One month from today, n the heart of St. Paul, Minnesota, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit will convene to hear a significant legal challenge to the FCC’s media ownership rules.

On Wednesday, March 19, 2025, Judges Raymond W. Gruender, Duane Benton, and Bobby E. Shepherd will gather in the Warren E. Burger Federal Building & U.S. Courthouse to deliberate on the FCC's December 2023 decision to impose stricter limitations on local TV station ownership. The outcome of this case could have far-reaching implications for media consolidation and local broadcasting markets across the country.

The FCC's recent decision, which enforces the "one Big Four to a market" rule, has drawn strong opposition from major broadcasters.

Nexstar Media Group, the largest local television station owner in the U.S., has been at the forefront of the opposition. They argue that the new regulations unfairly limit their ability to compete and grow in an evolving media landscape. Nexstar claims that the restrictions stifle innovation and hinder their ability to provide diverse content to viewers. Nexstar, along with other broadcasters, is pushing hard for the regulations to be relaxed to account for the increased competition from Big Tech platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and YouTube.

On the other side of the debate, the National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA) supports the FCC's stance. They contend that allowing TV stations to own multiple Big Four network affiliates within a single market could lead to higher retransmission consent fees, which would ultimately be passed on to consumers.

It will also mean the consolidation of more newsrooms, few Journalism jobs in local TV news and less choices for the viewers.