Media Center

Today, the Federal Communications Commission voted 3-2 to approve the $26 billion merger of T-Mobile Inc. and Sprint Corporation. The approval includes a negotiated deal to sell assets to Dish Network despite the FCC never seeking public comment on this arrangement. The proposed merger still faces a legal challenge from more than fourteen state attorneys general who have filed suit to block the transaction.

Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit issued a decision vacating and remanding the FCC’s decisions to roll back several of its media ownership rules. The rules prohibited a single entity from owning too many newspaper, radio, and television stations within a local market. In vacating and remanding the FCC’s decisions, the Third Circuit specifically found that the FCC did not adequately consider the effect rolling back media ownership rules would have on broadcast ownership by women and people of color.

Today, the Federal Communications Commission approved the proposed merger of Nexstar Media Group and Tribune Media Company. The approval gives Nexstar control of 144 stations in 115 markets, creating the largest broadcast conglomerate in the nation. Common Cause filed a petition to deny formally opposing the merger.

Today, GateHouse Media and Gannett Co. announced plans to merge to form an unprecedented newspaper conglomerate. The $1.4 billion deal would combine the two largest newspaper chains, creating the largest newspaper publisher in the United States. A combined GateHouse-Gannett entity would own one in every six newspapers in the nation and control over 100 local news operations.

Today, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) approved the $26 billion merger of T-Mobile Inc. and Sprint Corporation. As part of the approval, T-Mobile and Sprint have agreed to sell assets to Dish Network including Sprint’s prepaid services, Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile, and new spectrum licenses. Dish will also have the ability to operate on T-Mobile’s network for a seven-year period while it builds out its own network. The proposed merger is still pending approval by the full Federal Communications Commission. Fourteen state attorneys general have filed suit to block the transaction.

Today, ten states attorneys general led by New York Attorney General Letitia James and California Attorney General Xavier Becerra filed a lawsuit to block the proposed T-Mobile-Sprint merger. The lawsuit argues that if approved, the merger would lead to higher prices, fewer choices, and less innovation for consumers. New York and California were joined in the lawsuit by Colorado, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Nevada, Virginia, and Wisconsin