Nexstar Media Group, the nation’s largest TV station owner with over 200 stations in 116 markets, is set to acquire Tegna in a $6.2 billion deal expected to close in the second half of 2026, pending federal approval—adding 64 stations, including rival WNEP in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, and potentially consolidating all three major local affiliates (WBRE-NBC, WYOU-CBS, WNEP-ABC) under one roof for the first time.
The merger could reshape Northeast Pennsylvania’s TV landscape, where Nexstar already owns WBRE and operates WYOU via a shared services agreement (SSA); CEO Perry Sook said the recent court strike-down of FCC multi-station ownership bans opens the door to fully acquiring WYOU and exploring WNEP, though “it’s too soon to tell” amid the Tegna integration.
The Citizen's Voice reports Nexstar’s local roots trace to 1996, when it launched by buying unprofitable WYOU as its first station, then acquired WBRE, sold WYOU to affiliate Mission Broadcasting, and pioneered the SSA model—still in place—to share resources while maintaining separate brands; Sook estimates SSAs now cover one-third of Nexstar markets, likening it to “printing two newspapers on the same press” to keep local TV profitable.
Yet Sook defends the model as essential for survival, crediting Nexstar’s 2000s fight to secure cable retransmission fees—generating billions—and insisting scale prevents duplication (e.g., one crew per mayor’s press conference) while preserving “local, local, local” focus; WBRE I-Team reporter Andy Mehalshick credits this commitment for staying 30+ years in the mid-sized market.
The market’s three legacy stations—WBRE, WNEP, and WYOU—all debuted in the 1950s with strong ratings; WNEP surged via aggressive branding, “Skycam 16” helicopter, and county-wide news vans, dominating a 20-county region ranked 50–60 nationally and long a stepping stone for journalists.