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AT&T Buys Time Warner For $85B. Is The Mass Media Consolidating? (reuters.com)

Though regulators may not agree, "Time Warner and AT&T reps claim this is necessary just to compete," warns Mr D from 63. Reuters reports: The tie-up of AT&T Inc and Time Warner Inc, bringing together one of the country's largest wireless and pay TV providers and cable networks like HBO, CNN and TBS, could kick off a new round of industry consolidation amid massive changes in how people watch TV... Media content companies are having an increasingly difficult time as standalone entities, creating an opportunity for telecom, satellite and cable providers to make acquisitions, analysts say. Media firms face pressure to access distribution as more younger viewers cut their cable cords and watch their favorite shows on mobile devices. Distribution companies, meanwhile, see acquiring content as a way to diversify revenue.
The deal reflects "big changes in consumption of video particularly among millennials," according to one former FCC commissioner, and the article also reports that the deal "will face serious opposition." Massachusetts Democrat Edward Markey warned "we need more competition, not more consolidation... Less competition has historically resulted in fewer choices and higher prices for consumers..." And in a Saturday speech, Donald Trump called it " an example of the power structure I'm fighting...too much concentration of power in the hands of too few."

5 of 132 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Indeed by khallow · · Score: 4, Informative

    Phone bills quadrupled almost over night.

    Well, for starters how about stuff that actually happened. Here's a story from 1984 a year after the AT&T break up. It notes a decline in long distance prices (around 5% decline) combined with somewhat sharper rises in local service costs (but 16% increases rather than your bullshit 300% increases). One could buy their own phones and telecom equipment.

    And cell phones are a huge benefactor of the breakup. AT&T had been sitting on cell phone technology for years. Within the decade, its pieces had set up viable cell phone networks.

  2. Re:Cartel socialism by unixisc · · Score: 3, Informative

    Yesterday, Trump said that if he wins, he'd block this deal, and prevent such consolidation.

  3. Re:Trump and Clinton by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    Paranoia? He straight up called out all the 1% types there who had turned on him because they only care about team colors, not any sort of values at all.

    Hillary's team does hate Catholics, making it doubly ironic for her to be at a Catholic charity event. You can read all about it in the Podesta emails. At least, assuming you don't believe the CNN lie that only the media is allowed to look.

  4. Re:Trump and Clinton by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    Here you go

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2016/10/12/wikileaks-emails-show-clinton-spokeswoman-joking-about-catholics-and-evangelicals/?0p19G=c

  5. Re:Trump and Clinton by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    So, two Catholics joking about Catholics. aka most of Catholic literature and media.