California is stepping up to fight what Governor Gavin Newsom is calling a dangerous consolidation of media power in America. This week, Newsom went off on FCC Chair Brendan Carr, calling him “a disgrace” for fast-tracking the approval of a merger between Nexstar Media Group and Tegna Inc., a deal that would create the largest broadcast station group in the country.

Here’s why this matters to you: if this merger goes through, a single company would control local news and programming for up to 80% of U.S. households. That’s a lot of power concentrated in one place, especially when it comes to the information you consume about what’s happening in your community.

The frustration from California’s leadership is real. Attorney General Rob Bonta pointed out that the Trump Administration seems more interested in protecting “corporate donors” than protecting everyday people and competitive markets. “Consolidation in markets at the center of American economic life, like the entertainment or broadcasting industries, doesn’t serve our economy”, Bonta said, adding that it historically leads to higher prices, fewer job opportunities, and fewer choices for consumers.

What makes this even more controversial is the context. Carr apparently cheered when Nexstar canceled Jimmy Kimmel’s show at his urging, and then immediately fast-tracked the merger’s approval. Critics argue this was about expanding conservative media reach rather than serving the public interest.

California isn’t backing down. Last week, Bonta led a coalition of states in filing a lawsuit and seeking an emergency court order to block the merger. The state is also continuing its fight against Live Nation and Ticketmaster, pushing back against a settlement many view as too weak to actually restore competition in the live entertainment industry.

This is part of a larger pattern. The Trump Administration has declined to enforce federal antitrust laws across multiple industries, from media to entertainment to telecommunications, allowing massive corporations to grow even larger while consumers foot the bill with higher prices and fewer options.

Newsom has made consumer protection a centerpiece of his administration. California has launched multiple initiatives to fight back against rising costs: a first-in-the-nation gas price watchdog, CalRx (which manufactures affordable insulin), data privacy protections, renter protections, and anti-price gouging laws. The state has also recovered and protected over $125 billion in taxpayer funds through aggressive fraud prevention efforts.

As federal regulators appear to be stepping back from their role protecting consumers, California is positioning itself as the real watchdog. “California is stepping up to fill that void”, Newsom said, promising more enforcement to come. Whether that’s enough to actually stop mega-mergers that concentrate corporate power remains to be seen, but at least someone’s fighting for your wallet.