ABC Ignores Congressional Support, Only Shows Backlash to Northwest/Delta Merger

Photo of Jeff Poor.
By Jeff Poor | April 16, 2008 - 16:58 ET

If you didn't know any better, you might think ABC correspondent Lisa Stark has a personal vendetta against airline mergers.

For the second consecutive night, Stark gave viewers every reason to oppose a merger between Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) and Northwest Airlines (NYSE:NWA) on the April 15 "World News with Charles Gibson." This time it came in the form of opposition on Capitol Hill.

"But there was swift opposition," ABC correspondent Lisa Stark said. "A powerful lawmaker from Minnesota, where Northwest is based, called it one of the worst developments in aviation history."

Story Continues Below Ad ↓

"If this merger goes forward, other carriers will follow," pro-union Democratic Congressman James Oberstar said. "There will be a cascade of mergers."

Stark didn't include a legislator who supports the merger or even a Republican congressman that might oppose it. However, there are several.

Republican Sen. Johnny Isakson, a powerful lawmaker from Georgia, where Delta Air Lines is based, "strongly supports the merger." Also according the article, the ranking Republican Senator on the Judiciary Committee isn't voicing opposition to the merger.

"Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, the senior Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which deals with antitrust issues, said the department won't be deterred if its antitrust investigators decide the merger won't reduce overall competition," Marilyn Geewax wrote in the AJC.

According to the April 16 issue of Politico, Sens. Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker, both Republicans from Tennessee, support the merger. Their state includes Memphis, one of the hub cities for Northwest Airlines.

"This merger is vitally important for Tennesseans," Alexander said to Politico. "We have been assured that the new airline will maintain a strong presence in Memphis, and we will continue working to make sure that is the case."

Comments Policy

All comments are owned by whoever posted them and are subject to our terms of use. They should not be assumed to represent the views of NewsBusters.

Viewing options

Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.

stark

There is no true investigation anymore just agenda all the time.This woman,s name is the great outlook on life for her ilk.  

I have no idea if any of

I have no idea if any of these mergers are going to work or not. Apparently something had to be done, otherwise I doubt that these competitors would be talking mergers. I wonder how the MSM will feel if or when one of the big legacy carriers goes under...

Wow, this merger is sure popular 'round here.

I want it to happen, too, but I doubt it's going to make flying even a tiny bit cheaper or more pleasant if/when it the government allows it.
JMR

The tax & spend drug war looks racist in the real world.