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Ep 51 - The Illusion of Competition in Local TV

Mar 27
4 min read

We spend a lot of time arguing about the media in this country.


Too liberal. Too conservative. Too biased. Too sensational.


Sure—some of that criticism is fair. Cable news, in particular, can feel like a never-ending shouting match with better graphics. But underneath all of that noise, there’s a more fundamental question that almost never gets asked:


Who actually owns the news you’re watching?



Do you really have choices in local news?
Do you really have choices in local news?

Because before you even get to bias, you have to ask how many people are making the decisions in the first place. And increasingly, the answer is: fewer than you might think.


Why Local News Still Matters


When people think about “the media,” they usually picture national outlets—CNN, Fox News, MSNBC. But that’s not how most people interact with the news day to day. For many Americans, especially outside major cities, local news is still the primary source of information. It’s where you find out if school is canceled, if a storm is coming, what’s happening in your town, and who’s running for local office.


And here’s the key: people tend to trust local news more than national news.

It feels closer. Less performative. More grounded in reality. That trust makes local news incredibly influential—and that’s exactly why ownership matters.


Nexstar—and the Number That Doesn’t Tell the Whole Story


Nexstar Media Group is already the largest owner of local TV stations in the United States. Through acquisitions and steady expansion, it now reaches a massive portion of American households.



There are rules meant to prevent any one company from becoming too dominant. For example, broadcast ownership is technically capped at reaching 39% of U.S. households.

But here’s where things get complicated.


Because of regulatory quirks like the “UHF discount,” that official number doesn’t tell the full story. When you factor in Nexstar’s broader footprint—including affiliated stations and network reach—reporting has suggested its content can reach as much as 80% of the country.


So there’s the number on paper.


And then there’s reality.


Different Logos, Same Boss


What does this look like in practice?


In many regions, you have multiple local stations that appear to be competitors. Different branding. Different anchors. Different newsrooms. But behind the scenes, they may ultimately be owned—or influenced—by the same corporate parent.


That means less true competition. Less incentive to out-report the other station. Fewer independent editorial voices deciding what gets covered.


This isn’t always obvious to viewers. The broadcasts look the same. The people on screen are the same. But the structure behind the scenes has changed.


This Isn’t About “Propaganda”


It’s important to be clear about what this is—and what it isn’t. This isn’t about local news suddenly turning into overt political propaganda. You’re not going to see your 6 p.m. broadcast turn into a cable-style rant.


The impact is subtler. It shows up in editorial decisions:


  • Which stories get covered

  • How much time they receive

  • Which perspectives are highlighted—or quietly left out


As the saying goes, bias isn’t always about what gets said. Sometimes it’s about what never gets said at all.


A Broader Trend Across Media


This isn’t just happening in local news. Across the entire media landscape, consolidation is accelerating. Major companies are merging. Studios are being acquired. Streaming platforms are consolidating. Vast libraries of content are ending up under fewer corporate umbrellas.


Recent developments involving companies like Paramount/Skydance, and Warner Bros./Discovery are part of this broader trend. While each deal is complex, the direction is clear: fewer independent players controlling more content. Now, Paramount/Skydance is buying Warner Bros/Discovery.


Local news isn’t an isolated case—it’s part of a larger shift.


The Role of Regulators


None of this happens without approval. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) plays a central role in determining whether these mergers and acquisitions move forward. Officials like Brendan Carr have supported loosening ownership restrictions, arguing that consolidation helps local stations survive in a challenging media environment.


Supporters say scale is necessary to compete with tech giants and streaming platforms.

Critics argue that relaxing these rules allows too much power to concentrate in too few hands. The other side points out that the FCC's job is not to ensure the fiscal viability of companies, it's supposed to be looking out for our best interests.


You don’t have to believe there’s a conspiracy to see the tension here. It’s a straightforward question:


Are we preserving local journalism—or slowly centralizing it?


Why This Matters


This isn’t just a media industry issue. It has real-world consequences.


Ownership influences:


  • What stories are told

  • How communities understand local issues

  • What topics gain attention—and which fade into the background


It can affect elections. Public awareness. Even what people in a community believe is important.


And the most striking part? Most people won’t notice it happening because everything on the surface still looks the same.


The Question We Should Be Asking


We’ve spent years arguing about media bias—left vs. right, fair vs. unfair. But bias is only part of the story. The bigger issue is concentration. Because even a slight editorial lean becomes more powerful when fewer organizations control more of the system.


So maybe the next time we debate whether the media is biased, we take a step back and ask a different question:


How many people are actually deciding what we’re seeing in the first place?


Because if the answer is “not that many,” that might explain more than bias ever could.



Sources


Local News Ownership & Nexstar

Media Consolidation & Industry Trends

Regulatory & Policy Context


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