The FCC Should Deny Comcast’s Takeover of NBC-Universal
Posted June 22nd, 2010 by Moira Vahey
Yesterday, Free Press and public interest allies called on the Federal Communications Commission to reject Comcast’s proposed acquisition of NBC-Universal by filing a “petition to deny” the merger with the agency.
The FCC’s public comment period on the merger ended yesterday.
Since the mega-merger was first announced, we have highlighted the major impact it would have on consumers. If the government approves the merger, Comcast will be able to block competitors, force unwanted program “bundles” on other cable and DBS systems, and discriminate against competing programmers seeking carriage. Thanks to this merger, the public is likely to see higher cable rates, fewer programming choices, less diversity, inhibited online innovation, and possible job losses.
Here is a quick review of what happened yesterday:
- 31,454 comments were filed in the FCC’s Comcast docket – a record for major merger filings, according to Politico.
- Free Press submitted a 152-page “petition to deny,” which is our formal filing to oppose the Comcast-NBC merger.
- Free Press, along with thirteen other companies and public interest groups, submitted a letter calling on the FCC to stop the Comcast merger.
- Nearly 34,000 people signed a Free Press petition calling on the FCC to stop the Comcast-NBC merger.
Now the FCC is charged with analyzing the merger and determining whether or not it is beneficial to the public. In order for a merger to be approved by the FCC, burden of proof is actually on Comcast to show the agency that this transaction will provide clear benefits to the public. So far, Comcast has not offered any merger conditions that deliver much beyond the status quo or adequately address our concerns.
Common sense alone should dictate that this merger is bad for the public – just look at the alarming market power a Comcast-NBC duo would wield, Comcast’s terrible customer service record, and the company’s lies to Congress and federal authorities.
Free Press’ comments also provide a comprehensive look at how the Comcast-NBC merger could threaten the future of online video and leverage its power to withhold popular content and raise costs for competing video providers – and leave consumers paying more for less.
Read Free Press’ comments here.
Stay tuned. There is much more to come on this mega-merger and your participation is crucial as we enter the upcoming stages of review. Next up:
- The House Commerce Committee’s July 8th hearing on the merger in Chicago;
- The FCC’s July 13th hearing in Chicago;
- Comcast will submit reply comments on July 21; and,
- The public deadline to respond will be August 5.
