AT&T buying Time Warner?

[Rusty Muck 4167]

Whoever ends up owning CNN, they should shut down HLN, move its best anchors to the main channel, and replace it with either CNN International or something new.

 

Or just go all-in on its crime and legal shows (Forensic Files, etc.), dump the news entirely, and rebrand as Crime TV or Justice TV or something along those lines.

That SE Cupp and Carol Costello are nowhere to be seen on the HLN lineup -- months after their respective shows were to have premiered -- speaks volumes.

[atlnews2 557]

Selling off CNN would be extremely stupid. CNN is a very valuable (and profitable) property. Selling it off to please Trump is dumb and short sighted.

[Rusty Muck 4167]

Selling off CNN would be extremely stupid. CNN is a very valuable (and profitable) property. Selling it off to please Trump is dumb and short sighted.

The "Trump feud" is nothing more than a professional wrestling shoot job. Trump (a WWE Hall of Famer) craves the attention it brings to his ultra-hardcore base of supporters, and Jeff Zucker craves the attention it draws to CNN, both ironically and unironically. Meanwhile, Trump's supporters are stupid/ignorant enough to believe the hype and faux trash talking, because critical thinking is nonexistent with them.

 

Never forget that Zucker gave Trump the green light for "The Apprentice" and the both of them have been scratching each other's back since.

 

Whatever AT&T does will be reflected on if they think CNN/HLN is still viable and salvageable after being run like a goddam dumpster fire by Zucker, a total moron who didn't deserve the job. To say nothing about AT&T's CEO being an unapologetic Branch Trumpidian, of course.

 

So please... let's not even bother speculating about what AT&T will do or not do to CNN based on something that is, by all means, not real.

[CircleSeven 1944]

From the Hollywood Reporter, the soon-to-be CEO of AT&T's Time Warner assets John Stankey, stated that CNN is not for sale.

Despite widespread speculation to the contrary, AT&T will not sell CNN after its acquisition of parent Time Warner closes, according to AT&T Entertainment Group chief John Stankey.

 

In his first interview since he was named as the executive to lead Time Warner — which will soon have a new name — Stankey tells The Hollywood Reporter that he considers news to be much like sports (which Time Warner delivers though its Turner Broadcasting channels) in terms of providing content that is urgent and watchable on a variety of devices. “It would be a strategically missed opportunity if we weren’t in that business,” he says.

 

There will be no changes with respect to CNN's editorial independence. “You can’t run a national news organization with that importance to our society without maintaining its editorial independence,” Stankey says. Though he has not at this point spent a substantial amount of time with Jeff Zucker, Stankey says the CNN Worldwide president has expanded the brand and its audience. (CNN has slipped into third place in primetime, behind a surging MSNBC and Fox News.)

 

He also said the new media division will have a new name, retiring the "Time Warner" name. But didn't announce what the new name will be (just wait until the deal is over to reveal the name, should the deal be greenlighted).

[Rusty Muck 4167]

(the soon-to-be CEO of AT&T's Time Warner assets John Stankey) also said the new media division will have a new name, retiring the "Time Warner" name. But didn't announce what the new name will be (just wait until the deal is over to reveal the name, should the deal be greenlighted).

They'll spend millions of dollars to some marketing firm to come up with a siily name for that division... when this name and logo is easily accessible and usable.

 

[channel2 869]

It's a Saul Bass creation, like the old Bell and "Death Star" logos too!

[CircleSeven 1944]

They'll spend millions of dollars to some marketing firm to come up with a siily name for that division... when this name and logo is easily accessible and usable.

 

I always thought "Warner-Turner" or "Turner-Warner" was a good name. But four-syllables might be a bit too long "in today's standards".

 

But like you said, they'll probably "waste" tons of money come with some dull name that doesn't have any significance to the legacy TW brands. For example, look how Verizon named the new consolidated AOL-Yahoo division, Oath. What does Oath have anything to do with the two relic internet brands?

[oklahomanewsman 210]

I wonder what will happen to both AT&T SportsNet and Turner Sports once the merger gets greenlighted? Does AT&T keep Turner Sports and AT&T SportsNet seperate or does the RSNs become part of Turner Sports?

[Rusty Muck 4167]

I always thought "Warner-Turner" or "Turner-Warner" was a good name. But four-syllables might be a bit too long "in today's standards".

 

But like you said, they'll probably "waste" tons of money come with some dull name that doesn't have any significance to the legacy TW brands. For example, look how Verizon named the new consolidated AOL-Yahoo division, Oath. What does Oath have anything to do with the two relic internet brands?

