In Modern Media Realm, Big Mergers Are a Bulwark Against Rivals

[Commentary] Comcast’s bold strategy of acquisition [think NBCUniversal and Time Warner Cable] kicked off a wave of defensive consolidation, fueled by a combination of fear and abundant capital in the media realm. “When Comcast decided to get bigger,” said one executive, “we all had to ask ourselves, Are we big enough? We all have to think about getting bigger.” And why not? No one is stopping them. For the most part, the current government has passed on regulating potential monopolies, and as citizens, we have become inured to the consequences of bigness. With technology behemoths like Facebook and Google owning part of our everyday lives, we can’t get too wound up about which media outfit owns Conan O’Brien’s show.