Eight states asked a US judge on Friday to issue a temporary restraining order to stop a $3.5bn merger of Nexstar Media Group and Tegna.

On Thursday, the local broadcast station owners received merger approval from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the US Department of Justice and said they had closed the transaction two hours after approval, the day after the states filed their lawsuit.

The states argue that the deal, which would create the largest broadcast station group in the US, would “put more broadcast programming in the hands of fewer people, cut local jobs, increase cable bills, and significantly impact the delivery of news and other media content to Americans nationwide”.

California, Colorado, Illinois, Oregon, New York, North Carolina, Connecticut and Virginia seek to maintain the status quo and argue without action the companies “would be free to proceed with – and even accelerate – integration”. The states also argue that the merger would give the deal’s principals the power to raise fees for pay TV providers and abolish separate news operations in markets with more than one station.

US district judge Troy Nunley in Sacramento, California, said he would consider the issue based on court papers.

I wish the AGs all the luck in tilting at this particular windmill.