US: Senate warns authorities against impact of AT&T/DirecTV

The Senate’s antitrust subcommittee is warning government officials of the potential harm resulting in AT&T’s planned takeover of DirecTV, according to reports.

Senators Amy Klobuchar and Mike Lee, who head the antitrust committee, wrote a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder and the Federal Communications Commission’s Tom Wheeler, outlining several key issues the AT&T merger brings up. Reports say the lawmakers are urging Holder and Wheeler to consider the effects the deal would have on access to broadband services, the potential loss of independent program, and possible price hikes by DirecTV for regional sports programming.

Reports say the letter was dated October 31.

AT&T is looking to acquire DirecTV in a $48.5 billion takeover, and the deal is just one of several high-profile communications deals currently under investigation by regulators. Reports note that Klobuchar and Lee did not take a position on whether or not the AT&T buyout should be blocked.

Full content: Reuters

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