Tegna Inc.
| File:Tegna logo.svg Logo used since 2015 | |
| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| Industry | Broadcast, digital media, marketing services |
| Founded | June 29, 2015 in Tysons, Virginia, United States |
| Headquarters | Tysons , United States |
Area served | United States |
Key people | Dave Lougee (CEO) |
| Products | Television stations, digital multicast networks (True Crime Network, Quest), digital marketing services |
| Website | tegna |
Tegna Inc. (branded as TEGNA) is a publicly listed American company specializing in broadcast, digital media, and marketing services, with its headquarters located in Tysons, Virginia. The company was established on June 29, 2015, following the division of the Gannett Company into two separate publicly traded firms. Tegna assumed control of the more lucrative broadcast television and digital media segments, while Gannett maintained its focus on publishing. Tegna currently owns or operates 68 television stations across 54 different markets and manages multiple digital media assets.
By audience reach, Tegna is the leading owner of NBC-affiliated stations, outranking competitors such as Hearst Television and Sinclair Broadcast Group. It holds the position of the fourth-largest proprietor of ABC affiliates, trailing behind Hearst, the E. W. Scripps Company, and Sinclair. Additionally, Tegna owns two digital multicast networks: True Crime Network and Quest.
History
In June 2015, Gannett separated its broadcasting division, leaving Robert Dickey as CEO of the newspaper business while Gracia Martore took charge of the broadcast and digital operations. This restructuring aimed to enhance shareholder value by concentrating on scale, cash flow generation, and strengthening digital competitiveness. Simultaneously, Gannett purchased full ownership of Classified Ventures for $1.8 billion, which included Cars.com.
The newly formed broadcast and digital entity was named Tegna—a partial anagram derived from "Gannett." This spin-off resulted in the original Gannett transforming into Tegna, Inc., while spinning off its newspaper assets into a new Gannett company. Tegna retained the original stock price history but trades under the symbol TGNA; the newly created Gannett uses ticker GCI. Both companies continued to share their headquarters location.
Tegna preserved ownership of G/O Digital, a digital marketing brand initiated in 2013, along with broadcast stations acquired from Belo Corporation in 2013 and London Broadcasting Company in 2014. In September 2016, Tegna revealed plans to spin off Cars.com; this initial public offering was completed by mid-2017, with Cars.com trading under CARS. Following this spin-off, Dave Lougee succeeded Gracia Martore as CEO.
Prior to Cars.com’s separation, there were reports indicating that Nexstar Media Group might pursue a bid for Tegna. In June 2017, Tegna and other stakeholders sold CareerBuilder to an investment group led by Apollo Global Management and the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan.
In November 2017, Tegna collaborated with Cooper Media to launch Quest, a multicast network dedicated to programming centered on engineering, science, military history, and natural history. The following month, December 2017, Tegna agreed to purchase Midwest Television’s San Diego stations for $325 million; this transaction was finalized in February 2018. In August 2018, Tegna announced acquisitions of stations divested from the Gray Television-Raycom merger to resolve regulatory ownership issues in Toledo and Odessa markets.
March 2019 marked the launch of VAULT Studios by Tegna—an internal digital content studio focused on producing true crime podcasts derived from station news coverage. That same month, Tegna agreed to acquire eleven stations from Nexstar for $740 million to adhere to federal ownership limits following Nexstar’s acquisition of Tribune; the Federal Communications Commission approved this sale in September 2019.
In May 2019, Tegna acquired the remaining 85% interest in multicast networks Justice Network and Quest from Cooper Media for $77 million. June 2019 saw Tegna announce a $535 million purchase of Dispatch Broadcast Group’s television and radio assets located in Columbus and Indianapolis; this deal closed in August. In December 2019, Tegna sold KFMB-AM-FM to Local Media San Diego for $5 million; the sale was completed by March 2020.
Tegna encountered carriage disputes with DirecTV in December 2020 and again in late 2023, which temporarily removed its stations from DirecTV’s lineup in major markets; both conflicts were resolved within several weeks. A dispute beginning October 2021 with Dish Network caused Tegna stations to be dropped from Dish TV for four months before resolution in February 2022. These DirecTV disputes adversely affected Tegna's subscriber base and revenue throughout 2023.
In February 2025, Tegna disbanded its national “Verify” fact-checking division along with approximately twenty journalist roles.
Failed acquisition attempt by Standard General and Apollo Global Management
In 2020, activist investor Soo Kim from Standard General sought to gain control over Tegna, criticizing the company for its perceived market "inertia." Tegna declined purchase proposals from Gray Television and Apollo Global Management, citing disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, while other speculated bids lacked confidentiality agreements or clear financial backing.
