Merger

FCC Approves Skydance's Acquisition of Paramount/CBS

| Importance: 6/10

FCC review period and decision released approving Skydance’s acquisition of Paramount/CBS after new pleading cycle established and ~250-day review (longer than FCC’s 180-day shot-clock)

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Skydance Media Paramount Global Commissioner Anna Gomez (dissented) media-consolidation fcc-approval merger telecommunications broadcast-ownership
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Facebook Acquires WhatsApp for $19 Billion to Dominate Messaging Market

| Importance: 9/10

Facebook acquires WhatsApp for $19 billion, the largest tech acquisition to date, eliminating its primary competitor in mobile messaging and consolidating monopoly control over personal communications platforms. The FTC approves the acquisition without structural separation requirements despite …

Facebook Mark Zuckerberg WhatsApp Jan Koum Brian Acton +1 more facebook whatsapp antitrust merger monopolization +4 more
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Google Acquires DoubleClick for $3.1B, Creating Advertising Monopoly

| Importance: 10/10

On April 13, 2008, Google completed its $3.1 billion acquisition of DoubleClick, the dominant online advertising server and ad exchange operator. The merger, approved by the Federal Trade Commission in December 2007, combined Google’s search advertising dominance with DoubleClick’s …

Google DoubleClick Federal Trade Commission Pamela Jones Harbour (dissenting FTC Commissioner) David Rosenblatt (DoubleClick CEO) google doubleclick merger antitrust ftc +3 more
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FCC Approves $35.6 Billion Viacom-CBS Merger Despite Ownership Concentration Violations

| Importance: 8/10

The Federal Communications Commission approves Viacom’s $35.6 billion acquisition of CBS Corporation despite the merger violating FCC regulations prohibiting one company from owning television stations reaching more than 35% of the U.S. audience and prohibiting ownership of two networks if one …

Viacom CBS Corporation Sumner Redstone Mel Karmazin FCC Federal Communications Commission media-consolidation telecommunications merger fcc deregulation +2 more
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AOL-Time Warner $164 Billion Merger Creates Largest Media Conglomerate in History

| Importance: 8/10

America Online (AOL), the nation’s dominant Internet service provider, announces its intention to purchase Time Warner for $164 billion in the largest media merger in history. The combined entity would control magazines, video and high-speed Internet cable, cable TV channels (including CNN, …

America Online Time Warner Steve Case Gerald Levin FTC Federal Trade Commission +1 more media-consolidation telecommunications merger deregulation internet +2 more
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