I'll see you OATH and raise you TEGNA, TRONC and WRAPPORTS.

[Rusty Muck 4167]

It's a Saul Bass creation, like the old Bell and "Death Star" logos too!

Someone needs to meld the Saul Bass WB logo into the Saul Bass AT&T logo.

 

Don't tell me I'm not the only one who's thought of that.

[Eat News 4738]

I always thought "Warner-Turner" or "Turner-Warner" was a good name. But four-syllables might be a bit too long "in today's standards".

 

But like you said, they'll probably "waste" tons of money come with some dull name that doesn't have any significance to the legacy TW brands. For example, look how Verizon named the new consolidated AOL-Yahoo division, Oath. What does Oath have anything to do with the two relic internet brands?

 

 

It has to be some really stupid and idiotic two syllable name that millennials can remember ...

"Gorfbak"

"Clembo"

"Twarner"

"Quiggle"

 

I got a million of them...have Jack Warner call, or "W-U" me...

 

I'm in the white pages.

[mre29 1340]

I always thought "Warner-Turner" or "Turner-Warner" was a good name. But four-syllables might be a bit too long "in today's standards".

 

But like you said, they'll probably "waste" tons of money come with some dull name that doesn't have any significance to the legacy TW brands. For example, look how Verizon named the new consolidated AOL-Yahoo division, Oath. What does Oath have anything to do with the two relic internet brands?

 

Hey, at least it's a real word.

[Megatron81 181]

I think they should keep the name Time Warner INC and not go with a new name other than evil empire since that is AT&T is the evil empire.

[channel2 869]

Time Warner has needed a new name for years at this point. For one thing, everything Time-related apart from HBO and Cinemax has since been unloaded, and for another, it allows people to finally stop pretending that Time Warner is this great organization that existed for any reason other than being a marriage of convenience.

[mre29 1340]

How about AT&TW?

[Jess 1110]

It's worth noting that whatever AT&T's Media Unit is called, they will still legally have the rights to the name Time Warner.

 

Aqua Teen Hunger Force had a character who, well, was the time warner.

[Viper550 268]

I'd probably go Turner/Warner or Warner Bros. Group; the former could be a clever way to keep TW as an abbreviation.

 

But if it ends up being AT&T Media that would just be lazy.

[CircleSeven 1944]

There could be a snag in the deal. A Brazilian antitrust group is challenging the TW sale.

 

AT&T is awaiting for the greenlight in Brazil, Chile and in the U.S. to finish the sale.

[Megatron81 181]

Be great if a country can deny AT&T & TW merger but I doubt it as I think it only matter if DOJ here gives it the green light. But I pretty much know this deal is al but done.

[Rusty Muck 4167]

There could be a snag in the deal. A Brazilian antitrust group is challenging the TW sale.

 

AT&T is awaiting for the greenlight in Brazil, Chile and in the U.S. to finish the sale.

16 countries have to approve the deal? Wow.

 

It's easy to forget how much both entities have such a wide reach.

[CircleSeven 1944]

There could be a snag in the deal. A Brazilian antitrust group is challenging the TW sale.

 

AT&T is awaiting for the greenlight in Brazil, Chile and in the U.S. to finish the sale.

 

The Chilean regulators have now cleared it.

[broadcastfan9751 136]

The DOJ is considering a lawsuit to block the deal.

[JCB4TV 333]

The DOJ is considering a lawsuit to block the deal.

Donnie and Jeffy not like this deal?

[CircleSeven 1944]

Two things could happen.

 

A lawsuit could be filed, and AT&T-TW reach a settlement with the antitrust division on any conditions and/or divestitures.

 

......Or the AD would file suit and sent it straight to the judge to get the deal blocked, which if that happens the pair would have a decision to terminate the sale or follow through with the court case.

 

Roberts didn't follow through with a possible court case with the judge, and he terminated the Comcast-Time Warner Cable deal.

[Rusty Muck 4167]

Donnie and Jeffy not like this deal?

AT&T’s CEO didn’t suck up to Trump enough. And he’s the same guy who got Trump to give a deranged screaming fit at the Boy Scouts Jamboree. Then he expressed regret.

 

But this may have less to do with the mood of Trump and Sessions than the likelihood of career staffers in the DOJ who just can’t sign on to this deal. (Note, too, that Trump tweeted opposition to the deal the day it was announced, albeit still as a candidate.)