It was recently reported that Google is in the market to buy Twitter and that the price tag floating around for the company was somewhere in the $8-10 billion range. But today, Twitter’s CEO denied those reports — sort of. [More]
Twitter: Google Isn't Trying To Buy Us For $10 Billion
By February 14, 2011
Is Twitter Worth $10 Billion?
By February 10, 2011
A lot of people expressed surprise at the $315 million purchase of Huffington Post by AOL. But that’s nothing compared to the figures Facebook and Google are reportedly considering ponying up to acquire Twitter. [More]
AOL To Buy Huffington Post For $315 Million
By February 7, 2011
In an effort to put more original content on its network — and ad revenue in its pockets — AOL announced today that it will be purchasing popular news and opinion site HuffingtonPost.com for a princely sum of around $315 million. [More]
I Don't Want To Give Up My Droid X For Forced Switch To AT&T
By October 22, 2010
Nick is one of the current Verizon customers whose contract has been transferred to AT&T due to Verizon’s acquisition of Alltel. He writes that he would be okay with this if AT&T actually offered a phone comparable to his current Droid X, and if he didn’t have to pay $200 for the sort-of-comparable phone they’re offering, the Samsung Captivate. [More]
Barnes & Noble Wants To Sell Itself, But Who's Gonna Buy It?
By August 4, 2010
Barnes & Noble shares are soaring after it announced that it was up for sale and may even go private, or merge with Borders. [More]
Alltel Merger Forces Verizon Customer To Have AT&T… What?
By July 9, 2010
If you’re an Alltel or Verizon customer you may have read that the companies are merging. In order for Verizon to acquire Alltel it had to agree to sell some of its assets to AT&T. That means that reader Scott now has a contract with AT&T. He hates AT&T. [More]
Al Franken Hates The NBC/Comcast Merger More Than Anyone Has Ever Hated Anything
By June 24, 2010
Former NBC employee and current US Senator, Al Franken, has filed an 11-page letter of concern with the FCC stating that he “firmly believe[s] that the ComcastINBCU merger should be rejected. The harms caused by this merger are significant and long lasting. No set of promises or conditions, no matter how well-intentioned, can sufficiently mitigate those harms.” [More]
Cablevision Acquires Smallish Cable Company Called Bresnan
By June 14, 2010
Cablevision, a small but deeply hated cable company in New York City, has shelled out $1.4B for an even smaller company that owns systems in Colorado, Utah, Montana and Wyoming. Analysts studying the deal were described as “cautious” because it appears to make no sense. [More]
Will The Continental / United Airlines Merger Screw Consumers?
By May 19, 2010
The prevailing attitude has been that impending nuptials between United and Continental will be a disaster for consumers, but the NYT has taken another look and come to some slightly less hysterical conclusions. [More]
United And Continental Will Merge, Become Largest Airline
By May 3, 2010
The NYT says that Continental and United Airlines have agreed to a $3 billion merger that will create the world’s largest airline, eclipsing current front-runner, Delta. [More]
US Airways, United Airlines Begin Merger Talks
By April 8, 2010
In what is clearly an attempt to make it easier for us to think of stuff to write about for the Worst Company In America contest, the two remaining airlines, United and US Airways, have begun merger talks. [More]
Kraft To Cadbury Workers: Leave Pension Plan Or Take Pay Freeze
By April 4, 2010
Mac-n-cheese king Kraft Foods, which acquired British chocolate maker Cadbury earlier this year, isn’t wasting any time when it comes to flexing some American-style corporate muscle. According to the Financial Times, Kraft has warned 3,600 Cadbury employees that they’ll face a three-year pay freeze if they don’t agree to “voluntarily” opt out of the company’s pension plan.
Separately, Kraft announced that CEO Irene Rosenfeld was getting a 40% pay hike this year, due in part to her “exceptional” management of the Cadbury deal. Rosenfeld’s 2009 take will be about $26 million.
Welcome To Kabletown, Consumerist!
By April 1, 2010
Hello Readers, My name is Jack Donaghy and it is my proud duty to welcome you to Kabletown. As you are aware, Kabletown recently merged with NBC, where I have had the privilege of spending many years as Vice President of East Coast Television and Microwave Oven Programming for General Electric. Now, I’m lucky enough to be able to welcome Consumerist to my new family. [More]
Al Franken Makes Comcast's CEO Look Like A Tool
By February 5, 2010
Love him or hate him, Sen. Al Franken (D-MN), former employee of NBC, made Comcast’s befuddled CEO Brian “Comcatastrophe” Roberts look like a complete tool during yesterday’s hearing on the proposed Comcast/NBC mergepocalypse. [More]
Uncle Sam Cool With Live Nation/Ticketmaster Monopoly
By January 26, 2010
The Justice Department ended months of a high-stakes, concert-dominating game of Mother May I by giving Live Nation and Ticketmaster the go-ahead to form a monolithic Voltron that will surely crush whatever life remains in the big-time live music scene. [More]
Comcast Celebrates Conquest Of NBC With Gifts Of Sh*tty DVDs
By December 16, 2009
Christmas has come early to the employees of Comcast! A reader who is also a Comcastployee tells Consumerist that received a package at home yesterday which contained a letter from current and former CEOs Ralph and Brian Roberts, and some thoughtful gifts. To honor the looming Comcast/NBC Universal mergerpocalypse, the Robertses presented Comcast employees with two of the hottest DVDs in the Universal catalog: fullscreen copies of “Kindergarten Cop” and “The Bourne Ultimatum.” Aww, you shouldn’t have! [More]
Why A Comcast/NBC Merger Is Bad News
By December 3, 2009
As the Comcast/NBC mergepocalypse draws near, we wanted to remind readers of the ways that this is going to harm consumers (beyond the obvious things like 30 Rock being promised to come on between 6 and 10 pm and actually airing at 11:30). Join us for a sad look into the future. [More]
Comcast One Step Closer To Owning NBC Universal
By December 1, 2009
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Vivendi has negotiated a tentative $5.8 billion deal to sell its minority stake in NBC Universal to General Electric Co. This means that GE is closer to being able to sell NBC to Comcast. [More]
