Trump: I would never approve AT&T-Time Warner deal

“As an example of the power structure I am fighting, AT&T is buying Time Warner and thus CNN — a deal we will not approve in my administration because it’s too much concentration of power in the hands of too few,” Trump said at a major policy speech in Gettysburg, Pa.

 

 

The deal would likely have to be approved by a constellation of federal agencies, including the Department of Justice and the Federal Communications Commission.

The AT&T play for Time Warner comes as it looks to expand.

Through the deal, the company would own both the content produced by companies like CNN and HBO and the means through which it is distributed. The company’s current offerings range from wireless service to broadband internet to video products through DirecTV.

Trump’s comments expressing worry about that kind of consolidation are similar to concerns among progressive lawmakers and their public interest allies, who are skeptical of big media mergers.

They also put him odds with some establishment Republicans who think regulators should not impose strict conditions on such deals. Skeptics of the likely AT&T deal worry that the telecom company could give preferential treatment to the content it produces at the expense of consumers.

The Republican nominee’s concerns, however, are in line with his deep antagonism — shared by his supporters — towards media companies and the journalists they employ. He has frequently hit CNN throughout the campaign. 

Trump also criticized Comcast’s 2009 purchase of NBCUniversal as an example of negative media consolidation.

“Additionally, Comcast’s purchase of NBC concentrates far too much power in one massive entity that is trying to tell the voters what to think and what to do. Deals like this destroy democracy.”

The Republican presidential nominee also blasted Amazon for allegedly evading taxes.

 

“Likewise Amazon, which through its ownership controls The Washington Post, should be paying massive taxes but its not paying, and it’s a very unfair playing field … very very unfair and you are talking about billions and billions of dollars,” he said.

 

“Additionally, Comcast’s purchase of NBC concentrates far too much power in one massive entity that is trying to tell the voters what to think and what to do. Deals like this destroy democracy.”

 

Though Amazon founder Jeff Bezos owns the Post, another frequent Trump target, he controls the newspaper through a holding company that is separate from the publically-traded e-commerce giant.