$85.4-bn AT&T-Time Warner deal not yet dead, says Dish CEO Ergen

US Department of Justice asked AT&T to sell CNN-parent Turner Broadcasting or its DirecTV satellite TV operation

AT&T Inc's proposed acquisition of Time Warner, which is being scrutinised by the US Department of Justice, may not be dead yet, Dish Network Corp Chief Executive Charlie Ergen said.

"By no means is it dead and I think there certainly may be ways they can work it out," Ergen said on a post-earnings conference call with analysts on Thursday.

The US Department of Justice has demanded significant asset sales to approve the $85.4 billion deal, sources told Reuters on Wednesday, and has asked AT&T to sell CNN-parent Turner Broadcasting or its DirecTV satellite TV operation in discussions on Monday.

"There definitely would be a huge concentration of content and distribution in one company and the net effect of that, as many people have highlighted in the press and to the Justice Department, certainly could have a negative impact on the consumer," Ergen said.