings the syndicator promised.

For local stations, sports have becoming increasingly important, as station groups are concerned about the increasing number of checks streaming services are writing for exclusive rights to sporting events. “The timing is ideal,” Zucker said. “Sports and information is what’s really driving broadcast television these days.” The NFL Network’s Good Morning Football had aired in syndication for the last two seasons through Sony, but its future on local stations for next season is unknown since Disney’s ESPN recently acquired the league’s cable channel.

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Terrific survey for Audacy properties

For the first time in its storied history, Triple A (Adult Album Alternative) WXRT-FM took the top spot in Nielsen’s monthly PPM rankings.  

The Audacy-owned station finished first ahead of competitors The Drive (WDRV-FM) and WLIT-FM, ahead of sister station WBBM Newsradio, which finished second. WXRT also finished second in the key adult 25-54 demo, but was way behind leader 101.9 The Mix (WTMX.)

It was a strong March PPM survey for Audacy, as WSCR The Score has a strong showing thanks to adding a simulcast to 104.3 FM, moving up to a combined 2.5 share, and finished first in the male 25-54 demo for the Winter Book – the key demo for the station. 

Also showing gains were B96, which grew to a 2.9, finishing eleventh as it appears former listeners of the now-shuttered Jams 104.3 have migrated to the longtime Rhythmic station. It’s the best performance for WBBM-FM in a least a decade. Among adults 18-34, B96 finished second to 103.5 Kiss FM, signaling we may have a competitive contemporary hit radio race again for the first time in years. 

Audacy claimed five of the top fifteen overall slots with WXRT (1st), WBBM (2nd), WUSN-FM (5th), WBBM-FM (11th), and WSCR (tied for 14th with WOJO-FM.)

Of note, three Cumulus stations: Conservative Talk WLS-AM, Classic Hits WLS-FM, and Alternative Q101 (WKQX-FM) are no longer listened in Nielsen’s PPMs because of a current lawsuit by the Atlanta-based conglomerate (now paused due to Cumulus’ bankruptcy) against the ratings service, keeping all of their stations off the list. The move makes it difficult to gauge how the radio scene is portrayed in Chicago and other cities because the information provided is now incomplete. Nielsen’s policies (and its predecessor Arbitron’s) have long been a thorn in the side of radio owners and programmers. It is not known how long the legal action is supposed to last. 

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Says it violates federal antirust law

A federal judge blocked the $6.2 billion merger between Nexstar Media Group and Tegna Friday evening, setting the stage for a long and perhaps costly court battle. 

As first reported by The Desk, U.S. District Judge Troy Nunley in Sacramento issued the 52-page injunction, stating the mega-merger violates antitrust laws, and declared it illegal, despite being approved by the Justice Department and the FCC, mere hours after DirecTV and eight state attorneys generals (including Illinois’ Kwame Raoul) filed separate lawsuits seeking to stop the merger. The ruling replaces a restraining order that was issued weeks ago on behalf of both suing parties, halting the planned merger, which would have given Nexstar 228 stations covering 80 percent of the country and a presence in nine of the top ten largest media markets. The FCC gave Nexstar a waiver in all markets where it would buy a Tegna station, blowing past the 39 percent national ownership cap set by Congress in 2004. 

Nexstar owns WGN-TV Chicago and three-quarters of The CW. 

Nulney ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, saying the merger would do damage in the form of increased bills for consumers as Nexstar would have significantly more leverage over cable and satellite providers, which could drive even more viewers to cut the cord, as subscriptions have declined for nearly a decade. While pledging to increase local news at its stations, Nexstar would also consolidate its newsrooms and lay off journalists where Tegna owns a station, including St. Louis, which would leave the city with just two television newsrooms remaining. Nexstar laid off anchors and reporters two months ago at its big-market stations, with WGN-TV being the hardest hit. 

Due to the court battle,  Nexstar remains owner of Tegna, but cannot integrate their operations into Tegna’s, or share sensitive business information, such as financial statements. The plaintiffs argue the deal violates both Sherman Antitrust Act and the Clayton Act, and Nunley agreed. 

Nexstar says it will appeal to the Ninth Circuit Court, setting up a battle that could last for months, and might wind up at the doorstep of the U.S. Supreme Court. 

“For nearly thirty years, Nexstar has provided free over-the-air access to all its broadcast stations — local news, weather, and community-focused programming alongside major network programming. This pro-competitive transaction will make local stations stronger and support continued investment in local journalism and fact-based news.”, said the suburban Dallas-based company in a statement. “We will appeal today’s decision and look forward to presenting our case on its merits before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.” 

