News

WASHINGTON — Today Rep. Heath Shuler (D-N.C.) sent a letter to President Barack Obama urging the president to seek a settlement to the Department of Justice’s antitrust lawsuit to block the $39 billion merger between AT&T and T-Mobile.

In response to the Federal Communications Commission’s approval of the Citadel-Cumulus merger, Free Press Policy Counsel Corie Wright made the following statement.

WASHINGTON — In the wake of the Department of Justice’s lawsuit to block the AT&T–T-Mobile merger, Charles River Associates today released a study of the impact the merger would have on jobs. The study confirmed Free Press’ assertion that combining AT&T and T-Mobile would kill thousands of American jobs.

WASHINGTON — Today the U.S. Department of Justice filed suit in federal court to block the proposed $39 billion merger between AT&T and T-Mobile. In announcing the suit, Deputy Assistant Attorney General Sharis Pozen said, “Anyway you look at it, this deal is anti-competitive.”

WASHINGTON — On Friday, the Federal Communications Commission restarted its shot clock for the AT&T–T-Mobile merger review. The announcement follows the submission of AT&T’s fourth and final revision of its economic models on which it is basing its case for the T-Mobile acquisition.

WASHINGTON — On Thursday, AT&T confirmed it would no longer offer 1,000 text messages for $10 per month, leaving customers to choose between paying 20 cents per message or $20 per month for unlimited texts. This is the second time this year the company has eliminated lower-cost options, having removed the $5-for-200 text plan in January.

WASHINGTON — On Wednesday, Free Press sent a letter to members of Congress asking them to review new information about the real motives behind AT&T’s takeover of T-Mobile and reconsider their earlier expression of support for the merger.

Washington — On Monday, in response to announcements that Google would acquire Motorola Mobility and Time Warner Cable would acquire Insight, Free Press Research Director S. Derek Turner made the following statements.

WASHINGTON — The case for AT&T’s takeover of T-Mobile continues to unravel as new facts come to light. A Stifel Nicolaus poll of telecom analysts released Thursday gave the deal only a 49.5 percent chance of being approved.

WASHINGTON — On Wednesday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit threw out a case brought by media companies seeking to have that court eliminate in their entirety the Federal Communications Commission’s media ownership rules. The case was a last-ditch effort by newspaper giant Media General to get the D.C. Circuit to hear its arguments after the U.S.