Content Providers -- Be Afraid of the AT&T/T-Mobile Merger Monday, March 21, 2011 By Jerry Del Colliano Tell me what about the merger of AT&T with T-Mobile is good for anything or anyone – other than AT&T. Once the news came out this weekend and it sunk in, I said OMG -- Oh My God, this is big – for content providers like us, radio and traditional media businesses that want to take advantage of residing on all those cool Apple and Android devices that are flying out of retail stores. If you read any of the news accounts of the just-announced AT&T purchase of T-Mobile, just about everything written is about how the deal will benefit AT&T and hurt competitors. One of the few good things about radio and record industry people who have been screwed into mediocrity by consolidation is that we have the capability of knowing exactly what is going to happen when there are only three major cellular companies left – AT&T, Verizon and the much smaller Sprint. This article reveals the growing threat to content providers by a handful of gatekeepers that get to charge a digital toll each month to your fans and customers. 1.  The odds that the AT&T merger is approved by regulators.  Remember this is like Clear Channel, Cumulus and Entercom owning everything in radio. 2.  The threat to you if you are a radio station or pure play operator streaming music for a living. 3.  The fail-safe plan for content providers who are increasingly using more video and audio as part of their content. 4.  The only thing that can stop AT&T, Verizon and Sprint if this merger gets approved and this will truly shock you. 5.  What happens to slam-dunk consumer cellular expenses like that $20 a month texting fee?  There is a change slowly happening regarding consumers and texting.  Do you know what it is? 6.  What is the best strategy for content providers to safeguard against some of the roadblocks that cellular consolidation will throw at you?   I’ll name three things you can be aware of starting today. If you’ve been considering accessing Inside Music Media every day, today is a great day to start. If you would like to read this story, have access to my entire archive (over 1,200 pieces) and get the next month of my writing included, click “read more” for your choices.  Read more at Inside Music Media You are receiving this email because you are a subscriber to Inside Music Media Click here to unsubscribe or manage your account.