Telecom giant AT&T Inc. wants to buy content behemoth Time Warner Inc., a deal that would form a goliath in the telecommunication industry.
The merger would combine AT&T's wireless, broadband, and satellite services with Time Warner's production studios and cable networks -- think names like CNN, TBS, and HBO. With a bill of $85.4 billion, a merger of such magnitude naturally invites regulatory scrutiny. Similar to Comcast's purchase of NBCUniversal back in 2011, the Time Warner acquisition will likely go through a lengthy and rigorous review process by the Department of Justice and Federal Communications Commission.
What's the impact on everyday consumers now that AT&T might gain control over what their audience see on screen? What will happen to jobs in Southern California if Time Warner goes through corporate restructuring?
Host Larry Mantle checks in with Steve Effros, analyst and lawyer in the cable industry based in Virginia and Carmen Balber, executive director of Consumer Watchdog, on the changing landscape in telecommunication.
Guests:
Steve Effros, analyst and lawyer in the cable industry based in Virginia. He's the former president of Cable Telecommunications Association, a precursor of the National Cable & Telecommunications Association, the main cable trade association
Carmen Balber, executive director of Consumer Watchdog, a nonprofit organization advocates for taxpayer and consumer interests