Staff members of the Justice Department have recommended that the government block the proposed $11.2 billion merger of DirecTV and EchoStar. The move would be anti-competitive according to lawyers involved in the review.

If approved by Charles James, the head of the antitrust division, the decision would be a major victory for Rupert Murdoch, chairman of the News Corp. Murdoch has waged an expensive and elaborate campaign to stop the deal so he can buy DirecTV.

Seattle PI

Yahoo column