How consumers could get shafted by new media

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Proponents of major media mergers say that consumers will benefit if regulators approve the deals. But consumers, especially those who can least afford it, could get screwed by these deals.Multi-billion-dollar deals — along with regulatory changes such as the repeal of net neutrality rules — are often justified as ways to spur innovation and increase consumer choice, but consumer advocates argue the actions could actually make access to some popular content more expensive. The real question: Is choice at the expense of price really giving consumers what they want? It takes a very savvy consumer to distill which new services and packages will actually provide the most value, especially given the rapid pace of innovation. Low-income consumers will be uniquely affected by some of the changes that could go into effect from these massive deals and regulations. While new "skinny" packages may look cheaper, the total cost of broadband, bundles, and many smaller add-on packages could end up costing consumers more in the long run.


How consumers could get shafted by new media