Consumers Union on AT&T-DirecTV deal

WASHINGTON, May 18, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Telecommunications giant AT&T announced a deal to buy the nation's largest satellite TV company DirecTV today in an agreement reportedly valued at $48.5 billion.

Delara Derakhshani, policy counsel for Consumers Union, the advocacy arm of Consumer Reports, said, "On the heels of Comcast's bid for Time Warner Cable, AT&T is going to try to pull off a mega-merger of its own. These could be the start of a wave of mergers that should put federal regulators on high alert. AT&T's takeover of DirecTV is just the latest attempt at consolidation in a marketplace where consumers are already saddled with lousy service and price hikes. The rush is on for some of the biggest industry players to get even bigger, with consumers left on the losing end. You can't justify AT&T buying DirecTV by pointing at Comcast's grab for Time Warner, because neither one is a good deal for consumers."

Consumers Union is the public policy and advocacy division of Consumer Reports. Consumers Union works for health reform, food and product safety, financial reform, and other consumer issues in Washington, D.C., the states, and in the marketplace. Consumer Reports is the world's largest independent product-testing organization. Using its more than 50 labs, auto test center, and survey research center, the nonprofit rates thousands of products and services annually. Founded in 1936, Consumer Reports has over 8 million subscribers to its magazine, website, and other publications.

SOURCE Consumers Union