An anonymous reader writes: The two top members of the Senate’s antitrust subcommittee said Sunday that they plan to probe a colossal deal between AT&T and Time Warner. In a statement, Mike Lee, R-Utah., and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn. — chairman and ranking Democrat, respectively, of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights — said AT&T’s acquisition of Time Warner “would potentially raise significant antitrust issues” that the panel would “carefully examine.” AT&T Chairman and Chief Executive Randall Stephenson announced the $85 billion deal Saturday as “a great fit” that will combine the “world’s best premium content with the networks to deliver it to every screen.” Among those new properties are HBO, Turner Broadcasting System and Warner Bros., which would give them ownership of Cinemax, CNN and DC Comics, to name a few. Last year, AT&T completed the purchase of DirecTV, the country’s largest satellite television provider. In an interview with NBC News, Klobuchar pointed to past mega-media acquisitions — including the purchase of NBCUniversal by Comcast in 2011 and of Time Warner Cable by Charter Communications — and said the “sheer volume” of the deal should give regulators pause.
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Source: Slashdot – AT&T’s B US Bid For Time Warner Sparks Antitrust Fears in Washington
