AT&T Time Warner merger approved by judge.

[MomentsofSanity]

Just breaking. The judge also told the government to think twice before they file an appeal. There’s a merger deadline of June 21 at which time either side can pull out. The judge also said at&t has already been harmed and an appeal that causes a stay that kills the deal would not be a good thing.

That should stick in Trumps craw.

http://money.cnn.com/2018/06/12/media/att-time-warner-ruling/index.html

 

[Thebobo]

Fuck me. but of course.

 

[Moonbeam]

The internet needs to be nationalized and run by a new branch of the Post Office.

 

[fleshconsumed]

Just in time for Net Neutrality repeal. I see things are moving along smoothly for the GOP sponsors.

 

[hal2kilo]

Just breaking. The judge also told the government to think twice before they file an appeal. There’s a merger deadline of June 21 at which time either side can pull out. The judge also said at&t has already been harmed and an appeal that causes a stay that kills the deal would not be a good thing.

That should stick in Trumps craw.

http://money.cnn.com/2018/06/12/media/att-time-warner-ruling/index.html

Sad.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

The internet needs to be nationalized and run by a new branch of the Post Office.

I get my mail reliability and it's inexpensive compared to other options. I could live with that.

 

[dawp]

I gotta laugh tho because trump blatantly was trying to stop it because of cnn, which he hates.

 

[MrSquished]

I gotta laugh tho because trump blatantly was trying to stop it because of cnn, which he hates.

It's true. I was against this merger for other sane reasons, but since it couldn't be stopped, at least it pissing Trump off is good. Lemonade and shit ya' know?

 

[Moonbeam]

I get my mail reliability and it's inexpensive compared to other options. I could live with that.

Post Office rates are periodically calculated to break even over a number of years. Sucking the profit internet delivery companies make would reduce usage costs and thus the need for ad revenue as well. Security issues would be easier to deal with, I think.

 

[K1052]

Starting gun for a bunch more m&a. Next up Comcast is going to start a bidding war with Disney over Fox.

 

[glenn1]

Starting gun for a bunch more m&a. Next up Comcast is going to start a bidding war with Disney over Fox.

Yeah because it was really catastrophic days after AOL bought Time Warner, billions starved in the streets and Taco Bell became the only restaurant after the Franchise Wars.

 

[fskimospy]

I have to say this might be the only time I agree with Trump. Sure his reasoning was childish and stupid, but the media mergers that have been happening are bad for America.

So yeah, his childish lashing out at people who criticize him happened to be right for once.

 

[paperfist]

I thought Time Warner was Spectrum now?

 

[sportage]

Well on TV it was said THIS merger was what they call a vertical merger.
Where the two companies have mutual business in common and one is not taking over the other but more as merging with shared interest.
As if... no big deal.

A horizontal merger is where one company takes over a competitor.
Resulting on one company's demise.

As they were saying, this is not like McDonalds taking over Burger King, but more like McDonalds getting their meat from Joe's Meat Store.
And McDonalds taking over Joe's meat store.

But... who can you believe?
All this damn fake news....

However, if this merger pisses off Donald Trump, deal me in.

 

[Ns1]

I thought Time Warner was Spectrum now?

TimeWarner =/= Time Warner Cable

 

[13Gigatons]

America is just getting worse by the day.

 

[K1052]

Yeah because it was really catastrophic days after AOL bought Time Warner, billions starved in the streets and Taco Bell became the only restaurant after the Franchise Wars.

You’re responding to something I didn’t say.

 

[glenn1]

You’re responding to something I didn’t say.

So you approve of the ruling then? Especially considering the last merger of this type not only had no adverse impacts but was catastrophically bad as a combined business entity?

 

[K1052]

So you approve of the ruling then? Especially considering the last merger of this type not only had no adverse impacts but was catastrophically bad as a combined business entity?

I think it’s permissible based on precedent, Comcast-NBC Uni in this case. The government’s case appeared, to me, to be primarily motivated by Trump’s anger at CNN rather than any genuine antitrust concern. I’ve preveously posted to this effect.

The argument about how much consolidation should be permissible is an open debate in the face of a rapidly changing business landscape.

 

[BoomerD]

Anyone else remember all the wailing when AT&T was broken up in the early 80's?

"Oh, we'll never survive this!"

Slowly but surely, they keep buying back bits and pieces of their old company...and adding others...and they're now larger and control more telephone, cell phone, and internet subscribers than they could have dreamed of back then...(yeah, I know...this was somewhat before cell phones and the internet)

 

[Thebobo]

Anyone else remember all the wailing when AT&T was broken up in the early 80's?

"Oh, we'll never survive this!"

Slowly but surely, they keep buying back bits and pieces of their old company...and adding others...and they're now larger and control more telephone, cell phone, and internet subscribers than they could have dreamed of back then...(yeah, I know...this was somewhat before cell phones and the internet)

Remember it well. My dad use to unhook all the ringers in the extra phones in the house because back then you had to pay for each phone and that was a way they could tell from the street how many phones you had. And then the phone police would come out for you!

 

[dainthomas]

Corporate bribes are paying off bigly.

 

[PottedMeat]

Anyone else remember all the wailing when AT&T was broken up in the early 80's?

"Oh, we'll never survive this!"

Slowly but surely, they keep buying back bits and pieces of their old company...and adding others...and they're now larger and control more telephone, cell phone, and internet subscribers than they could have dreamed of back then...(yeah, I know...this was somewhat before cell phones and the internet)

cmon ATT, now that you've acquired the shiny distraction only 2 more to go before the T1000 reforms

all thats left is centurylink/qwest and verizon

 

[hal2kilo]

I have to say this might be the only time I agree with Trump. Sure his reasoning was childish and stupid, but the media mergers that have been happening are bad for America.

So yeah, his childish lashing out at people who criticize him happened to be right for once.

So Comcast and Fox are next, think that's a good idea? Wonder where Sinclair is fitting into this.

 

[Homerboy]

Yeah because it was really catastrophic days after AOL bought Time Warner, billions starved in the streets and Taco Bell became the only restaurant after the Franchise Wars.

There was a reason Ma Bell got broken up by the Feds 36 years ago. I can not understand why they are slowly approving the re-establisment of the same monopoly again.

2 year old article asking the same damned thing:
https://www.theverge.com/2016/10/24/13389592/att-time-warner-merger-breakup-bell-system-chart