DOJ, AT&T Near Settlement on Dodgers' Suit

The U.S. Department of Justice is nearing a settlement with AT&T regarding a suit the agency filed last year alleging executives at the telecom giant's DirecTV unit colluded with other operators to block carriage of Charter Communication’s Los Angeles Dodgers regional sports network.

According to the Los Angeles Times, which first reported the settlement talks, the deal would not require DirecTV or its parent AT&T to carry the RSN, dubbed SportsNet LA.

In court papers filed March 8, DOJ attorneys filed a motion in support of DirecTV’s request for a continuance for a hearing to dismiss the case, stating that both sides have “engaged in productive settlement talks.”

“The requested continuance will permit the parties to engage in further settlement discussions in the hope of resolving the dispute,” the motion stated. That hearing is scheduled for March 27.

For the full story go to Multichannel.com.