Clinton warns AT&T-Time Warner merger needs to be carefully monitored

US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton expressed concern over the proposed acquisition of Time Warner by telecoms giant AT&T.

AT&T agreed to buy the entertainment company for $85.4bn in a deal that has been scrutinised by regulators and lawmakers in the US, including Democrats and Republicans.

Donald Trump has already expressed his disagreement with the merger, and said he would block it if he were to be elected, describing it as "too much concentration of power in the hands of too few."

Former secretary of state Clinton is the latest to weigh in on the proposed acquisition, which is likely to face scrutiny from antitrust bodies.

"It raises questions and concerns and they should be looked into," Clinton told reporters on Wednesday.

"So I'm going to follow it closely, and obviously if I'm fortunate enough to be president, I will expect the government to conduct a very thorough analysis before making a decision."

The Democratic candidate's stance appears to be less committed towards blocking the purchase, which may well lead the two companies to believe she would permit it to go ahead.

Clinton's challenger in the primaries Bernie Sanders has spoken up strongly against the deal also, saying earlier this week that he would put pressure on her if she were to be elected.

"If Hillary Clinton is elected president we must do everything possible to make certain that her administration mounts a vigorous anti-trust effort," he told the Washington Post.

"We must reject the AT&T-Time Warner merger. We need more diverse media ownership, not less."