Kim launched a proxy contest by putting forward four candidates for the board in April 2020; nevertheless, shareholders chose to re-elect all 12 incumbent directors. Kim conceded that the campaign enhanced transparency around Tegna’s operational results and acquisition criteria. In 2021, Standard General once more nominated board members, pointing to issues of underperformance and insufficient diversity following the withdrawal of a Black nominee due to a prior incident involving CEO Dave Lougee, who had issued an apology.
On February 22, 2022, Tegna consented to a $5.4 billion privatization deal led by Standard General and Apollo Global Management at a price of $24 per share. The company would retain its existing name, with control vested in a Standard General affiliate and Deb McDermott appointed as CEO. Apollo affiliates alongside Cox Media Group were to hold non-voting stakes; Tegna’s digital advertising segment Premion was slated to operate independently. The agreement included provisions for price modifications if the transaction extended beyond nine months.
The arrangement required divesting stations WDKA, WLNE, KBSI, and KLKN to Cox Media Group. Cox intended to sell Boston’s WFXT to entities affiliated with Standard General and acquire WFAA/KMPX, KHOU/KTBU, and KVUE from Tegna. Approval for the sale was granted by Standard General and Apollo on May 17, 2022.
On October 6, 2022, concerns were raised by House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Frank Pallone and Speaker Nancy Pelosi regarding the FCC's review of the deal, warning it could diminish local news availability, lead to layoffs, and increase consumer costs. Their objections focused on Standard General’s plans for centralized content production hubs and workforce reductions. In response, Standard General refuted claims of planned job cuts or content consolidation, emphasizing that Tegna would become the largest broadcaster owned by women and minorities in the U.S., countering assertions about undisclosed investors.
On February 24, 2023, FCC staff referred the transaction to an administrative law judge, effectively stalling it due to conflicts with merger timeline requirements. Ultimately, the acquisition was terminated on May 22, 2023.
Nexstar acquisition proposal
On August 19, 2025, Tegna announced an agreement to be acquired by Nexstar Media Group at $22 per share, valuing the transaction at $6.2 billion. This deal would expand Nexstar’s coverage to reach 80% of television households across the United States. Completion is contingent upon shareholder approval and regulatory clearance, including potential relaxation of broadcast ownership restrictions under the second Trump administration. Nexstar CEO Perry Sook opposed these ownership limits and stated there are no intentions to merge local station operations in overlapping markets, comparing such consolidation unfavorably to multiple newspapers sharing printing facilities.
Tegna shareholders approved the merger on November 18, 2025. The closing is anticipated between July 1 and December 31, 2026 (with October 1 as the median date), subject to regulatory approvals and standard closing conditions. Following completion, Tegna will continue operating as a subsidiary under Nexstar’s ownership.
Properties
Tegna manages or owns a total of 68 television stations spanning 54 different markets, which includes fourteen duopoly arrangements, along with two radio stations located in Columbus, Ohio. The company's television affiliations encompass 22 NBC stations (inclusive of digital subchannels and semi-satellite outlets), 15 CBS affiliates, 13 ABC affiliates, and six Fox affiliates. Furthermore, Tegna holds ownership of eight CW affiliates (some operating as digital subchannels), ten MyNetworkTV affiliates (with six being digital subchannels), four independent stations (including digital subchannels and satellite stations), one low-power MeTV affiliate, and a station owned-and-operated by Quest.
In addition to its owned stations, Tegna offers operational support to the Fox affiliate WUPW in Toledo under a shared services agreement with the station’s owner, American Spirit Media. This arrangement continues the operational collaboration established during WTOL's previous ownership.
Television stations
The list below organizes stations alphabetically by state and their respective city of license.
