FCC chairman opposes AT&T takeover of T-Mobile

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP-Excite

By RYAN NAKASHIMA

LOS ANGELES (AP) - The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission has come out against the merger of cellphone giant AT&T and T-Mobile USA.

Julius Genachowski made his position known in a document he circulated to fellow commissioners Tuesday.

Genachowski recommended sending AT&T Inc. (T)'s proposed $39 billion takeover of T-Mobile to an administrative law judge for review and a hearing. That's what the FCC does when it opposes a merger.

According to an FCC official familiar with the matter, an agency analysis concluded the merger would result in higher prices for consumers, less innovation, less investment in the U.S. and fewer U.S. jobs.


Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20111123/D9R652S80.html

[Dont_Bogart_the_Pretzel]

1. That's...

Great!!!

[No Elephants]

3. The Justice Department took ATT to court for violating anti-trust laws. ATT was beyond thrilled

with the settlement.

It allowed ATT to get rid of the all the then labor intensive and unprofitable local operating companies and concentrate on the profitable long distance service and other ventures.

In fact, the settlement favored ATT so much that, when the judge asked the attorney representing the Justice Department to tell him about the settlement, the attorney said, "I think counsel for ATT should explain it, Your Honor," or words to that effect.

And this is the FCC that recently allowed Comcast to merge with NBC.

I'd wait before I cheered, but than again, maybe I'm just too cautious.

ETA: I forgot to indicate that the ATT settlement was, of course, years ago. However, the Comcast merger was this FCC. (Ironically, the only one who voted against it on the ground that it was not in the public interest was Dummya Bush's appointee.)

[No Elephants]

4. Interesting re: our current FCC chair:

"He was Chief of Business Operations and a member of Barry Diller's Office of the Chairperson at IAC/InterActiveCorp and executive responsible for the creation of Fox Broadcasting Company and USA Broadcasting. He earned at least $USD2.5 million when Vivendi acquired Universal assets in 2003.<10> He had previously served on the Boards of Directors of Expedia, Hotels.com, and Ticketmaster.<5>"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_Genachowski



And that's from his purged wiki!

[Gman]

5. When all was said and done after the ATT settlement on 1/1/84

one of the operating companies that was spun off, SBC Corporation bought AT&T which was a shell of it's former existence. The reasons are many why AT&T was essentially dead in the water when it was purchased.

[davidwparker]

2. +1

Me too. Let AT&T improve its own network with US workers and T-Mobile keep their own employees.

Would love to see Sherman AntiTrust be enforced in a few industries.

[onehandle]

6. Until they offer him a cushy board member position.

That's what happened with the Comcast takeover of NBC.