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Franken dismayed at cable merger news

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Sen. Al Franken
U.S. Sen. Al Franken (D-MN).
Alex Wong/Getty Images

Minnesota Sen. Al Franken says he's skeptical of the proposed merger between AT&T and Direct TV.

The companies announced the $48.5 billion deal on Sunday. The agreement could face anti-trust scrutiny from the Federal Communications Commission and the Department of Justice.

Franken, who serves on the Senate Judiciary Committee, told MPR News' The Daily Circuit he's concerned because the plan follows the proposed merger between telecom giants Comcast and Time Warner.

"It's a very bad trend that in this very, very, very crucial space, that we're just seeing concentration and bigger and bigger companies gobbling each other up. And that is a disturbing trend to me," he said.

Franken has publicly opposed the Comcast/Time Warner deal. He said he intends to look closely at AT&T's plan to buy Direct TV as well.

The Minnesota Democrat has focused on technology-related issues during his first term in the Senate. Several Republicans are competing to challenge his re-election bid in November.