LULAC Statement on AT&T Acquisition of Time Warner Inc.
October 26, 2016
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In response to the announcement that AT&T has entered into an agreement to acquire Time Warner Inc., LULAC National President Roger C. Rocha, Jr. issued the following statement:
“The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) looks forward to reviewing the details of AT&T’s acquisition agreement of Time Warner. As a result of its best in the industry diversity practices, AT&T has been at the top of the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility Corporate Inclusion Index for many years. AT&T has also been an important partner in our work to close the homework gap and the digital divide in the Latino community. We expect AT&T to bring its strong commitment to diversity to Time Warner.
Three key questions for LULAC are whether the acquisition will benefit Latino consumers and Latino content producers; whether there will be greater opportunities for Latino talent to appear onscreen and behind the camera; and whether the acquisition will help further LULAC’s commitment to close the digital divide and the homework gap.
We note that although the acquisition is large in scope, it does not combine competitors as did AT&T’s proposed acquisition of T-Mobile; and therefore, will likely face less regulatory scrutiny. Nevertheless, the acquisition brings together one of the leading producers of video content with the largest pay TV subscriber base and a leading mobile provider into one company that will have a big impact on Latino consumers in the United States. LULAC looks forward to representing the interests of its members and the Latino community as the acquisition process proceeds.”
The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is the nation’s largest and oldest civil rights volunteer-based organization that empowers Hispanic Americans and builds strong Latino communities. Headquartered in Washington, DC, with 1000 councils around the United States and Puerto Rico, LULAC’s programs, services and advocacy address the most important issues for Latinos, meeting critical needs of today and the future. For more information, visit www.lulac.org.