Consumers Union Opposes Comcast/Time Warner Cable Merger, Citing Serious Concerns About Pricing and Service

WASHINGTON, Feb. 13, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Comcast has proposed a deal to buy Time Warner Cable, a mega-merger that would combine the two largest cable providers in the United States.

Consumers Union, the policy and advocacy division of Consumer Reports, announced its opposition to the merger, citing the impact that the combination could have on prices and service.

Delara Derakhshani, policy counsel for Consumers Union, said, "Under this proposed deal, two huge companies would become a behemoth.  This has the potential to be a very bad deal for consumers.  This industry is notoriously unpopular with consumers due to poor customer service, not to mention ever-increasing bills, and a deal this size doesn't exactly convince us that things will get better.  It's hard to understand how this kind of concentrated market power, which would account for almost three-quarters of the cable industry, is going to benefit consumers.  It raises several red flags about the power and influence that one company would have on the marketplace, and the impact it would have on your wallet and the choices you get. We're counting on regulators to take a very hard look at what this enormous merger would do to competition, customer service, and bills that continue to climb year after year."

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