Nexstar begins replacing TEGNA board after judge says structure violated injunction. Four of five current or former Nexstar executives appointed to TEGNA's Board of Directors have resigned, and the fifth will do so when a new Board is created, the company said in a court filing this week. [email protected] August 14, 2026 Nexstar Media Group is in the process of replacing its Board of Directors to oversee its subsidiary broadcast operations TEGNA after a judge ruled earlier this month that the company's decision to appoint its own executives to the Board violated a prior court order. In a status report filed Thursday, attorneys for Nexstar and TEGNA said four of the five TEGNA directors - including the company's founder and CEO Perry Sook - have resigned from the Board in response to a finding from U.S. District Judge Troy Nunley on August 6 that said the composition of the Board contravened a hold separate order issued as part of a broader antitrust lawsuit. The lawsuit argues that Nexstar's acquisition of TEGNA in March violates federal antitrust rules because it concentrates too much power with a single broadcast entity, which will lead to higher cable and satellite fees for consumers and lower investments in local news, allegations that Nexstar denies. The challenge is being brought by California Attorney General Rob Bonta in concert with other states attorney general; a similar antitrust lawsuit filed by DIRECTV was merged into the case brought by the states. In April, Nunley issued a preliminary injunction requiring Nexstar to distance itself from TEGNA while the case plays out. The thinking behind the order was to ensure that Nexstar and TEGNA could quickly divorce from each other if the antitrust case is successful, and was based on preliminary evidence submitted by both parties. Nexstar is allowed to cooperate with TEGNA on some affairs, including federal financial reporting requirements, but isn't allowed to appoint its own executives to run the company and cannot pass down orders on how TEGNA's portfolio of local TV stations and other products operate. Despite this, Nexstar created a Board of Directors to oversee TEGNA that included Sook and three other sitting executives, plus a fifth member who previously worked for Nexstar. The other four members were Nexstar President and Chief Operating Officer Michael Biard, Chief Financial Officer Lee Ann Gliha and General Counsel Elizabeth Ryder and former Nexstar executive Timothy Busch. Nunley issued a scathing order earlier this month, admonishing Nexstar for violating the spirit of the preliminary injunction by appointing its own executives to oversee TEGNA when the companies were supposed to be operationally separate. Nunley became aware of the situation because DIRECTV filed a request for clarification with the court that pointed to media reports about how TEGNA was operating under Nexstar's oversight. Nunley ordered Nexstar to remedy the issue, issue regular status reports and provide discovery evidence to the state attorneys general and DIRECTV. In Thursday's status report, Nexstar said Sook, Biard, Ryder and Busch have resigned from the TEGNA board. Gliha has not yet resigned because Delaware law requires at least one person to be on the Board, though she will not take any action as a Board member without permission from the court and is expected to depart once replacement Board members have been found. The filing said a TEGNA board meeting scheduled for the afternoon of August 6 was canceled after Nunley issued his order. The board has not met since then. Nexstar is working to select and appoint a new board as soon as possible but the broadcaster said the process may take longer than a 10-day deadline previously imposed by Nunley. It asked for permission to submit another report by August 31 unless a new board is appointed earlier. The company also affirmed it is complying with discovery provisions in the court's order and conferring with the plaintiffs over issues related to a possible special master. In prior public statements, Nexstar said it would comply with Nunley's earlier injunction while simultaneously defending its merger with TEGNA. The acquisition received clearance from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) before the deal closed, though the approvals came less than 24 hours after the state attorneys general filed their antitrust lawsuit. The breakneck speed at which the deal closed after receiving regulatory approvals has raised eyebrows among media and financial observers, who speculate the acquisition was fast-tracked in order to circumvent what was, at that time, pending litigation. Ordinarily, companies close major transactions within weeks of securing all necessary approvals from state and federal regulators, but Nexstar's deal closed just a few hours after the FCC and DOJ signed off on the transaction. The deal is valued at more than $6 billion and allows Nexstar, already the largest independent owner and operator of local TV stations in the country, to further grow its empire by receiving TV licenses associated with five dozen TEGNA stations. Most of those outlets are affiliated with major broadcast networks - ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC - which are highly prized by cable and satellite distributors for their offering of regional and national sports programming. Following the company's second quarter (Q2) earnings report, Sook told investors he was open to a settlement in order to resolve the lawsuit and move things forward, though he didn't offer any specific insight into what compromises might be made to bring the case to an end. Bonta has been less gracious: When asked by The Desk in April if he would be willing to compromise and settle the case, he made it clear that the only outcome California wants is for the merger to end with Nexstar and TEGNA remaining separate companies. "What we're looking for is a block of the merger - that's what we've asked for," Bonta said. "It's already permissively unlawful, and that's why it's been blocked through a preliminary injunction...Nexstar and TEGNA are both appealing the order; I do not think they will prevail based on the facts and the law, but it is their right to try."

Jay Wallis left WFAA 8 for TEGNA corporate. Friday, august 14, 2026. Jay Wallis left WFAA 8 Dallas-Fort Worth after more than six years in 2025 and was promoted to lead producer of Growth for TEGNA in April 2026. "It's a creative and collaborative opportunity to help lead a new corporate team focused on developing original digital content, supporting major coverage across the country, and finding new ways to grow audiences," Wallis posted. Discover more TV Networks & Stations Journalism & News Industry Television Industry News Wallis most recently served as executive producer, digital video coordinator and multimedia journalist at WFAA from July 2023 to September 2025. In that role, he led the station's digital video initiatives, launched original programming for WFAA+, and was named WFAA's Innovator of the Year in 2024 for his work on digital transformation and audience growth. He also worked as a multimedia journalist, reporting on sports and general assignment stories, earning multiple honors from the National Press Photographers Association and a 2020 Lone Star Emmy nomination. Following his time at WFAA, Wallis joined TEGNA's Growth team in September 2025 as a growth producer, developing platform-native content and audience growth strategies across the company's stations. He was promoted to lead producer, growth, in April 2026, where he oversees the creative development of original digital video franchises, long-form streaming content, and cross-platform storytelling initiatives across TEGNA's nationwide portfolio. Before joining WFAA, Wallis spent three years as a multimedia journalist at KVUE in Austin, where he earned three consecutive Lone Star Emmy nominations and launched a podcast explaining the news production process. Journalism Career Resources Earlier in his career, Wallis worked as bureau chief at KYTX CBS19 in Tyler-Longview, where he anchored and produced the Sunday newscast while covering major news stories across East Texas. He also served as an editorial assistant for SLAM magazine, contributing to SLAMonline.com, SLAM Magazine, and SLAM Radio. Wallis began his broadcasting career at KOMU-TV in Columbia, Missouri, where he worked as a sports anchor, reporter, producer, and news reporter while attending the University of Missouri. During college, he also interned with Mizzou Athletics, the Frisco RoughRiders, and KBIA 91.3 FM. He graduated from the University of Missouri in 2015 with a Bachelor of Journalism degree in Radio and Television News.