TV station company Tegna Inc. has named Patrick Paolini its new CEO, effective June 1. The news comes after fellow station giant Nexstar Media Group closed its acquisition of Tegna in March, but the latter is so far operating autonomously under Nexstar’s ownership following legal filings from DirecTV and state attorneys general, which led a judge to issue a temporary restraining order on Nexstar’s full absorption of Tegna’s assets and operations.

Paolini joins the company from Fox Television Stations, where he has served as executive vp of advertising sales since 2023.

“Paolini will be responsible for Tegna’s daily operations, revenue-generating business strategies, local journalism and production, and growth initiatives,” and report directly to the company’s board of directors, the company said. “Paolini brings more than 30 years of local broadcast management experience and a distinguished track record in sales, marketing, and news operations to his new role with Tegna, including management of large-market television stations.”

In his most recent Fox Television Stations position, Paolini was responsible for ad sales strategy, initiatives, and efforts across the station group. He previously served as senior vp and general manager of WTTG Fox 5 and WDCA Fox 5 Plus, the Fox-owned-and-operated duopoly in Washington, D.C.

“Patrick is an ideal choice to lead Tegna,” said the company’s board. “He brings deep expertise in the broadcast television industry, major-market station management, and high-quality local news, along with a proven track record of driving revenue growth across linear and digital platforms. He is an innovative thinker and a proven leader with an established history of success. We look forward to Patrick’s leadership of this great company.”

Guggenheim analysts Curry Baker and Michael Morris noted in a recent report about the state of the merger: “Legal proceedings around Tegna are continuing, and [Nexstar] management remains confident they will prevail on the merits of the case. Currently, Nexstar is abiding by the hold-separate order pending the appeal…. We would note Nexstar has full use of Tegna’s cash flow to pay down debt, and even without the synergies, the transaction is still materially accretive to our 2026/2027 free cash flow outlook.”