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Justice Department Lawyers Aim to Block Comcast/Time Warner Deal

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There might be a big snag in the long-rumored Comcast merger with Time Warner Cable Inc., as Justice Department attorneys are reportedly forming a recommendation to block the high-stakes media merger.

Bloomberg reported Friday (4/17) attorneys that are looking into Comcast’s proposed $45.2 billion proposal to create one unified nationwide cable arm are moving against the plan because of concerns consumers could be harmed.

After the layers submit their challenges to Renata Hesse, a deputy assistant attorney general for antitrust, Hesse and colleagues will decide whether to file a federal suit to block the merger.
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http://www.thewrap.com/justice-depa...etter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=mailchimp
 
Looks like the deal is dead.

Reports: Comcast Bids Adieu to TWC

Comcast is apparently ready to throw in the towel on its $67 billion merger with Time Warner Cable, concluding what has been a grueling 14-month approval process.

Bloomberg News was the first to report Comcast’s decision, adding that an official announcement could come as early as Friday. The New York Times and CNBC also issued reports Thursday confirming that Comcast is stepping away from the deal.

If Comcast decides to abandon the merger, it will mark the end of what has been a whirlwind week for the companies involved – on April 17 reports surfaced that the Department of Justice was leaning away from approving the merger, while Wednesday sources said the Federal Communications Commission was considering putting the matter to a hearing before an administrative law judge, which would send a signal that the agency did not believe the deal would be in the public interest.
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http://www.multichannel.com/news/cable-operators/reports-comcast-bids-adieu-twc/390052
 
This is good plus it would be a mistake anyway. However one gets the feeling that TWC will find another company to hook up with, that I see happening.
 
Lots of talk that Charter will renew its bid for TWC. They had initially bid for TWC before being outbid by Comcast.

All the customer swapping/spinoff deals that had been made among Comcast, TWC and Charter are toast as well. Also means the stillbirth of Greatland Connections, which would have been a spinoff of the Comcast/TWC merger.
 
Mediafrog+ said:
Lots of talk that Charter will renew its bid for TWC. They had initially bid for TWC before being outbid by Comcast.

All the customer swapping/spinoff deals that had been made among Comcast, TWC and Charter are toast as well. Also means the stillbirth of Greatland Connections, which would have been a spinoff of the Comcast/TWC merger.
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I actually still see Greatland going off somehow, though not under that name; Charter wanted to get Milwaukee through the Greatland deal and I'm sure something will still go on there. With Charter also getting BrightHouse it's clear that they're in buying mode for sure.
 
I'm sure all the stories about their "wonderful" customer service didn't help matters either! I'm a customer of theirs in New Britain, CT. I've paid my bill in full with them every time since August of 1998. I presently have limited basic cable and pay almost $30 a month after taxes and "fees". Hell, if the reception was perfect on my floor's second TV, I wouldn't even have them anymore. I'm already not thrilled about renting their chincy little converters, just to continue my service. I can't watch anything in HD unless I'm using an antenna and watching the program in real time.

Regardless, this is a huge victory! Now if we can just put that nasty net neutrality thing to bed once and for all? :cool:

P.S. How could CNBC give an objectionable report about that merger when Comcast is their parent? At least I think they are? :confused:
 
I’m glad, but it’s too late to help me. Although things would have been even worse, I’m sure.

I got a phone call yesterday, though if I had bothered to open the envelope I got in the mail several weeks ago, it might have said the same thing. A recording told me I had until June 7 to upgrade. The newspaper article said December and made no mention of a June deadline. Why in the world would people without digital set-top boxes wait until December to get them? That’s like not making any kind of preparation back in 2009 until December. I could not just go back to an antenna now, especially with all the benefits of TiVo.

I don’t know whether the TiVo I bought more recently will work, but surely it would. Even if it was made in 2008, they surely knew the day was coming. It works with an antenna, so it must have been designed for the new world of antenna TV. The one I bought first will work (I hope) because I had gotten it to use with an antenna, and then found out it wouldn’t work with an antenna. Yet another reason to get cable.