Meanwhile, DirecTV praised the decision. 

“[This court order]reinforces the coalition of states’ and our shared belief that unchecked station consolidation will force consumers to pay more for less by reducing the quality and variety of local news coverage, driving up content prices, and increasing the threat of station blackouts,” according to a statement provided to The Desk. “DIRECTV remains committed to a competitive, diverse, and affordable media landscape for all Americans.” DirecTV claims the Nexstar-Tegna merger would raise cable fees by $135 million.

The decision was also lauded by FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, who is the only Democrat on the agency. As of this writing, there has been no comment from FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, or President Donald Trump, who backed the deal after initially opposing it. Nexstar-Tegna’s marriage has spawned merger and acquisition activity elsewhere, including Paramount and Warner Bros. coming together, and a rumored merger between airline rivals American and Chicago-based United. 

This latest twist in this drama will certainly put a chill in any merger and acquisition activity in a blow to the television industry, as station groups claim the cap is preventing them from competing against unregulated tech rivals including Amazon, Apple, Google, Netflix, and legacy rivals Disney, Paramount, and Comcast as all (except Google, which has YouTube) have major streaming services. You can look for more divestitures or modifications to this deal as the parties battle this out in court. But if Nexstar stands resilient and takes this case all the way to the Supreme Court, then all bets are off given the Justices seemed to favor big businesses if this decision from 2021 is any indication. 

You can read the judge’s decision here. 

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Another new NCIS show. Also: Daytime soap Beyond The Gates renewed for two more seasons

CBS became the first broadcast network to unveil its schedule for the 2026-27 television season, a month ahead of everyone else as the top-rated network looks to maintain its ratings lead. 

It’s also the first under new Paramount ownership under David Ellison, who is looking to remake its news division to make it appeal more to middle America, and its’ primetime lineup reflects that, to a degree. The schedule relies on the same formulas: spinoffs, familiar faces, and paint-by-number procedurals. 

New series include yet another spinoff: NCIS: New York, which features LL Cool J back as Sam Hanna, a role he originated in NCIS: Los Angeles. Scheduled for Tuesday nights, it’s sandwiched between related programs NCIS and NCIS: Origins. Another new show is from Good Wife/Good Fight/Elsbeth creators Robert and Michelle King, called Cupertino. Set in the city where tech giant Apple is headquartered, it stars former Luke Cage star Mike Colter as a lawyer taking on…what else? The tech industry. The show is slotted for Thursday nights after Elsbeth, which moves an hour earlier – forcing Matlock to midseason. 

Midseason sees the premiere of Einstein, another procedural starring Matthew Gray Gubler as the great-grandson of Albert Einstein, who’s paired with a detective to consult on cases so he can stay out of jail (the show sounds more like the former CBC drama Tom Stone – which was syndicated as Stone Undercover in the U.S.)

The lone comedy on the schedule is from Ghosts creators Eternally Yours, featuring a family of vampires. The show is slotted after Goergie’s & Mandy’s First Marriage on Thursday nights. In fact, it’s the only sitcoms on the entire schedule, as CBS has abandoned comedies Monday nights to air an all-drama block of FBI, CIA, and Harlen Coben’s Final Twist – ending a tradition dating back to the days of I Love Lucy, Gilligan’s Island, M*A*S*H, and Newhart (Ghosts returns in midseason.)

As for other areas of the schedule, Survivor and The Amazing Race remains on Wednesdays; Fridays remain unchanged with Sheriff Country, Fire Country, and Boston Blue, Saturdays have encores and 48 Hours; and Sundays are also unchanged with 60 Minutes, Yellowstone spin-off Marshals, and Tracker. 

Out are Waston and DMV, as both were canceled weeks ago, and The Neighborhood is closing up shop after eight seasons. As it has done in previous years, look for CBS to launch its new lineup in mid-October, once football season settles in and all the other fall premieres have taken place. 

Meanwhile, CBS also announced Wednesday the renewal of daytime serial Beyond The Gates for two more seasons, through the 2027-28 season. The soap opera – the second featuring a majority-Black cast, has improved ratings in the time slot formerly occupied by The Talk. The series premiered on February 24, 2025. 

Last week, CBS announced it was upgrading Byron Allen’s Comics Unleashed to the time slot now occupied by the Late Show With Stephen Colbert starting May 22, in a time-buy, with game show Funny You Should Ask following. CBS president George Cheeks said Wednesday in a press briefing that the move was “temporary” as the network plans to develop a low-cost alternative for the 2027-28 season. 

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