Technology AT&T Could Spin Off CNN To Get Time Warner Deal OK: Wells Fargo

IBD ^ | 1/13/17 | REINHARDT KRAUSE

[Skepolitic]

AT&T (T) could spin off cable news channel CNN as part of concessions to get Trump administration approval of its Time Warner (TWX) acquisition, speculates a Wells Fargo analyst.

[Skepolitic]

Time Warner definitely should spin off CNN to Viacom.

Viacom could then migrate their snarky, fake news shows on Comedy Central to CNN.

It would be win-win.

The quality of comedy on Comedy Central would improve and the quality of journalism on CNN would improve.

[Anti-Bubba182]

Go Go Go!! Leave CNN in the middle of the street!

[Vendome]

Now, that is a capitol idea.

[Lurkinanloomin]

CNN is dead either way.

[abb]

CNN won’t last if it has to sell ads on its on. Just about all television news is subsidized by the parent networks. The exception is Fox News and Fox Biz.

[A CA Guy]

They have Direct TV recently.

[max americana]

The CNN sell-off was due to CNN’s idiotic behavior with Trump. And Trump promised not to OK the merger during the elections. So this was “needed’ to get Trump to OK the merger...if Trump feels like it.

[Dacula]

Karma is a Big Itch!

[mrsmith]

This is fake news at it’s best.

There is no rationale for dropping CNN presented
except that Trump is childish.

Only idiots can believe that now.

[EQAndyBuzz]

“The quality of comedy on Comedy Central would improve and the quality of journalism on CNN would improve. “

Then they could call it the Chicken Noodle Network.

[garyb]

If there is any rational for anti-trust or monopolistic laws, having AT&T/DirecTV merge with Time Warner this would be it.

http://www.theverge.com/2016/12/14/13941266/walt-mossberg-att-time-warner-merger-deal-danger

excerpt: .... (AT&T) planned to buy a huge company in an entirely different business: Time Warner. I’m not talking about Time Warner cable, another distribution or “pipe” company, which was spun off long ago. I refer to the media company of that name which owns CNN, HBO, the Harry Potter franchise, and such hit shows as Game of Thrones, Veep, and The Big Bang Theory.

If this $85 billion merger goes through, it would, in my view, represent an unhealthy concentration of power between a distributor and a maker of content. And it could be a threat to small players on the mobile web, if AT&T extends to its Time Warner content a technique called “zero-rating,” in which selected content and services don’t count against users’ data plan caps. That makes favored content much more attractive to users than similar content from other sources, which uses up your scarce data allotment....

[garyb]

If there is any rational for anti-trust or monopolistic laws, having AT&T/DirecTV merge with Time Warner this would be it.

http://www.theverge.com/2016/12/14/13941266/walt-mossberg-att-time-warner-merger-deal-danger

excerpt: .... (AT&T) planned to buy a huge company in an entirely different business: Time Warner. I’m not talking about Time Warner cable, another distribution or “pipe” company, which was spun off long ago. I refer to the media company of that name which owns CNN, HBO, the Harry Potter franchise, and such hit shows as Game of Thrones, Veep, and The Big Bang Theory.

If this $85 billion merger goes through, it would, in my view, represent an unhealthy concentration of power between a distributor and a maker of content. And it could be a threat to small players on the mobile web, if AT&T extends to its Time Warner content a technique called “zero-rating,” in which selected content and services don’t count against users’ data plan caps. That makes favored content much more attractive to users than similar content from other sources, which uses up your scarce data allotment....

[kaktuskid]

As is Comcast - owner of NBC/xfinity/Universal

[dfwgator]

They need to stop the consolidation of media companies. Hopefully Trump will put a stop to it.

[KarlInOhio]

Well, it will spin as it goes down.