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story category Comcast NBC Deal Could Face FCC Conditions
When a company owns the pipe -- and the content...
09:28AM Thursday Nov 12 2009 by Karl Bode
tags: competition · business · cable
Comcast's acquisition of and/or merger with NBC Universal appears to be all but a done deal, but the regulatory approval of such a giant merger appears to be anything but certain. If approved, Reuters proudly proclaims that "FCC conditions on Comcast-NBC could hurt synergy" (apparently the possibility that conditions could help consumers didn't make it past editors.) Consumer advocates are asking a lot of questions about a company as large as Comcast controlling both the delivery pipe for broadband, voice and TV -- as well as a giant slice of the content being delivered over those pipes. They're questions you can be sure it will take Congress and the FCC a long time to ask -- meaning that once closed, the deal could take another year or more for approval.

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Forums » Comcast NBC Deal Could Face FCC Conditions
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Steimes
I make internets
Premium
join:2002-01-08
Belle Vernon, PA

congress = comcast?

Freudian slip?

bigunk
Gort, Klattu Birada Nikto

join:2001-02-10
Santa Clarita, CA

Approval...

"meaning that once closed, the deal could take another year or more for approval."

Meaning finding the right congressmen and determining the right amount to bribe them with.

TKJunkMail
Enjoy the sun
Premium
join:2002-03-03
Avalon, NJ
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
·Comcast

Re: Approval...

said by bigunk See Profile :

"meaning that once closed, the deal could take another year or more for approval."

Meaning finding the right congressmen and determining the right amount to bribe them with.
No, meaning that bureaucrats take way too long to do anything. If regulatory agencies aren't given time limits to rule, then they would take forever given the nature of bureaucrats. The FCC, for certain things, have limits defining when they must approve or disapprove. I am not sure what those limits are, if any, on ruling on mergers.
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bigunk
Gort, Klattu Birada Nikto

join:2001-02-10
Santa Clarita, CA

Re: Approval...

You're right. They take way too long. Why? They're waiting for the stack of moolah to get high enough. It's a game.

The Dv8or
DSLReports Forums -- The Mouse House 2.0
Premium
join:2001-08-09
Danbury, CT
clubs:

Re: Approval...

said by bigunk See Profile :

You're right. They take way too long. Why? They're waiting for the stack of moolah to get high enough. It's a game.
Yet if it went through quickly, you'd be all over how they just pushed it throug because they were bribed.

Yeah, Congress works in a lot of shitty ways, but it's always a no-win situation with you people.
--
You're so vain... I bet you think this post is about you.

bigunk
Gort, Klattu Birada Nikto

join:2001-02-10
Santa Clarita, CA
·AT&T Yahoo

Re: Approval...

True that. Never works for we the people. Or if it does, it's the small shit that makes no real difference in our lives. Then the politicians crow about how effective they are by showing us how they moved quickly on ineffective things. They then get voted in again, and it's wash-rinse-repeat.
--
There is not a man in the country that can't make a living for himself and family. But he can't make a living for them AND his government, the way his government is living. What the government has got to do is live as cheap as the people.
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Nsane_iceman
Workaholic
Premium
join:2001-02-26
North Richland Hills, TX
clubs:

Re: Approval...

said by bigunk See Profile :

True that. Never works for we the people. Or if it does, it's the small shit that makes no real difference in our lives. Then the politicians crow about how effective they are by showing us how they moved quickly on ineffective things. They then get voted in again, and it's wash-rinse-repeat.
Like the $2 from Verizon to Florida customers...
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mod_wastrel

join:2008-03-28

NBC-Universal... a "giant slice"?

Funny.

As far as Congress and the FCC taking a long time for approval... I think you're giving them too much credit.
rdmiller

join:2005-09-23
Richmond, VA

Fundamental questions

This overlooks the fundamental question: Why would Comcast want to own 49% of NBC in the first place? And if GE was going to dump NBC after the Beijing Olympics, why is it willing to accept this sloppy-seconds alternative?

SLD
Premium
join:2002-04-17

Re: Fundamental questions

I believe, Comcast will own 51%.
UncleDirtNap

join:2006-08-26
Pittsburgh, PA
·Verizon FIOS

Killing two birds with one stone.

As if I didn't have enough reasons to hate Comcast and NBCU individually having barred them both from my home in perpetuity three years ago ...

Now I don't have to spend any more time debating which is the more vile, repugnant, anti-American, anti-consumer, anti-freedom company; they've combined their hideousness in to one wretched monstrosity that I can focus all my disdain at.

