AT&T Discusses 'Voluntary Commitments,' DirecTV Deal With FCC

AT&T officials discussed their planned DirecTV buy and "voluntary commitments" to reassure the FCC, the company said in an ex parte filing posted Tuesday in docket 14-90 about two recent phone calls with agency officials. "The participants discussed the substantial, direct, and verifiable benefits that the AT&T/DirecTV merger will deliver to tens of millions of consumers," AT&T said. "The participants also discussed voluntary commitments that will provide the Commission with further assurance that the transaction will serve the public interest and deliver benefits to consumers." The telco didn't elaborate on the commitments. Twenty-seven members of the American Cable Association pressed the FCC to impose regional sports programming conditions on AT&T/DirecTV, said a recent ex parte filing. ACA continued to urge the FCC to attach program-access conditions to the deal, said a separate ex parte filing. Hispanic-owned broadcaster ZGS continued to ask the FCC for help in persuading AT&T/DirecTV to carry its Spanish-language stations, another ex parte filing showed.