As two media conglomerates consider deals to buy up Tennessee TV stations, Tennesseans may find their news options limited. (Photo: Getty Images)
Rarely do we think about who owns the local television stations licensed to serve our communities, but a recent proposed merger of two big TV owners would have huge implications for Tennessee and the rest of the nation. The plan also demonstrates the folly of excessive deregulation allowing for the growth of media behemoths.
When you watch CBS programming on WREG in Memphis, you are not watching a CBS-owned station. That station is owned by Nexstar, a huge media player that currently owns or operates more than 200 television stations, reaching more than 212 million people across 116 markets. Nexstar simply has a business deal to carry CBS programs into the Memphis market — by its transmitter tower using the public airwaves, or indirectly by others bringing it into your home by satellite, fiber optic cable or wireless distribution…