*By Michael Teich*
Big-time media mergers have renewed a policy debate in Washington over how much corporate control in a few powerful hands is too much, said Axios tech reporter David McCabe.
By rejecting the Justice Department's antitrust argument against AT&T's $85 billion deal for Time Warner, a federal judge may have redefined the rules of competition in an age defined by broadband internet, streaming video, and a flood of new content. The government unsuccessfully argued that the combined companies would unfairly hurt video competitors. Instead, the judge's approval of the merger may pave the way for AT&T to better defend against new content players such as Facebook, Google, and Netflix.
"Over time we may see an internet experience controlled by a shrinking number of companies," McCabe said Wednesday in an interview with Cheddar.
AT&T's acquisition of Time Warner is expected to lead to an increase in media mergers and acquisitions. McCabe said the deal is the "green light," especially for vertical deals combining companies that are not direct competitors.
"It’s an extra jolt of confidence to executives who are looking to make a deal in this space without the regulatory friction," McCabe said.
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/at-and-t-deal-raises-worries-of-internet-oligarchy-2).
Billionaire Warren Buffett warned shareholders Monday that many companies will fare better than his Berkshire Hathaway in the decades ahead as Father Time catches up
Chris Marquette of POLITICO breaks down how the FAA is cutting flights and facing a critical shortage of air‑traffic controllers amid the government shutdown.
Dr. Manuele Aufiero, CEO & Co‑Founder of Sizable En a groundbreaking undersea energy‑storage technology powering the global shift to clean, scalable power.
Paul Fipps, President of Global Customer Operations at ServiceNow, breaks down the company’s earnings beat, 5‑for‑1 stock split and booming enterprise AI demand
Movie studios are comfortable digging through comic bins for hot new intellectual property, but they are not comfortable returning the favor and sharing th
Chris Versace, CIO at Tematica Research and portfolio manager for TheStreet Pro, joins from the NYSE to break down the Fed’s latest move and Big Tech’s earnings
Sabrina Siddiqui, National Politics Reporter at The Wall Street Journal, joins to break down the SNAP funding delays and the human cost of the ongoing shutdown.
