The fate of MSNBC could be in Trump’s hands

Months into President Donald Trump’s first term in the White House, his Justice Department sent shockwaves through the media industry by suing to block AT&T’s takeover of CNN owner Timer Warner.

Months into President Donald Trump’s first term in the White House, his Justice Department sent shockwaves through the media industry by suing to block AT&T’s takeover of CNN owner Timer Warner. The unusual challenge set off speculation that the lawsuit was driven at least in part by a desire to punish CNN for critical coverage of Trump. Although the lawsuit eventually failed and the deal went through, the damage was done. The Trump administration’s legal challenge cost AT&T precious time in the rapidly evolving media landscape and helped doom the merger. Now, Trump is returning to power at a time when the hobbled media industry appears to be on the cusp of another frenzy of deals. And his administration will have ample opportunities to slow or even kill future transactions – lifeboats that some media companies may need to survive. Case in point: Comcast revealed on Wednesday plans to spin off MSNBC, CNBC and other cable assets into a company that’s separate from the NBC broadcast network. The spinoff itself won’t require approval from the DOJ or the Federal Communications Commission. But it’s widely expected the spinoff company will need to find a dance partner to make it through the world of cord-cutting. That will give Trump-appointed regulators an opportunity to damage a network he’s clashed with for many years.