AT&T, DirecTV Defend Merger to FCC

to an ex parte filing Thursday in docket 14-90. The transaction also would let AT&T deploy new, fixed wireless local loop broadband services to about 13 million rural customer locations, the company said. During the meeting, the companies asked the commission to approve the transaction, the filing said. Representing AT&T at the meeting were Wayne Watts, senior executive vice president; James Cicconi, senior executive vice president-external legislative affairs; David McAtee, senior associate general counsel; and Robert Quinn, senior vice president-federal regulatory and chief privacy officer. Representing DirecTV at the meeting were Larry Hunter, executive vice president; Andrew Reinsdorf, senior vice president-government affairs; and William Ryan, vice president. Wednesday, the Alliance for Community Media filed an ex parte notice with the FCC on the transaction that said the merger would result in reduced competition and possible competition in the multichannel video distribution market throughout AT&T's landline footprint. Absent the merger, AT&T would be forced to invest more in building out its U-verse network, which would create more competition in the market, ACM said. The organization also said the claimed public benefits of the transaction are illusory -- neither AT&T nor DirecTV has explained how the merger is essential to achieving those benefits. The transaction also would disserve the public interest by harming public, educational and governmental channels and localism, ACM said.