AT&T is close to announcing that it will buy the No. 1 U.S. satellite TV operator DirecTV, in the second potentially transformative deal to jolt the U.S. television industry this year. The No. 2 U.S. cellular operator, which also has some TV and broadband services, has been in active discussions to buy DirecTV for nearly $50 billion, or low to mid-$90s per share. The deal would expand AT&T's reach and allow it to bundle new services.
