AT&T’s bid to buy DirecTV draws muted criticism

AT&T is not used to flying under the radar, but that is exactly what is happening in Washington with the company’s $48.5 billion bid to buy DirecTV. A deal that would combine the nation’s biggest telephone company and the nation’s biggest satellite TV provider seems like it would generate a lot of noise from public interest groups because it eliminates a major player in the pay-TV marketplace. But instead, critics of industry consolidation are focusing on Comcast’s $45 billion play for Time Warner Cable. While both mega-deals come with nearly the same price tag, there is a perception that Comcast’s purchase has larger implications -- particularly for Internet service, a key offering as more people gravitate to online content and streaming video. If AT&T’s bid for DirecTV wins regulatory approval, it would immediately turn the telecom giant into a major player in the television business.