Fox Station Vet Patrick Paolini Named Tegna CEO As It Battles Through Nexstar Merger Litigation

EXCLUSIVE: Tegna has named Fox Television Stations veteran Patrick Paolini CEO as the station group looks to resolve litigation seeking to undo its merger with larger rival Nexstar.

Paolini spent 26 years at the Fox stations, including most recently as EVP of ad sales, departing the company last week. Before assuming the role at Fox in 2023, the exec spent 10 years as general manager of WTTG and WDCA, the Fox duopoly in Washington, D.C.

The new CEO will officially start on Monday, Tegna said.

Tegna and Nexstar revealed their $6.2 billion combination last summer. In March of this year, the FCC approved the transaction, a game-changing combination creating an entity with reach to 80% of U.S. households, more than twice the current legal limit on station ownership. Nexstar announced the deal had closed mere minutes after the FCC’s blessing.

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