<story><title>Justice Department suing AT&amp;T to block $85B bid for Time Warner</title><url>https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/11/20/the-justice-department-just-sued-att-to-block-its-85-billion-bid-for-time-warner/?utm_term=.ae1463c2b8dd</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>rayiner</author><text>The FCC loosened media ownership rules (a complete ban on owning a newspaper and TV&amp;#x2F;radio station in the same market) that have no counterpart in most EU countries. The DOJ sued to block a merger that would get intense antitrust scrutiny in most EU countries. I’m not sure what point you’re trying to make.</text></item><item><author>swang</author><text>Hmm. FCC allows rules to let Sinclair Broadcasting expand to becoming a monopoly. OK! Net Neutrality? Possibly gone by next month.&lt;p&gt;AT&amp;amp;T and Time Warner to merge together?: &amp;quot;It would mean higher monthly television bills and fewer of the new, emerging innovative options that consumers are beginning to enjoy.&amp;quot;&lt;p&gt;Yes I know the FCC is not the DOJ, or the FTC. Just seems like Republican-led departments and commissions can&amp;#x27;t seem to get their story straight on whether mergers and fewer options are beneficial to customers or not.&lt;p&gt;I&amp;#x27;m not for this merger. But certainly seems like Trump&amp;#x27;s interference in this is probably going to udnermine any semblance of partiality by the DOJ.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>timthelion</author><text>Is europe a good example of perfection here? It seems to me that rules on media ownership are a good thing. Here in the Czech republic, our prime minister owns all but one major newspapers, two TV stations, and a radio station. &lt;a href=&quot;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;vergecampus.com&amp;#x2F;2016&amp;#x2F;09&amp;#x2F;andrej-babis-and-the-separation-of-media-and-state&amp;#x2F;&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;vergecampus.com&amp;#x2F;2016&amp;#x2F;09&amp;#x2F;andrej-babis-and-the-separat...&lt;/a&gt;</text></comment>
<story><title>Justice Department suing AT&amp;T to block $85B bid for Time Warner</title><url>https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/11/20/the-justice-department-just-sued-att-to-block-its-85-billion-bid-for-time-warner/?utm_term=.ae1463c2b8dd</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>rayiner</author><text>The FCC loosened media ownership rules (a complete ban on owning a newspaper and TV&amp;#x2F;radio station in the same market) that have no counterpart in most EU countries. The DOJ sued to block a merger that would get intense antitrust scrutiny in most EU countries. I’m not sure what point you’re trying to make.</text></item><item><author>swang</author><text>Hmm. FCC allows rules to let Sinclair Broadcasting expand to becoming a monopoly. OK! Net Neutrality? Possibly gone by next month.&lt;p&gt;AT&amp;amp;T and Time Warner to merge together?: &amp;quot;It would mean higher monthly television bills and fewer of the new, emerging innovative options that consumers are beginning to enjoy.&amp;quot;&lt;p&gt;Yes I know the FCC is not the DOJ, or the FTC. Just seems like Republican-led departments and commissions can&amp;#x27;t seem to get their story straight on whether mergers and fewer options are beneficial to customers or not.&lt;p&gt;I&amp;#x27;m not for this merger. But certainly seems like Trump&amp;#x27;s interference in this is probably going to udnermine any semblance of partiality by the DOJ.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>swang</author><text>What does the EU have to do with this?</text></comment>