| City of license / Market | Station |
|
|
Primary affiliation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Huntsville, AL | WZDX | 54 (18) | 2019 | Fox |
| Flagstaff, AZ | KNAZ-TV[lower-greek 1] | 2 (22) | 1997 | NBC |
| Phoenix, AZ | KPNX | 12 (18) | 1979 | NBC |
| Tucson, AZ | KMSB[lower-alpha 1] | 11 (25) | 2015 | Fox |
| KTTU[lower-alpha 1] | 18 (19) | 2013 | The CW | |
| Fort Smith–Fayetteville, AR | KFSM-TV | 5 (18) | 2019 | CBS |
| Little Rock, AR | KTHV | 11 (12) | 1994 | CBS |
| Sacramento, CA | KXTV | 10 (10) | 1999 | ABC |
| San Diego, CA | KFMB-TV | 8 (8) | 2018 | CBS |
| Denver, CO | KUSA | 9 (9) | 1979 | NBC |
| KTVD | 20 (31) | 2006 | MyNetworkTV | |
| Hartford–New Haven–Waterbury, CT | WTIC-TV | 61 (34) | 2019 | Fox |
| WCCT-TV | 20 (33) | 2019 | The CW | |
| Washington, D.C. | WUSA | 9 (9) | 1986 | CBS |
| Jacksonville, FL | WJXX | 25 (10) | 2000 | ABC |
| WTLV | 12 (13) | 1987 | NBC | |
| Tampa–St. Petersburg, FL | WTSPCite error: Invalid <ref> tag; refs with no name must have content
|
10 (10) | 1996 | CBS |
| Atlanta, GA | WXIA-TV | 11 (10) | 1979 | NBC |
| WATL | 36 (25) | 2006 | MyNetworkTV | |
| Macon, GA | WMAZ-TVCite error: Invalid <ref> tag; refs with no name must have content
|
13 (13) | 1995 | CBS |
| Boise, ID | KTVBCite error: Invalid <ref> tag; refs with no name must have content
|
7 (7) | 2013 | NBC |
| Twin Falls, ID | KTFT-LDCite error: Invalid <ref> tag; refs with no name must have content
|
7.7 (20) | 2013 | NBC |
| Moline, IL–Davenport, IA | WQAD-TV | 8 (31) | 2019 | ABC |
| Indianapolis , IN | WTHR | 13(13) | 2019 | NBC |
| WALV-CD | 46(17) | 2019 | MeTV |
Networks
- Idaho's Very Own 24/7 (KTVB 7.2)
- NewsWatch 15 (co-owned by Tegna and Cox Communications; acquired through Belo)
- True Crime Network
- Quest
Radio stations
| City of license / Market | Station | Acquisition year | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus, OH | WBNS 1460 | 2019 | Sports radio |
| WBNS-FM 97.1 | 2019 | Sports radio |
Television programming
In 2015, Tegna initiated a test run of T.D. Jakes, a limited-series talk show hosted by Dallas-based bishop T. D. Jakes, airing on stations in Dallas, Atlanta, Minneapolis, and Cleveland. The show, co-produced with Debmar-Mercury and Jakes' TDJ Enterprises, was broadcast from August 2016 through September 2017.
On December 9, Tegna approved a full season for 2016–2017, launching on September 12 across most Tegna-owned stations and key markets such as Baltimore (WMAR-TV), Detroit (WMYD), Orlando (WFTV/WRDQ), Chicago (WCIU-TV), San Antonio (KSAT-TV), and San Diego (KGTV). Production duties shifted from Debmar-Mercury to Flow Media Partners.
The series T.D. Jakes concluded in September 2017 and was replaced by Daily Blast Live, which debuted on September 11, 2017, with a focus on news and entertainment content. Additional syndicated programs include Sister Circle (also featured on cable channel TV One) and the reality competition Sing Like A Star. Sister Circle ended in Spring 2020.
In January 2018, Tegna entered into a partnership with Sony Pictures Television for syndication distribution and advertising sales of its original shows. Daily Blast Live ended its broadcast on September 6, 2024.
Digital properties
Following the spinoff from Gannett Company, Tegna retained most of the internet media assets formerly managed under Gannett’s digital division, which oversaw websites for USA Today along with Gannett’s newspaper and broadcast holdings nationwide. Its digital portfolio includes:
- G/O Digital
- Premion
- Locked On Podcast Network
Divested digital properties
- Cars.com – separated on June 1, 2017.
- Cofactor Digital (ShopLocal) – sold to Liquidus on December 15, 2016.
- CareerBuilder – sold to Apollo Global Management
Television stations
The following list is organized alphabetically by state and city of license, detailing stations owned by Tegna, Inc. during its time as a Gannett subsidiary.
