Merger Critics Take Aim at AT&T-Time Warner

Combining telecommunication giant AT&T with Time Warner and its content assets that stretch from CNN to the Harry Potter film franchise was bound to draw fire from media consolidation foes, and that was the case Oct 23 and 24 as details of the merger deal emerged.

Mike Copps, something of the elder statesman of consolidation critics, called the deal "unthinkable." "The sorry history of mega mergers shows they run roughshod over the public interest," said Copps, now a special advisor to Common Cause and formerly Federal Communications Commission Democratic chairman and commissioner. "Further entrenching monopoly harms innovation and drives up prices for consumers. The answer is clear: regulators must say no."

Gene Kimmelman, who heads up Public Knowledge, said, “[W]e see many competition concerns related to preferencing their own services and content in ways that may harm consumers."

Demand Progress Executive Director David Segal said the deal would be "disastrous' for the public. "This takeover would result in a dangerous concentration of economic and political power that could lead to higher costs, curtail consumer choice, and potentially constrain speech and information access," he said.

The Parents Television Council said: "AT&T’s purchase of Time Warner will create an entertainment behemoth, and no doubt the corporate spin-masters will emphasize benefits to consumers. But if history is our guide, this merger should be of great concern to families."