November 8, 1993
Sponsored by the Columbia Institute for Tele-Information.

Mergers, acquisitions, and partnerships by media and telecommunications companies are dramatically reshaping the industry. Among the proposed transactions are: the aborted Bell Atlantic/TCI merger, the acquisition of Paramount, the AT&T acquisition of McCaw, the NYNEX investment in Viacom, the U.S. West investment in Time Warner, and the Southwestern acquisition of Hauser Communications.

Questions addressed included:

• What are the implications for competition?
• What role will restrictions play in telco/cable cross-ownership?
• What are the implications of vertical integration?
• What is the economic rationale?
• What will be the next round of mergers?
• What should be the public policy response?

Panelists:

• Eli Noam, CITI
• Herbert Schiller, Department of Culture and Communication, New York University
• Alfred Sikes, Hearst Corporation
• Harold Vogel, Merrill Lynch
• Lawrence White, Stern School of Business

Organized by:
Carolyn Cutler, CITI