The head of DirecTV Group Inc. cast doubt Thursday on a potential merger with rival Dish Network Corp.
“It’s a pretty tough hill to climb,” chief executive Michael White told CNBC in an interview, referring to regulatory obstacles.
Last week, Dish Network’s new CEO, Joseph Clayton, told Bloomberg Television that he didn’t “discount any possibility” of a potential merger. “It’s probably easier from a regulatory environment today than it was five to 10 years ago, when it was originally proposed,” he said. “We’re looking at anything that will help enhance shareholder value.”
In 2002, regulators in the Republican administration of George W. Bush rejected a proposed merger of Dish Network and DirecTV. The companies are the two biggest satellite-TV providers in the U.S.
