Media mega-mergers under threat with Democrats controlling the House

With Democrats taking control of the House when the new session starts Jan 3, lawmakers and media players are re-adjusting their strategies and preparing for a slew of new hearings and investigations. Democrats have already started to circle their wagons around Nexstar’s proposed purchase of Tribune Media, with House Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee Ranking Member David Cicilline (D-RI) saying that the merger “would undoubtedly lead to mass layoffs in newsrooms at a time when our free and diverse press is already under assault.”

There have been no hearings in the House to examine the effects of the merger of Sprint/T-Mobile. But, while the House can put pressure on regulators, it can’t actually prevent a merger, said Gigi Sohn, Benton senior fellow and former counselor at the Federal Communications Commission. “Sprint/T-Mobile is in front of the FCC and the Department of Justice and is going to get a hearing,” Sohn projected.