After Charter and Time Warner Cable announced their intention to merge, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler released a statement noting that “an absence of harm is not sufficient” to approve a merger. But it should be. Why would the government block a merger it believes isn’t bad?
Antitrust and Competition
Economic analysis of markets is a core part of what we do. Our research has focused on mergers, vertical integration, and global competition policy. Our experts have deep experience in competition policy.
Regulators Should Weigh Expected Benefits of Merger against Risk of Anticompetitive Harms
Scott Wallsten, TPI Vice President for Research and Senior Fellow has filed the previously released paper, “An Economic Analysis of the Proposed Comcast/Time Warner Cable Merger” with the Federal Communications Commission in response to their request for comments to inform the examination of the proposed merger.
Aspen Panel: Political Economy of Telecom Reform
Calls for a new Telecommunications Act have been growing, with proponents citing problems with the FCC’s “siloed” structure in light of the increasing convergence of industries that compete in each other’s markets. However, similar concerns motivated the 1996 legislation. How has the political landscape changed since the 1996 Act, and can new legislation be successful? Participants on the panel, “Political Economy of Telecom Reform” at this year’s TPI Aspen Forum will discuss such questions as: what, beyond market and technological changes, is motivating calls for telecom reform now; how can the process surrounding the 1996 Act inform development of a new Act today; what interest groups are involved, what are their incentives, and how have these groups and their interests changed since 1996?