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AT&T's $85 Billion Time Warner Merger is Going to be Approved

Despite Donald Trump's breathless promise to block AT&T's $85 billion acquisition of Time Warner during the Presidential campaign, the companies and DOJ are moving into the "advanced stages" of the approval process, notes The Wall Street Journal. The two sides were already busy talking conditions as of last month, according to numerous reports. Traditionally, conditions affixed to such deals have been proposed by the companies' themselves, and tend to be little more than theatrical in benefit.

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AT&T's streaming competitors are pushing for meaningful conditions, however, since they worry AT&T will use its size to prevent competitors from getting reasonable access to content licensing (like HBO) they'll need to compete with AT&T's own DirecTV Now streaming service.

AT&T has also repeatedly come under fire for using usage caps to penalize competitors, but not AT&T's own content (aka zero rating), while consistently working to undermine net neutrality (an open, competitive internet).

AT&T and Time Warner already managed to eliminate the need for FCC review by selling an Atlanta TV station and avoiding any spectrum license transfers, which would have triggered FCC involvement. That means the deal only needs approval by the DOJ, where Trump appointed a new antitrust boss that has publicly stated he doesn't see any problem with the megamerger -- but hasn't seen Senate approval yet.

Trump repeatedly promised to block the merger on the campaign trail.

"In an example of the power structure I’m fighting, AT&T is buying Time Warner and thus CNN -- a deal we will not approve in my administration because it’s too much concentration of power in the hands of too few," Trump said last fall.

That was then, this is now. Most analysts expect the deal to be approved with relatively modest conditions, which would be in line with the Trump administration's rather cozy treatment of incumbent ISPs like AT&T (see the killing of consumer privacy rules and net neutrality). Additional reports indicated that post-merger, AT&T is planning to kill off the Time Warner brand completely, and current Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes will be moving on once the deal is completed.

Most recommended from 53 comments



maartena
Elmo
Premium Member
join:2002-05-10
Orange, CA

1 edit

40 recommendations

maartena

Premium Member

Trump broke a campaign promised.

What a big surprise! I didn't see THAT coming!

+1 me if you believed he would break promises as soon as he became president.
-1 me if you believed he would break NO promises.

Hint: He's failed to deliver on pretty much all of his campaign promises so far. Some he has outright thrown overboard, some he has failed to deliver completely due to congress, and yet others he still promises to deliver...... but I don't think even the staunchest Trump supporter still believes that MEXICO will pay for that wall.

Edit:

So far, the following persons believed that Trump would break no promises....
- Chace1693
- SArcanine

Boy, must you have been upset about 78 times so far since January....

tyspeed29
Premium Member
join:2001-01-04
Simi Valley, CA

21 recommendations

tyspeed29

Premium Member

Campaign Quote dishonored

Presidents Quote
"In an example of the power structure I’m fighting, AT&T is buying Time Warner and thus CNN -- a deal we will not approve in my administration because it’s too much concentration of power in the hands of too few," Trump said last fall.

If this is let to go through no one will ever trust, nor believe in our President, not that many do now, but this will be the camels back.

Just my opinion.

r81984
Fair and Balanced
Premium Member
join:2001-11-14
Katy, TX

11 recommendations

r81984

Premium Member

3rd largest media company

Now ATT will become the 3rd largest media company. They will own all HBO channels, TBS channels like adult swim, 10% hulu, CNN Channels, Many international channels, Warner Bros Entertainment (makes movies/tv), DC comics. This is horrible for consumers.

This is a huge conflict of interest for an ISP.
Our president and congress are all tards.

woody7
Premium Member
join:2000-10-13
Torrance, CA

9 recommendations

woody7

Premium Member

hmm ..............

I guess the customers (us) are going to pay for this. Wow think of what they could do to their infrastructure (they could own phone and internet)(just dreaming ;-( ) with this and the Direct Tv deal money................./
firedrakes
join:2009-01-29
Arcadia, FL

6 recommendations

firedrakes

Member

THEIR a word for this

fuckkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk
tmc8080
join:2004-04-24
Brooklyn, NY

3 recommendations

tmc8080

Member

what a scumbag of a deal

if you don't already know how many ways this will screw over the consumer you haven't been reading much on this forum. putting ATT into a big market for wire line such as NYS will be a BIG MISTAKE based on their anti-competitive attitude thus far.
half of the MA BELL attitude and robber baron swagger is ATT, the other half.. you guessed it VERIZON!
man00
join:2003-07-25
united state

3 recommendations

man00

Member

USA more goverment

They know what's best for us. Sadly America is moving up the list of the most corrupt countries in the world.