Texas has long been known for its influence in industries such as energy, technology, aviation, and telecommunications. Less obvious—but equally significant—is its role in modern television broadcasting. Today, one of the most influential media companies in the United States is headquartered in Irving, Texas, and its growth is closely tied to the leadership of Perry Sook, founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of Nexstar Media Group.
Although Perry Sook did not invent local television or make Texas a broadcasting center on his own, he helped transform a Texas-based company into America's largest owner of local television stations. Through decades of steady expansion, strategic acquisitions, and a continued focus on local news, Nexstar grew from a small startup into one of the country's most influential media organizations.
For anyone interested in Texas business success stories, Sook's career offers an excellent example of how patient leadership and long-term planning can reshape an entire industry.
Perry Sook Started with a Career in Broadcasting
Perry Sook entered the television business long before Nexstar existed.
After graduating from Ohio University, he began working in local broadcasting, gaining experience in station operations, sales, and management. Those early roles gave him firsthand knowledge of how local television stations served their communities and how the business operated behind the scenes.
Instead of focusing only on major national networks, Sook saw long-term potential in local broadcasting. He believed local stations would continue playing an important role by covering community news, weather, sports, and events that national outlets could never fully replace.
That philosophy would become the foundation of Nexstar.
Nexstar Media Group Was Founded in 1996
In 1996, Perry Sook founded Nexstar Broadcasting Group, beginning with just a handful of television stations.
Rather than growing rapidly through risky expansion, the company followed a disciplined strategy of purchasing stations in markets where local programming remained valuable. Many of these stations already had loyal audiences but benefited from additional investment and operational improvements.
As the company expanded, Texas became increasingly important to its future.
Eventually, Nexstar established its corporate headquarters in Irving, part of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, placing one of America's fastest-growing media companies in one of the country's strongest business regions.
Why Irving Was an Ideal Headquarters
Irving offered several practical advantages that made it an attractive home for Nexstar.
Its location within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex provides easy access to one of the nation's busiest airports, a large business community, and one of America's biggest television markets. Texas also offers a favorable business climate, a large talent pool, and excellent transportation infrastructure.
As Nexstar continued acquiring stations across the country, having its headquarters in North Texas allowed executives to oversee a rapidly expanding operation from a centrally located city.
Today, Irving serves as the strategic headquarters for a company that reaches millions of viewers nationwide.
Growth Came Through Smart Acquisitions
One reason Nexstar became an industry leader was its disciplined approach to acquisitions.
Rather than pursuing growth for its own sake, the company focused on acquiring local television stations and media companies that strengthened its nationwide portfolio while preserving the local identity of individual stations. Each acquisition expanded Nexstar's reach and gave it greater resources to invest in local journalism and broadcasting.
Several landmark deals accelerated that growth. The acquisition of Media General in 2017 significantly expanded the company's station portfolio, followed by the transformative Tribune Media acquisition in 2019, which made Nexstar the largest owner of local television stations in the United States.
In 2026, Nexstar reached another major milestone by completing its acquisition of TEGNA Inc. The deal added dozens of television stations and additional digital media assets, further strengthening the company's national presence while, according to Nexstar, positioning it to continue investing in local newsrooms and community-focused programming.
Instead of moving away from local broadcasting as it grew, Nexstar has consistently argued that greater scale allows it to better support local journalism, weather coverage, and community reporting in the markets it serves.
This version is more up to date than the original, incorporates the latest acquisition, and avoids overstating claims by attributing the rationale for the TEGNA acquisition to Nexstar itself.
Local News Remained the Company's Strength
Despite becoming a national media company, Nexstar has consistently emphasized local journalism.
Its stations cover city councils, school districts, weather emergencies, high school sports, elections, and community events that rarely receive national attention. For many communities, local stations remain the primary source of breaking news during severe weather and public emergencies.
This focus helped distinguish Nexstar from companies concentrating primarily on national cable programming or entertainment.
Sook repeatedly argued that strong local news creates long-term value because it serves audiences in ways national programming cannot.
Texas Continues Playing an Important Role
Although Nexstar operates stations across the country, Texas remains central to the company's story.
The state is home not only to the corporate headquarters but also to numerous Nexstar-owned television stations serving communities throughout Texas. These stations cover everything from hurricanes along the Gulf Coast to elections in Austin, severe storms across North Texas, and local events in communities large and small.
Examples include stations serving markets such as Austin (KXAN), Amarillo (KAMR), Abilene (KRBC), Beaumont–Port Arthur (KFDM), and several others throughout the state.
Together, they demonstrate how local journalism remains a core part of Nexstar's business model.
Expanding Beyond Traditional Local Television
As media consumption evolved, Nexstar expanded beyond traditional broadcast television.
The company launched and developed NewsNation, a national cable news network that grew from WGN America after the Tribune acquisition. Nexstar also became the majority owner of The CW Network, expanding its presence into national entertainment programming while continuing to operate hundreds of local stations.
These moves reflected changing viewing habits while allowing the company to diversify its business.
Even so, local broadcasting remains the foundation upon which the company was built.
The Importance of Local Television Has Changed—But Not Disappeared
Streaming services have dramatically altered how people consume entertainment.
However, local television continues serving unique purposes that streaming platforms rarely replace. Live weather coverage, election reporting, emergency information, investigative journalism, and community events remain highly valued by viewers.
During hurricanes, tornado outbreaks, floods, and other emergencies, local television often becomes one of the most trusted sources of real-time information.
That continued relevance helps explain why Nexstar has remained successful despite enormous changes across the media industry.
Perry Sook's Leadership Style
Industry observers often describe Perry Sook as a leader focused on long-term stability rather than rapid headlines.
Instead of pursuing flashy media ventures, he emphasized improving station operations, investing in local newsrooms, and making acquisitions only when they strengthened the overall company. That measured approach helped Nexstar navigate periods of rapid technological change while continuing to expand.
His leadership has earned recognition throughout the broadcasting industry, but perhaps the most significant measure of success is the company's sustained growth over nearly three decades.
Rather than experiencing short bursts of expansion followed by decline, Nexstar steadily built its position year after year.
What Perry Sook's Story Says About Texas Business
Perry Sook's success illustrates several characteristics often associated with Texas business culture.
The state has long attracted companies looking for room to grow, a favorable business environment, and access to major transportation networks. Nexstar benefited from those advantages while building an organization that now influences local television across nearly every region of the country.
Rather than depending on a single breakthrough, the company's growth resulted from consistent execution over many years.
That steady approach ultimately proved more powerful than chasing short-term trends.
Why His Legacy Matters
Perry Sook's greatest achievement may not simply be building a large company. It is demonstrating that local broadcasting still has national importance.
By investing in local stations while adapting to changing technology, he helped preserve a form of journalism that continues serving millions of Americans every day. At the same time, he established Irving, Texas, as the headquarters of the nation's largest local television company—a distinction that few people outside the broadcasting industry fully appreciate.
For Texans, Nexstar's story adds another chapter to the state's reputation as a place where ambitious companies can grow into national leaders. From a startup founded in 1996 to America's largest local television broadcaster, Perry Sook's journey shows how thoughtful leadership, strategic growth, and a commitment to local communities can build lasting influence from the heart of Texas.
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