WGA wants to stop Comcast/Time Warner Cable wedding

The Writers Guild of America, long a fierce opponent of media consolidation, has given a thumbs-down to the proposed merger between Comcast Corp. and Time Warner Cable.

Comcast Corp. reached an agreement Thursday to buy Time Warner Cable in a deal valued at $45.2 billion, creating a video and Internet colossus with 30 million subscribers and operations in some of the country’s biggest markets.

But the Writers Guild of America, West, contends that the proposed combination is a bad idea on several fronts.

“Comcast’s proposed merger with Time Warner Cable is bad for everyone: content creators, programmers, suppliers and consumers,’’ the guild said in a statement.

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“As writers know all too well, media consolidation leads to already too powerful companies limiting competition,” the guild added. “The WGAW will fight to stop this ill-conceived merger.”

A spokesman for Comcast declined to comment.

Comcast Chief Executive Brian L. Roberts told analysts Thursday morning that he expects a fight from media watchdogs over its deal to acquire Time Warner Cable but that he is confident the sale will get the nod from lawmakers and regulators.
In addition to its cable and Internet service, Comcast owns the NBC broadcast network, Universal Studios and several popular cable channels, including CNBC, MSNBC and USA Network.

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richard.verrier@latimes.com
Twitter: @rverrier