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Justice Department Tells Time Warner It Must Sell CNN Or DirecTV To Approve Its AT&T Merger (nytimes.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the sale-pending dept.

An anonymous reader quotes a report from The New York Times (Warning: source may be paywalled; alternative source): The Justice Department has called on AT&T and Time Warner to sell Turner Broadcasting, the group of cable channels that includes CNN, as a potential requirement for approving the companies' pending $85.4 billion deal, people briefed on the matter said on Wednesday. The other potential way the merger could win approval would be for AT&T to sell its DirecTV division, two of these people added. As originally envisioned, combining AT&T and Time Warner would yield a giant company offering wireless and broadband internet service, DirecTV, the Warner Brothers movie studio and cable channels like HBO and CNN. If the Justice Department formally makes either demand a requisite for approval, AT&T and Time Warner would almost certainly take the matter to court to challenge the government's legal basis for blocking their deal.

5 of 118 comments (clear)

  1. Wow, this admin doesn't even bother to hide it. by TigerPlish · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Used to be this kind of chicanery was done in the shade, not in the open.

    --
    The "Civilized World" jumped the shark ca. 1973.
    1. Re:Wow, this admin doesn't even bother to hide it. by Tailhook · · Score: 2, Insightful

      So much for "all the media is controlled by giant corporates herp derp." Soon and someone tries to do something about it you line up behind your establishment media.

      --
      Maw! Fire up the karma burner!
    2. Re:Wow, this admin doesn't even bother to hide it. by TigerPlish · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Your point is valid, but you miss mine, which is: This used to be done in the shade. Besides, this isn't protecting the consumer, this is Dear Leader being pissed at ATT for CNN's coverage of himself.

      Besides, in the past, the Gov't has taken a hacksaw to ATT for being too big.. once in the 30's and once in the 80's.. maybe more than that, I can't remember. Those were done in the open.

      But my point stands - this is a political knifing, which used to be done in the dark. This isn't protecting us, this is vengeance.

      --
      The "Civilized World" jumped the shark ca. 1973.
  2. Re:Silly Justice Department by Frosty+Piss · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I see how it is, as soon as Trump leaves the country they go and try to do something that is in the best interest of the public.

    Most likely, Trump is behind this - it's punishment for CNN's owners for allowing CNN to "spew Fake News" on our fine El Presidente.

    --
    If you want news from today, you have to come back tomorrow.
  3. Re:Silly Justice Department by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    So the "punishment" is to prevent further consolidation in media? Because consolidation of media is good? If Trump's EPA said the sky is blue, would you people devolve into a tirade on the finer points of Rayleigh scattering just on principle?

    People tend to call bullshit when they see bullshit. For instance firing comey because they were mean to Hillary is complete and total bullshit. Saying that Trump now cares about anti trust, and the first case of caring is the news organization holding him to account, sounds an awfully lot like bullshit. Of course I think they should block a crap load of these mergers, just because companies get too big, not because they are Trump's political enemies.