If this were a couple of decades ago, we’d be yelling for someone to jump on the desk over at “the live satellite breaking news center” (typically a spot in front of a couple of technical-looking racks of outdated equipment) and stand them by to do an insert into the evening newscast. But that was back when business news might actually earn a few seconds on a local newscast.

Which leads us to ask, when exactly did we abdicate the whole business news category over to the CNBCs and Fox Business channels of the world? Probably a question best tackled another day.

Because late today, it was clear that this wouldn’t be just any Tuesday in the media biz world. No, this was headed to be known as “No Thank You Tuesday!"

After the closing bell on Wall Street had rung, there were no fewer than three significant developments in the various mega media deals to consider.

The first was a surprising reversal in the case involving Nexstar and DirecTV, where the U.S. Court of Appeals basically told the lower court in the matter, “No Thanks” on the lower court’s dismissal of the antitrust action brought by DirecTV against Nexstar and its two so-called “sidecar” entities of Mission Broadcasting and White Knight Broadcasting. The appeals court ruling reinstates DirecTV’s case, claiming that it faced an anticompetitive situation when Nexstar, Mission, and White Knight coordinated their demands in retransmission consent negotiations with the satellite MVPD.

The lower court had tossed the case from DirecTV, claiming that because the company never paid what it called “allegedly inflated fees” to Nexstar and its two co-defendants. The court added that DirecTV lacked standing in bringing an antitrust action against Nexstar because it madeoice” not to accept new retrans agreements and ultimately blacked out the local Nexstar stations on DirecTV since October a “voluntary ch 2022.

Today, we learned the Appeals court said in essence, “No Thanks” and ruled that DirecTV can indeed proceed with its claims against Nexstar, Mission, and White Knight. In a separate decision back in February, DirecTV won a court order requiring Nexstar to pay some $26.6 million for overcharging the direct-to-home satellite provider to carry Hagerstown, MD-licensed station WHAG-TV (now known as WDVM) after it stopped being an NBC affiliate. Nexstar moved the station (which was based in a subsection of the Washington, DC market to become an independent local news-focused outlet, branded as “DC News Now.” Nexstar is appealing that decision, and today, its Chief Communications Officer said, “We look forward to the next phase of the legal process” in the reinstated case.

So what had been a dismissed matter is now something more for Perry Sook and his lawyers to deal with as they continue to work toward closing its multi-billion-dollar deal to acquire Tegna.

Speaking of billion-dollar deals, there is another one making news on this Tuesday, as Warner Bros. Discovery’s board is saying “No Thanks” to ParamountSkydance’s hostile takeover bid for the company. Bloomberg News reports that the WBD board will tell shareholders to reject the $30-a-share bid from David Ellison, backed by his dad, Larry, and a bunch of foreign investment funds. The board is still supporting Netflix's bid to acquire the movie studios and streaming assets portion of the Warner Bros. Discovery empire.

There is a smaller “No Thank You” element in this story. Bloomberg is also running an exclusive story that says that Jared Kushner’s Affinity Partners is exiting the Paramount side in the battle for Warner Bros Discovery. Kushner, who is also President Trump’s son-in-law, had been part of the firms lined up to financially back Paramount’s $108.4 billion deal (including debt) for WBD. Now Kushner’s firm tells Bloomberg that It now believes the dynamics ​of an investment have changed since it became involved in the process in October.

And as every late-night infomercial has proudly proclaimed: “But wait, there’s even more!"

From Cincinnati came word that the entire board of directors of The E.W. Scripps Company found their spines and delivered a rejection late on this Tuesday. Their response was to the offer from Sinclair, Inc. to acquire the outstanding shares in Scripps (SSP) for $7 of cash and stock each. A press release on the Scripps website quotes Kim Williams, the chair of the Scripps board, as saying, "After careful consideration, Scripps’ board determined that Sinclair’s unsolicited acquisition proposal is not in the best interests of Scripps and its shareholders."

Sounds like another “No Thank You” to us.

Of course, none of these situations is over and done. Today’s “No Thank Yous” can always become tomorrow’s “Yes Of Course” answers when there are billions at stake and business people determined to do a deal.

But three major stiff-arm type moves in the same day seemed enough to warrant getting out this developing story update. And while some readers might never have seen NBA great Walt “Clyde” Frazier and NY Mets great (and occasional “Seinfeld” character) Keith Hernandez delivering their classic “Reeee-jected!” line in this classic “Just For Men” TV commercial, we think it pretty much applies in all of these cases.

At the very least, as Hernandez puts it: “Clyde, that’s gotta hurt!"

So we will see if “No Thank You Tuesday” is followed up by “What’s Next Wednesday.” After all, there are two more weeks left in 2025—plenty of time to take another shot.

Even if it's just one with rum for that holiday eggnog.

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