| City / Market | Station | Channel (Virtual / RF) | Ownership period | Current affiliation/status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile, AL–Pensacola, FL | WALA-TV | 10 (9) | Since 1986 | Fox affiliate now owned by Gray Media |
| Kingman, AZ | KMOH-TV | 6 (19) | 1997–2004 | MeTV affiliate under Weigel Broadcasting ownership |
| Phoenix–Mesa, AZ | KTVK | 3 (24) | 2013–2014 | Independent station owned by Gray Media |
| KASW | 61 (49) | 2013–2014 | Independent station owned by E. W. Scripps Company | |
| Tucson, AZ | KOLD-TV | 13 (32) | Since 1986 | CBS affiliate currently owned by Gray Media |
| Little Rock, AR | KARK-TV | 4 (32) | 1979–1983 | NBC affiliate now part of Nexstar Media Group |
| Sacramento–Stockton–Modesto, CA | KOVR | 13 (25) | 1958–1959 | CBS owned-and-operated station |
| Danville–Champaign–Urbana, IL | WDAN-TV ** | 24 | 1953–1960 | ABC affiliate WICD under Sinclair Broadcast Group ownership |
| Rockford, IL | WREX-TV | 13 (13) | 1963–1969 | NBC affiliate owned by Allen Media Broadcasting |
| Fort Wayne, IN | WPTA | 21 (24) | 1979–1983 | ABC affiliate currently held by Gray Media |
| Louisville, KY | WLKY-TV | 32 (26) | 1979–1983 | CBS affiliate owned by Hearst Television |
| Cambridge–Boston, MA | WLVI | 56 (41) | 1983–1994 | The CW affiliate now owned by Sunbeam Television |
| St. Louis, MO | KMOV | 4 (24) | 2013–2014 | CBS affiliate under Gray Media ownership |
| Binghamton, NY | WINR-TV ** | 40 (8) | 1957–1971 | Fox affiliate WICZ-TV owned by Deltavision Media |
| Rochester, NY | WHEC-TV ** | 10 (10) | 1953–1979 | NBC affiliate currently held by Hubbard Broadcasting |
| Cincinnati, OH | WLWT | 5 (35) | 1995–1997 | NBC affiliate owned by Hearst Television |
| Oklahoma City, OK | KOCO-TV | 5 (7) | 1979–1997 | ABC affiliate now owned by Hearst Television |
| KTVY | 4 (27) | Acquired in 1986 | NBC affiliate KFOR-TV under Nexstar Media Group ownership |
- Stations indicated with ** were originally built or launched by Gannett.
- Certain stations operated under shared services agreements through Sander Media, LLC.
- After the Gannett/Belo merger, KMOV, KTVK, and KASW were sold to Meredith Corporation in a $407.4 million transaction finalized in early to mid-2014 to maintain competitive balance in the markets.
Cable channels
Prior to being acquired by Gannett/Tegna, Belo held ownership of these cable channels:
Broadcast channels
Radio outlets
(This list is not comprehensive)
| AM Station | FM Station |
|---|
| Market / City of License | Station | Ownership Period | Present Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles, CA | KPRZ/KIIS 1150 | 1979–1997 | KEIB, currently under iHeartMedia |
| KIIS-FM 102.7 | 1979–1997 | iHeartMedia ownership | |
| San Diego, CA | KSDO 1130 | 1979–1997 | Now owned by Hi-Favor Broadcasting |
| KFMB 760 | 2018–2020 | Operated as KGB under iHeartMedia | |
| KFMB-FM 100.7 | 2018–2020 | Currently KFBG, owned by Lotus Communications | |
|
1979–1997 | Presently KLQV, part of Univision Communications | |
| Hartford, CT | WTHT 1230 ** | 1936–1954 | Station defunct; frequency now assigned to WNEZ |
| Cocoa–Melbourne, FL | WEZY 1350 | 1966–1970 | Currently WMMV, owned by iHeartMedia |
| WEZY-FM 99.3 | 1966–1970 | Now WLRQ-FM, under iHeartMedia control | |
| Tampa–St. Petersburg, FL | WDAE 1250 | 1987–1997 | Operating as WHNZ, owned by iHeartMedia |
| WJYW/WUSA-FM 100.7 | 1980–1997 | Currently WMTX, held by iHeartMedia | |
| Macon, GA | WMAZ 940 | 1995–1996 | Now operated as WMAC, owned by Cumulus Media |
| WMAZ-FM/WAYS 99.1 | 1995–1996 | Presently WDEN-FM, part of Cumulus Media’s portfolio | |
| Chicago, IL | WVON/WGCI 1390 | 1979–1997 | Currently WGRB, owned by iHeartMedia |
| WGCI-FM 107.5 | 1979–1997 | Under iHeartMedia ownership at present | |
| Detroit, MI | WLQV 1500 | 1979–1986 | Owned now by Salem Media Group |
| WCZY-FM 95.5 | 1979–1986 | Operating as WKQI, controlled by iHeartMedia | |
| Kansas City, MO | KCMO 810 | 1986–1993 | Currently known as WHB, owned by Union Broadcasting |
| KCMO-FM 94.9 | 1986–1993 | Held by Cumulus Media today |
References
External links
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