AT&T, Time Warner reassure legislators

AT&T and Time Warner promised legislators who criticised their planned merger that the combined company would not withhold programming from rivals to gain a market advantage. “Restricting distribution of Time Warner content would not only sacrifice revenues, but also damage Time Warner’s reputation and relationships in the entertainment industry,” the companies told legislators. The companies were responding to a January 25 letter from 12 Democratic senators and Bernie Sanders, an independent senator, who said the $85.4bn merger could raise prices and harm small businesses among others.