The first time Nexstar Media Group Inc. entered Jacksonville, it was a relatively modest television station operator that targeted midrange U.S. markets.

Now Irving, Texas-based Nexstar is the largest television station operator in the country and is returning to Jacksonville by purchasing the owner of WTLV TV-12 and WJXX TV-25.

Nexstar announced a $6.2 billion deal Aug. 19 to buy Tysons, Virginia-based Tegna Inc.

Tegna owns 64 stations in 51 markets, including the NBC and ABC network affiliates in Jacksonville marketed under the First Coast News brand.

Nexstar owns 201 stations across the country and is in just about every major U.S. television market.

It owned 51 stations in 2009 when it acquired CW network affiliate WCWJ TV-17 in Jacksonville.

The company said at the time it targe

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