Editorial: A giant, secretive merger

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.timesunion.com/opinion/article/Editorial-A-giant-secretive-merger-5981115.php

THE ISSUE:

Comcast and Time Warner want to keep key details of their proposed merger secret.

THE STAKES:

The public has financial and business interests in this deal, too.


The case for the merger of Time Warner and Comcast seems to come down to this: "Trust us."

But as the state Public Service Commission reviews the $45 billion deal that would transform these two cable giants into a veritable monopoly in many areas — a proposal that ultimately needs Federal Communications Commission approval, too — it's clear that the public has a right to know considerably more than these firms want to tell.

And if the companies resist transparency, the PSC and the FCC should refuse to approve the deal.

These are private enterprises, of course, and they don't want to release details that competitors might want to know. But, really, each company dominates markets where they do business, so competitive threats must be seen as secondary to the public's need to know how a merger would play out.

FULL story and video at link.

[mopinko]

1. if this goes through.....

i despair.

[kentuck]

2. A trust..

That needs to be busted.

[MoreGOPoop]

3. K & R

The Faux Goebbels Network must be shrunk and drowned,
not allowed to metastasize.

[Unknown Beatle]

7. Not only Faux,

but the Kochsucker machine and some of the Supreme Court must be dismantled.

[MoreGOPoop]

8. Yes!

And the banks and the oily merchants of death & destruction.

[obxhead]

4. The two giants (1st and 2nd) combine to

eliminate the 3rd place team, Verizon.

The "news" has already been completely corrupted, if this happens we're done. Lock, stock, and 2 smoking barrels. Its over.

[Enthusiast]

5. TR would not approve. I don't either.

[JDPriestly]

6. Wow! This is terrible news!

Cities need to beware of these monsters.