DOJ to Ergen: Fuhgedaboudit!

摘要

Expect a fight over the terms of a divorce. That's the wide expectation of Wall Street and media executives now that the Department of Justice and 23 states have moved to block EchoStar Communications' planned takeover of DirecTV parent Hughes Electronics, saying it would decrease competition in the video market too drastically. The move last week follows an earlier rejection on similar grounds by the Federal Communications Commission. It is highly unlikely that the companies will engage in the 12- to 24-month fight it would take to get a reversal. This "officially, officially" puts an end to the merger's prospects, said Merrill Lynch media analyst Marc Nabi.