NAB Has Issues With AT&T/DirecTV

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The National Association of Broadcasters suggested Monday it has issues with the proposed merger of AT&T and DirecTV.

"AT&T's proposed merger with DirecTV demands a hard look in an increasingly consolidated broadband and pay television marketplace," said NAB spokesman Dennis Wharton in a statement. "It is hard to see how decreasing competitors in the pay TV marketplace – while increasing regulatory restraints on local TV stations – truly benefits consumers."

AT&T has proposed paying $48.5 billion plus assuming almost $20 billion in debt to acquire the satellite operator.

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.