Why Comcast’s merger with Time Warner Cable may be in deep trouble

Brian Fung - Comcast's massive $45 billion merger with Time Warner Cable appears headed into rocky regulatory waters this week in the wake of reports that the Justice Department isn't sold on the idea — and in fact, the agency could have some serious questions about it. Could this lead to the merger's demise? Here's what we know so far.

What's up with Comcast?

The company's proposed merger with Time Warner Cable is coming under intensifying scrutiny from federal officials whose job it is to determine if a merger will be good or bad for consumers. Some of these experts in the Justice Department are reportedly "leaning against" approving the merger, according to Bloomberg. And on Sunday, the Wall Street Journal reported that Comcast will be meeting with DOJ officials Wednesday to discuss what the company would have to do to get the government's blessing.

This is no ordinary merger. It's one of the biggest deals we've ever seen in telecom and media — and how it fares will have huge implications for the way we get online and watch TV. At a time when all our entertainment is converging on the Internet, we're talking about the creation of one enormous player with control over millions of Americans' access to the Web, and to the content they see there.

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