RECODE's Tony Romm reported AT&T on Tuesday told a federal judge that its proposed merger with Time Warner "would not harm its rivals, pledging that it would strike deals with its cable competitors to ensure that the channels it stands to gain -- like TBS and CNN -- cannot go dark in future fee disputes." For the Justice Department, a "key concern is that AT&T, which also owns DirecTV, could seek to withhold programming from other distributors if it were allowed to buy Time Warner." Romm also noted relinquishing the ability to black out channels "is a large concession" (RECODE.net, 11/28).
HERE TO STAY: NBC Sports Philadelphia President & GM Brian Monihan said that unlike its Chicago sister station, the RSN "has no plans to eliminate" beat writer positions for the four major pro teams in town. Monihan said, “We feel the information they are getting is still relevant. We are just helping shift them away from game stories to stories that are more what the fans seem to be looking for.” In Philadelphia, Jeff Blumenthal noted game stories "have been replaced by observations from the game, something that has become a trend in sports writing circles" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 11/29).
FADING STAR? ESPN.com's Todd Archer wondered if the Dec. 17 Cowboys-Raiders game on Dec. 17 "will get flexed" out of the "SNF" slot. Neither team has "played as well as expected," and there are "better games" like Patriots-Steelers or Rams-Seahawks on the schedule. The Cowboys "have been ratings darlings, but that might not be enough to save the slide this season" (ESPN.com, 11/29).
