April 24, 2015

For Immediate Release

Contact: Tracy Rosenberg, Media Alliance  (510) 684-6853 (mobile)

Comcast-Time Warner Merger Falls Apart

Department of Justice and FCC Cite Merger As Anti-Competitive and Comcast Withdraws Application

Oakland-This morning media justice advocates celebrated as the merger of Comcast Corporation and Time Warner Cable came to an abrupt end with this morning’s withdrawal of the merger application.

The proposed merger, which looked unstoppable when announced in 2014, would have produced a vertically-integrated megacompany with monopoly power in high-speed broadband and a record of favoring their owned content over competing content.

Regulators, who have often been silent in the face of 20 years of intense media consolidation, drew the line at the Comcast-Time Warner cable merger and its anti-competitive implications across a stream of communications platforms. The agencies indicated that both antitrust legal actions and further FCC hearings were on the plate if Comcast moved forward, and the company withdrew.

Media Alliance ED Tracy Rosenberg, who has worked actively against the merger in California’s CPUC proceeding, where Commissioner Michael Florio issued an alternate proposed decison recommending the utility commission vote to reject the deal, commented:

“The merger would have been a disaster for consumers already burdened with high prices and lousy service. Government hasn’t had a great track record with putting the public interest ahead of corporate profits, but today’s announcement shows that is starting to change. Accessible, affordable and non-discriminatory communication for all is an engine for human dignity, innovation and creativity. This anti-competitive merger was defeated by the voices of people around the country who said no more to gate–keeping and no more to monopolies.”

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