12 States Sue to Stop Major Media Merger
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This storyMedia Merger Showdown
- AT&T's acquisition of T-Mobile
- Verizon's acquisition of Sprint
- Comcast's acquisition of Time Warner Cable
- Charter's acquisition of Bright House Networks
This storyMedia Merger Authority
States can independently block mergers the feds approve!
Under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act (1976), state attorneys general retain independent antitrust authority. In 2011, AT&T's $39B bid for T-Mobile collapsed partly due to state-level opposition — even before a federal ruling.
The U.S. has blocked major media mergers before — AT&T/T-Mobile in 2011.
The DOJ sued to block AT&T's $39B T-Mobile acquisition in 2011, forcing AT&T to abandon the deal. It remains one of the largest merger withdrawals in U.S. history, setting a precedent for state-level antitrust challenges today.
Topic poll · all networksHow many US media companies controlled 90% of TV by 2012, down from 50 in 1983?
- 6
- 12
- 20
- 35
Guess, then reveal the answer
6