CHICAGO — Truth Wins Out today expressed strong opposition to Rupert Murdoch’s reported $80 billion bid to acquire Time Warner. The New York Times reports that the offer, which has as of now been rejected by Time Warner, would be the largest such media deal in ten years.
“America’s media landscape needs less Rupert Murdoch, not more,” said Truth Wins Out Executive Director Wayne Besen. “The more that our news media is consolidated, the more that diversity of opinion is stifled, and giving Murdoch more control than he already has will only serve to augment the irreparable harm he has done to America’s political system and national cohesion with Fox News.”
Though reports point out that Time Warner-owned CNN would be excluded from the deal and put on the auction block, Time Warner also owns HBO, which produces shows like Real Time With Bill Maher. A merger of the two behemoths would also bring two of the largest Hollywood studios, Warner Brothers and 20th Century Fox, under the control of Murdoch’s empire, at a time when studios are facing cutbacks.
“Consolidation of this sort always leads to less competition and less choice for the consumer,” added TWO’s Besen. “Has Clear Channel led to more or less diversity in programming, or are they simply known as the radio industry’s biggest bully? I think we all know the answer to that question.”
Truth Wins Out (TWO) is a non-profit organization that works to demolish the very foundation of anti-gay prejudice. Our philosophy is simple: We attack the underpinnings of homophobia by debunking harmful lies, discrediting hateful myths, and countering anti-gay organizations. By chipping away at the underlying ignorance that fuels anti-LGBT attitudes, we can ultimately win our fight for fairness and achieve full equality for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people worldwide.
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