Public Knowledge Challenges AT&T/DirecTV

By John Eggerton
( Broadcasting & Cable )
published

Public Knowledge, joined by the Institute for Local Self Reliance, has filed a petition to block the AT&T/DirecTV merger.

They argue the deal would harm video competition, incentivize AT&T to shift customers from wireline to wireless service and has "unverifiable" public interest benefits.

While they filed a petition to deny, they also had a fall-back position, saying if the deal is approved, it needs conditions to alleviate any public interest harms. But it made clear the best course was "no" rather than a conditional "yes."

For the full story go to Multichannel.com.

John Eggerton
John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.