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US: AT&T puts on DC Gala to woo lawmakers Warner merger

By  |  February 9, 2017

AT&T would normally expect good things when a Republican administration arrives in Washington, where the company needs permission to buy Time Warner – except the new president has already lambasted the deal.

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    At an evening reception near the US Capitol, AT&T bathed lobbyists, lawyers, executives and lawmakers in cool blue light. To pulsing music in new studio space, party-goers sipped drinks, nibbled avocado tartare with melon carpaccio, and posed with a blonde in a slinky white gown who was promoting “Ice,” a drama available on AT&T’s DirecTV.

    The event, which AT&T called a “Stars & Stripes Reception,” showcased the company’s transformation from a telephone company to a media powerhouse with $164 billion in revenue. The descendant of the stodgy Ma Bell monopoly badly wants to accelerate its metamorphosis with one of its biggest deals ever, an $85.4 billion acquisition of Time Warner, owner of HBO, CNN and the “Harry Potter” movies.

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