Senate Democrats Want Public Interest Statement on AT&T-Time Warner

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Democratic Sens are asking AT&T and Time Warner to prove that their proposed merger is in the public interest, given that they plan to structure the deal so that it does not need Federal Communications Commission review. While the Justice Department looks at deals for antitrust issues, the FCC goes beyond that to also look at the public interest benefits, or negative impacts, of media mergers.

Sen Al Franken (D-MN), a member of the Antitrust Subcommittee, led a baker's dozen of Democrats in a letter to the companies saying that the public deserves to know what is in the deal for them, FCC review or no. "To achieve greater transparency for regulators, lawmakers, and American consumers, we ask that you provide us with a public interest statement detailing how you plan to ensure that the transaction benefits consumers, promotes competition, remedies all potential harms, and further serves the public interest through the broader policy goals of the Communications Act,” the Sens said. They say they would like the statement by Feb 17.


Senate Democrats Want Public Interest Statement on AT&T-Time Warner Democrats Call on AT&T, Time Warner to Defend Merger as a Public Benefit (Morning Consult)