The Department of Justice will review EchoStar Communications Corp.'s $30
billion purchase of Hughes Electronics, a Justice Department spokeswoman
confirmed Tuesday.
One of two antitrust agencies review large mergers in
the U.S. the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission.
Most expected the DOJ to review EchoStar's purchase of Hughes because it has
prior experience reviewing the satellite TV industry.
In 1998, the Justice Department rejected a deal that would have allowed a consortium of cable operators called Primestar to own a prime satellite orbital spot.
The FCC also will conduct a review, evaluating whether it thinks allowing EchoStar to take over the licenses of DirecTV is in the public interest. - Paige Albiniak
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