DOJ Approves DirecTV-Liberty Media Merger

As expected, the Department of Justice Tuesday approved the merger of Liberty Media and DirecTV.

The Federal Communications Commission already approved the deal the night before, with conditions, but the two agencies were in contact about their respective independent reviews and the timing of the approvals, which were essentially done at the same time.

It is not unusual for the FCC to apply conditions and Justice not to. Justice is strictly looking at whether the merger impedes competition, while the FCC has broader public-interest considerations.

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.