Antitrust Investigation of Major TV Networks

into five major television networks over potential antitrust

violations. The probe into ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC,

and Fox News follows the decision by the networks last month to suspend their

pool coverage of Trump after his decision to bar MS Now, Politico, and

CNN from the White House grounds. As a result, video footage of

some major events have not been carried by any major news

station. Now, the New York Times reports, quote, "Officials from the

Justice Department contacted networks on Friday and d- demanded

communications and materials related to the White House TV pool." A

spokeswoman for the Justice Department commented on the investigation in a

statement claiming the five networks, quote, "Proudly boycotted covering

White House events. Group boycotts among commercial

competitors can violate the

Sherman Act, a core antitrust law." But that legal theory is

shown to be questionable. A former chairman of the Federal Trade

Commission

telling The New York Times that, quote, "The critical ingredient in successful

antitrust cases is to demonstrate there is unmistakably a

commercial motive, and that the commercial motive predominates,

and I

don't think they would ever be able to do that here." In a statement, the

Freedom of the Press Foundation also slammed the investigation saying, quote,

"Depriving Trump of the attention he craves is not a competitive harm.

And in any case, antitrust law has not long recognized

First Amendment exceptions

even when there is anti-competitive impact.

Even more bizarre than the administration's legal theory is

that after

all his fake news rhetoric, Trump is weaponizing the

DOJ to pressure the networks he calls the enemy of the

people to stay at the White House." It's a weird way of telling the

press how much he missed them. Joining our coverage, New York Times media

correspondent, Michael Grynbaum. Brendan and Tom are still with me.

Michael, this was your reporting that we read from. What more do we know?

Well, you know, another aspect of antitrust violation

is that there's a consumer

who needs-