DirecTV Study Says TV Station Mergers Create Local Content Deserts

A new DirecTV study submitted to the FCC finds that consolidation among local TV stations is harming news quality and diversity, directly challenging broadcasters' arguments for looser ownership rules. The satellite provider argues that when one company owns multiple stations in one market, they simply offer "essentially the same local news."

• Sharing isn't caring: DirecTV's research shows that in markets with co-owned "Big Four" affiliates, operational overlap is near-total. The study found over 90% of these stations share a single news website, with almost all news directors and on-air talent shared across the co-owned properties.

• The bigger they are...: The findings are a direct rebuttal to the argument long pushed by the National Association of Broadcasters and station groups like Sinclair. They contend that getting bigger is the only way to fund local programming and fend off competition from unregulated tech giants, pointing to a 40% increase in local news hours since 2011 as proof.

• Hollowing out the news: Opponents of further mergers warn the practice leads to higher cable bills and the hollowing out of local newsrooms. They point to recent layoffs at Nexstar's WGN in Chicago as a prime example that such deals don't always lead to more journalism.

This entire debate is constrained by the 2025 Zimmer Radio v. FCC court ruling, which effectively prevents the agency from tightening media ownership rules, only loosening them. With the FCC's hands tied, the fight over local news will likely be won or lost through market pressure and public opinion, not regulation.