No upside to Delta/Northwest merger?

Jeff Poor of the Business & Media Institute writes Tuesday that network coverage of the proposed merger between Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines has mentioned few positives about the deal.

Poor writes, “The worst offender was ABC’s April 14 ‘World News with Charles Gibson.’

“‘It’s an unsettled time in the skies – planes grounded, flights cancelled, spiraling ticket prices,’ ABC correspondent Lisa Stark said. ‘And now, things could get even more complicated. Delta operates 1,500 flights a day with hubs in Atlanta, Cincinnati, New York and Salt Lake City. Northwest – some 1,200 flights a day with hubs in Detroit, Minneapolis and Memphis. Put the two together, and passengers could take a hit.’

“But the market isn’t as simple as that. For example, although both airlines say they won’t close any of their hub cities, ABC still said it was a possibility.”

Read more here.