Voices concern over AT&T-Time Warner

White House hopeful Hillary Clinton said the proposed mega-merger of AT&T and Time Warner "raises questions and concerns" and merits further study.

AT&T and Time Warner, home of CNN and HBO, have said the proposed $108.7 billion deal will benefit consumers as they gird for anti-trust challenges from politicians and regulators.

But they will face tough questioning over whether such a combination will be too powerful, stifling outside video content creators while forcing consumers to their brand.

"It raises questions and concerns, and they should be looked into," Clinton told reporters Wednesday. "I'm going to follow up closely."

"Obviously if I'm fortunate to be the president I will expect the government to conduct a very thorough analysis before making a decision."

Clinton's Republican rival Donald Trump has sharply criticized the potential deal and said he would block it if elected.

"It's too much concentration of power in the hands of too few," the billionaire real estate magnate said at a recent rally. "Deals like this destroy democracy."

"We'll look at breaking that deal up and other deals like that."

The potential merger would join one of the most dominant telecommunications company with a leading provider of entertainment video and broadcasting, allowing smoother and more innovative content delivery to consumers, the companies have said.

Source: AFP