US: Bipartisan collective pushes back on AT&T-Time Warner

Groups from both sides of the political aisle are casting a skeptical eye on AT&T’s US$85 billion acquisition of Time Warner, bringing new intensity to objections that had simmered in recent months.

A letter signed by groups ranging from the conservative Americans for Limited Government and Tea Party Patriots to the liberal-minded Public Knowledge and Consumer Federation of America asks the Department of Justice (DOJ) to take a hard look at the antitrust issues involved. The letter is addressed to Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

“We are deeply concerned that allowing these firms to join forces — without significant conditions that fully address all competitive concerns — would intolerably limit consumers’ control over what they watch and where they get their information,” the letter reads.

The groups don’t call for the DOJ to attempt to outright block the deal but to complete a “thorough antitrust investigation” and to only allow it to proceed if “those harms can be effectively prevented.”

“While the undersigned groups’ opinions diverge significantly on many policy issues, we are united in our desire to ensure that free expression is not threatened by an increasingly limited number of companies that dominate US media,” the letter reads.

Full Content: CED

Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.