Topic: AT&T & DirecTV a marriage made in media Hell?

[Libertas]

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/t-agrees-buy-directv-48-214006017.html

AT&T said it was offering $95 per DirecTV share in a combination of stock and cash, with the cash portion financed by cash, asset sales, financing already lined up and other "opportunistic debt market transactions."

Assets sales and debt schemes...

Yeah, cutting off the deadwood, laying off redundant personnel and finding cronys to buy your paper, all typical acquisition SOP.

Don't care much for AT&T, will have to see how it affects DirecTV service, pretty much all rural areas like we have at the lake place can rely on...

[richb]

I have At&t U-verse.   Its not horrible,  but hardly wonderful either.   Wish they were cheaper or provided better service.   But that can be said of all cable operators,  they are too big,   often have monopoly status (franchise fees keeping out competitors) provide so so service,  little choice.   Though no employees have ever been rude,  some have been as helpful as possible,  its clear their hands are tied behind their backs at times by management. 

Needs far more competition.   It would quickly get cheaper and better. 

[AlanS]

We don't have cable or satellite at our house. Still get around 15 channels. 2 that play old tv series, 1 plays old movies, another plays old movies with black people, 1 cooking channel, The CW, which has a few series the wife and boys like, and the lame stream media.

This is the only time of year I wish I had ESPN. I really enjoy college baseball and softball. Not enough to pay for the crap year round, though.

[Libertas]

Usually consolidation does not necessarily lead to more competition or reduced prices or better services...and in this racket I am guessing (depending upon the obligations incurred) prices could rise slightly, maybe not the basic rates, but certainly other fees and such.  Competition has been largely reduced to just Comcast, and time will tell if service is improved, unchanged or worse...