On the heels of one massive, industry-cratering merger being announced, another gets approval. Earlier today, THR reported that Charter Communications is merging with Cox Communications. The second-largest cable company in America, Charter, best known by its public-facing name, Spectrum, has more than 32 million subscribers across more than 40 states, and it will add Cox’s 6 million subscribers in the merger. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the now-combined entity will operate under the Cox name, with consumer-facing products taking Spectrum. As a result of the merger, the somehow even more mammoth cable provider promises to invest billions in upgrading its network, particularly in rural areas.
Of course, because this is Brendan Carr’s FCC, we can’t enjoy the news of another multi-billion-dollar merger without reminding readers of the three most terrifying words in the English language: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. “By approving this deal, the FCC ensures big wins for Americans,” FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said. “This deal means that jobs are coming back to America that had been shipped overseas. It means that modern, high-speed networks will get built out in more communities across rural America. And it means that customers will get access to lower-priced plans. On top of this, the deal enshrines protections against DEI discrimination.”
One of the architects of Project 2025, Carr has made the identity politics of DEI a touchstone of his tenure at the FCC, using it as a cudgel to not-so-subtly subjugate those seeking approval. “Any businesses that are looking for FCC approval, I would encourage them to get busy ending any sort of their invidious forms of DEI discrimination,” he said last March. Since then, he’s used his position to foist his politics on private businesses, including CBS, which was implored to install a conservative ombudsman to secure the FCC’s approval of the Skydance-Paramount merger, among other indignities. More recently, he attempted to use his power over said merger to not-so-subtly encourage network affiliates seeking FCC approval to preempt Jimmy Kimmel Live.
Keep scrolling for more great stories.