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]
mergers and acquisitions
United And Continental Will Merge, Become Largest Airline
By 5.3.10
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 4.8.10
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 4.4.10
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 4.1.10
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 2.5.10
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 1.26.10
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 12.16.09
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 12.3.09
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 12.1.09
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]
Daddy, Can I Borrow $7 Billion To Buy Cadbury?
By 12.1.09
“Sure you can, junior,” B of A and JP Morgan said to Hershey. “Just remember we’re not made of money.” [More]
AOL Rearranges Deck Chairs, Introduces New Logo
By 11.29.09
Close to severing ties with Time Warner and fresh off announcing that they plan to cull almost a third of their work force by the end of the year, AOL has debuted–why not?–a new logo and branding campaign. The new logo has a variety of backgrounds, but always the new name in a sans-serif font: “Aol.” Yes, with the period. [More]
GM Fails To Send Saab Back To Sweden
By 11.25.09
After acquisition talks between Swedish company Konigsegg and General Motors fell apart, Saab is without a home. This makes the third division of GM that the company has failed to divest itself of, after Saturn and Germany’s Opel. Saab may be shut down, like Saturn–or kept, like Opel. [More]
eBay's $2.025 Billion Sale Of Skype Complete
By 11.20.09
eBay has successfully unloaded Skype. They remain a minority stakeholder, but 70% of Skype has been sold to a group that includes the original co-founders of the internet telephony company.
All The PBR You Want For $300 Million
By 11.9.09
Pabst Brewing Company is up for sale, the New York Post reports.
GM, Tengzhong Close To Hummer Brand Sale
By 10.10.09
So long, Hummer. Sort of. GM and Chinese company Tengzhong are closer to their deal to sell the Hummer brand.
What's The Over/Under On Mint Starting To Suck Now That Intuit Bought Them?
By 9.15.09
I blanched when I saw the subject line, “Mint.com to be acquired by Intuit, maker of Quicken.” More like “Mint.com to be acquired by Intuit, makers of crap,” I thought. Judging by your comments, I don’t blanch alone.
Intuit Will Buy Mint.com For $170 Million
By 9.14.09
No longer wishing to compete with Mint.com, Quicken-maker Intuit has decided to buy it. The AP says that the company plans to keep its current offering, Quicken Online, but that it will be aimed at customers who also use its Quicken desktop software. Mint.com will become the company’s primary personal finance website.