When Republicans mop the floor in 2010 and take back Congress I will be calling my representatives non-stop demanding they put an end to forced bundling by Cable companies and put an end to their ill-gotten gains once and for all.

Transmaster
Don't Blame Me I Voted For Bill and Opus

join:2001-06-20
Cheyenne, WY
·Qwest.net


1 edit

Re: Killing two birds with one stone.

I don't know what the big deal is, with and average of 14 viewers per time period NBC isn't what you would call a popular place to spend an evening in front of the boob tube. Then there is MSNBC which is the best thing that has ever happened to Foxnews. With Lew Dobbs leaving MSNBC with his 32 viewers what is going to happen now.

Lew Dobb's was with CNN, not MSNBC, I don't watch either so they are all the same to me.
--
I am quite sure now that often, very often, in matters concerning religion and politics a man's reasoning powers are not above the monkey's.
- Mark Twain in Eruption
UncleDirtNap

join:2006-08-26
Pittsburgh, PA
·Verizon FIOS

Re: Killing two birds with one stone.

And that's the very point; what with their 36 viewers they still manage to retain a slot on ever major cable provider and take a slice of every bill because of the practice of forced bundling.

I'll keep hounding my representatives until my grave or until NBC, CNN and other stations I've locked out of my home's viewing selection years ago stop getting a slice of my monthly bill for service they DO NOT provide me and further allowing them to misrepresent to their advertisers that their programming is available in my household.

Ebolla

join:2005-09-28
Dracut, MA

Re: Killing two birds with one stone.

if you lock a channel out from being viewed on your own how exactly is this comcast not providing it to you? They are offering the channel, you choose not to watch it, that doesn't mean you should get the cost of channel removed from bill. You want ala carte pricing? Find a sat. provider that will give that to you.

roymustang
Premium
join:2002-01-12
Oxford, MS
Dobbs was at CNN.

Transmaster
Don't Blame Me I Voted For Bill and Opus

join:2001-06-20
Cheyenne, WY
·Qwest.net

Re: Killing two birds with one stone.

said by roymustang See Profile :

Dobbs was at CNN.
Whoops you are right These propaganda cable news channels are all the same to me.
--
I am quite sure now that often, very often, in matters concerning religion and politics a man's reasoning powers are not above the monkey's.
- Mark Twain in Eruption
vannyx
Premium
join:2003-07-07
Bronx, NY
why wait. Write your elected official now. and during the next election make sure the candidates know that this is important to you.
UncleDirtNap

join:2006-08-26
Pittsburgh, PA
·Verizon FIOS

Re: Killing two birds with one stone.

I have and in 2006 when Republicans were in control of Congress a bill was sponsored to end the practice of forced bundling but then Democrats took over and it was immediately shelved.

Not coincidentally the top ten recipients of campaign contributions from Comcast, Time Warner, NBC Universal and the rest of the cable and entertainment lobby were Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Hillary Clinton, Barrack Obama and the other top members of the Democratic Congressional leadership.

It's a very "sweet" arrangement they have amongst themselves, The cable channels pimp for the Democrats in their programming at every opportunity and the Democrats work to protect their unethical practices and keep the money flowing to them in return, a significant percentage of which goes right back into the campaign coffers.

But it looks good that things are going to finally change in 2010.

castsucks

@sbcglobal.net

just think how bad it will be with the Versus thing on chann

just think how bad it will be with the Versus thing on channels that have much more views on them.

IT good that they only own 20% of csn Chicago so they will have had time making that cable only. Also I don't thing that the NFL will let them make Sunday night football cable only much less not on OTA for the local area as even the epsn MNF games are on OTA for the local area.

We may end up with the 2012 games cable only (the ios and us ios make be able to stop that) but after that likely fox or espn for 2016 or later.

It time to now plan to have a good bittorrent for SGU in HD if sci-fi goes cable only and you have to pay $75 OR MORE + $8-$10 HD per tv or + $15 - $20 HD DVR per tv to get it in Chicago land vs $75 + $5 for each box after box 1 for HD and DVR on direct tv with out heaving to pay even for the sports pack on comcarp to get speed and fox movie channel.
ski93

join:2005-02-14
Northwood, NH

Comcast NBC Deal Could Face FCC Conditions

It gives comcast the entire NBC catalog for ondemand viewing
Joe12345678

join:2003-07-22
Des Plaines, IL

Re: Comcast NBC Deal Could Face FCC Conditions

said by ski93 See Profile :

It gives comcast the entire NBC catalog for ondemand viewing
that makes you pay for OTA content.
Forums » Comcast NBC Deal Could Face FCC Conditions


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