I had the man come and upgrade a TiVo I had just gotten, but it was missing an adapter I still needed to get and the channel setup didn’t work. I had to return that one because they couldn’t guarantee it would work with the adapter and I wasn’t upgrading my Internet service just for that. So I’ve been through the process. He didn’t upgrade my other machine because I said I didn’t want the three channels I would soon lose. Despite what people had said here I did not have to upgrade at that time. Now I do.
 
vchimpanzee said:
I’m glad, but it’s too late to help me. Although things would have been even worse, I’m sure.

I got a phone call yesterday, though if I had bothered to open the envelope I got in the mail several weeks ago, it might have said the same thing. A recording told me I had until June 7 to upgrade. The newspaper article said December and made no mention of a June deadline. Why in the world would people without digital set-top boxes wait until December to get them? That’s like not making any kind of preparation back in 2009 until December. I could not just go back to an antenna now, especially with all the benefits of TiVo.

I don’t know whether the TiVo I bought more recently will work, but surely it would. Even if it was made in 2008, they surely knew the day was coming. It works with an antenna, so it must have been designed for the new world of antenna TV. The one I bought first will work (I hope) because I had gotten it to use with an antenna, and then found out it wouldn’t work with an antenna. Yet another reason to get cable.

I had the man come and upgrade a TiVo I had just gotten, but it was missing an adapter I still needed to get and the channel setup didn’t work. I had to return that one because they couldn’t guarantee it would work with the adapter and I wasn’t upgrading my Internet service just for that. So I’ve been through the process. He didn’t upgrade my other machine because I said I didn’t want the three channels I would soon lose. Despite what people had said here I did not have to upgrade at that time. Now I do.
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I’m surprised you even got until June. Last year when Charter in Jackson, TN converted to all digital we only had a few weeks notice until the deadline in September. They made an offer of a free converter box for the first year. I already had two, so I was partially ready. When the deadline came I was ready on 3 sets, but I have two others that are now only good for playing videos. I found a digital cable tuner in Goodwill this week and plan to see if it will work on my daughter’s set in her bedroom, so I’ll be down to one set that really isn’t necessary anyway after that.
 
Not a surprise this went down. I believe Charter and TW will now try to join, but DoJ should oppose that as well.
 
Interesting that the deciding issue wasn't cable TV, but (according to the Philly Inquirer) concentration of access to broadband.
 
Maybe before they expand and merge they should modernize a bit for their outrageous charges, increases and other nonsense. A good first step might be to lay fiber, instead of waiting for people with even more money to contract them for limited areas for even more. Then they send out e-mails promoting the $89.99 per month bundle, but not for loyal customers.
 
anotherguy said:
I’m surprised you even got until June. Last year when Charter in Jackson, TN converted to all digital we only had a few weeks notice until the deadline in September. They made an offer of a free converter box for the first year. I already had two, so I was partially ready. When the deadline came I was ready on 3 sets, but I have two others that are now only good for playing videos. I found a digital cable tuner in Goodwill this week and plan to see if it will work on my daughter’s set in her bedroom, so I’ll be down to one set that really isn’t necessary anyway after that.
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They really do need to give us advance warning. I got my boxes last week and then realized when I was asked what kind of TV I had, the question was irrelevant. I needed to know if the boxes were different because of the way the receiver looked or because of the way it worked. I also remembered a man having to install a cable card when I thought this was happening in December 2013. I called TiVo to find out what needed to be done for my specific machines. For one, a regular cable box was needed, so I assume what I got was correct. I'll be going back tomorro to make sure. The other, which I wasn't even certain could be upgraded the way i needed to, needs a tuning adapter (not what they gve me) and, yes, a cable card. And as I recall from before, when the changes would have let me continue to watch 4 channels I didn't even want, that has a monthly charge. So here is charg coming immediately as Time Warner--not Charter or Comcast-- is forcing this change on me that I don't even want. But with an antenna I don't get the season pass or upcoming showings and I would have to pay someone to put it on the roof and, even then would I get dependable signals from everyone?
 
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