Groups to DOJ: AT&T-Time Warner Deal Appears to Need Blocking

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More than a dozen media consolidation critics—including Common Cause, Consumers Union and the Writers Guild of America West—told Attorney General Jeff Sessions that from all appearances the proposed AT&T-Time Warner merger cannot be saved by "conditions and piecemeal divestitures" and should be blocked.

The Justice Department is the only one vetting the deal, which was structured to avoid the license transfers that would have triggered Federal Communications Commission review on public interest grounds. "Because this merger poses such grave dangers to consumers and creators in mature and emerging markets, we urge the Department to investigate the merger thoroughly, and take whatever action is warranted, based on the evidence uncovered in your investigation, to prevent harm to competition and consumers. And if you conclude, as appears to us from the available information, that conditions and piecemeal divestitures will not be sufficient, then we hope you will challenge the merger in its entirety," they wrote.


Groups to DOJ: AT&T-Time Warner Deal Appears to Need Blocking