AT&T to separate TV businesses after Time Warner acquisition
AT&T will separate its wireless and satellite TV business from its Time Warner media assets once its $85bn takeover of the company is complete, according to sources familiar with the matter. Last October, AT&T revealed plans to acquire Time Warner to provide a bundled mobile and video offering. It is suggested that AT&T Chief Strategy Officer John Donovan would combine satellite TV firm DirecTV, which was bought in 2015 for $49bn, with the company's telecom business. John Stankey would be in charge of the Time Warner business, and AT&T Chairman and CEO Randall Stephenson will maintain his post after the restructure.
AT&T is mulling major organizational changes following its proposed $85 billion takeover of Time Warner.

According to the Wall Street Journal, AT&T will separate its wireless and satellite TV business from newly acquired Time Warner media assets, which includes HBO, Warner Bros., CNN, and more.

Under the new structure, AT&T chairman and CEO Randall Stephenson will maintain his post and have two segment chiefs working beneath him, similar to the executive setup over at Comcast.

AT&T subsidiary DirecTV will be combined with the company's telecom business under AT&T veteran John Donovan. AT&T executive John Stankey will run the Time Warner business, according to the WSJ report.

AT&T first announced plans to buy Time Warner last October. At the time, AT&T said the combined company would strive to become the first US mobile provider to compete with cable companies nationwide with bundled mobile broadband and video. The telco also said the deal would usher in new forms of original content built for mobile and social platforms.

"This is a perfect match of two companies with complementary strengths who can bring a fresh approach to how the media and communications industry works for customers, content creators, distributors and advertisers," Stephenson said in a statement at the time the merger was announced.

AT&T acquired DirecTV in 2015 for $49 billion to become the nation's largest pay-TV subscriber.