Staff attorneys at the U.S. Justice Department 's antitrust division are nearing a recommendation to block Comcast Corps . $ 45.2 billion proposal to merge with Time Warner Cable Inc. , Bloomberg Business reports . Citing people familiar with the matter , Bloomberg reports that attorneys investigating the proposal are concerned that such a merger would harm consumers and they may submit their review against the merger as early as next week . The final decision will be made by senior officials . Block : Staff attorneys at the U.S. Justice Department 's antitrust division are nearing a recommendation to block Comcast Corps . $ 45.2 billion proposal to merge with Time Warner Cable Inc. ( stock image ) As reports surface that the multi-billion-dollar deal may be blocked , a spokesman for TWC questioned the reports and told Reuters that the company has been working productively with both the DOJ and the Federal Communications Commission . 'We 've had no indication from the DOJ that [ the report ] is true , ' the spokesman said . The proposed collaboration of the two cable television companies , which have both suffered drops in shares recently , drew criticism from Comcast competitors and groups that oppose media consolidation , according to CNN Money . On Schedule : Just two months ago , Comcast CEO Brian Roberts told Wall street analysts that officials are excited about the merger and the planning for regulatory approval was on schedule . The merger has been under extreme scrutiny since it was announced last February . If the deal is successful , Comcast would become the nation 's leading cable and internet provider . And competitors fear that the deal would allow the company to unilaterally set programming prices for the entire industry , the LA Times reports . Just two months ago , Comcast CEO Brian Roberts told Wall street analysts that officials are excited about the merger and the planning for regulatory approval was on schedule , according to the LA Times . However , a Comcast spokeswoman told CNN that the merger would result in 'significant consumer benefits . ' 'These benefits have been essentially unchallenged in the record -- and all can be achieved without any reduction of competition , ' she added . 'As a result , there is no basis for a lawsuit to block the transaction . ' Productively : A spokesman for TWC questioned the recent reports saying that the company has been working productively with both the DOJ and the Federal Communications Commission . Time Warner Cable : Photographed is Time Warner Cable Inc. CEO Robert Marcus , who has held the position since January 2014 . On Friday , a group of companies , public interest groups , and associations wrote a letter to FCC Chair Tom Wheeler opposing the deal that would combine the nation 's biggest and second biggest cable television operators . 'The combined company would , among other things : control over half of the high-speed residential broadband connections in the United States ; dominate pay-TV across the nation ; combine even stronger distribution muscle with NBC-Universal 's 'must-have ' video programming ; and control critical advertising and set top-box inputs , ' the letter stated according to Reuters . ' ... the Commission should reject this merger because it would result in too much power in the hands of one company . '
Attorneys at the U.S. Justice Department may reportedly block Comcast Corps . Comment: Attorneys with the DOJ 's antitrust division are concerned that the merger would hurt consumers . Officials from both Comcast and Time Warner Cable have denied the reports .