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Groups Urge FCC To Block NBC-Comcast Merger

Posted by Soulskill on from the my-tv-is-comcastic-enough-thanks dept.

GovTechGuy writes "A coalition of media companies, labor groups and privacy advocates have combined to urge the FCC to block the proposed merger of NBC Universal and cable giant Comcast. In a letter sent to the FCC Monday (PDF), the groups argue the new $30 billion entity would have unprecedented control over the media landscape, raising antitrust concerns. Among the threats listed are the potential for the new media giant to violate net neutrality and favor its own content both on television and online."

15 of 160 comments (clear)

  1. Makes sense to me... by nebaz · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I think monopoly is bad enough, but when you have businesses getting both into the content and distribution business, it allows for market abuse.

    --
    Rhymes that keep their secrets will unfold behind the clouds.There upon the rainbow is the answer to a neverending story
    1. Re:Makes sense to me... by PopeRatzo · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Yeah... it's like owning Park Place, Boardwalk, AND all the railroads at the same time. It sucks when it isn't you. :p

      No, it's a lot worse than that. In Monopoly, when someone else owns a lot of valuable properties, at least it's another player who has the same goals you have, albeit adversarial. When your opponent makes money, although he takes it from you, it at least stays in the game and the rules don't change. Through smart play and careful management, you at least have a chance to get some of that back. There is still capital in the game. You can borrow, you can play.

      When corporations own the same monopoly of say, all the railroads and both utilities, it changes the fundamental rules of the game. It doesn't just add to their holdings, it wrecks the game for everybody. They don't want to just beat you, they want to make it so that you can't ever play again. People tend to make some fundamental mistakes when thinking about corporations. They're not people. They're legal fictions with destruction of the market built into their fictional DNA. Their agenda is of a much different nature than yours or mine.

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    2. Re:Makes sense to me... by nine-times · · Score: 3, Insightful

      We've allowed them to take control of the discussion to the point where it's conventional wisdom that this nonexistent entity called the "free-market" is good and government is bad.

      Yes. The problem there is, they're not *exactly* flat-out wrong. A real free market is not necessarily absolutely "free", basically a situation where a consumer has real valid choices between multiple competing vendors. Very often, giving consumers real choice allows for greater economic efficiency than having any kind of central authority make economic choices for everyone.

      There are a couple problems, though. First, very often, the vendors will seek to limit the choices of the consumers, thereby subverting the supposed "free-market forces". This is most obvious in cases where a monopoly or cartel is able to arbitrarily set prices for necessary goods, but it happens in other more subtle ways.

      Second, though the "free market" is often more efficient, there may be cases where "efficiency" is not the chief concern. It can be "more efficient" to ignore safety standards in manufacturing. It can be "more efficient" for the police to simply arrest and jail whoever they think is guilty, without need of evidence or a trial.

      I like free markets, but I'm also in favor of good government. The "free market" is a method we use to organize ourselves in order to produce cheap stuff, but "government" is a method we use to organize ourselves to ensure our lives have safety and justice.

  2. I'm not worried by fortapocalypse · · Score: 3, Funny

    So what? I don't have Comcast.

    1. Re:I'm not worried by somaTh · · Score: 3, Funny

      So, it's okay for Comcast and NBC to merge then? What about Fox and Cox? Would you claim that rocks?

      --
      Nostalgia isn't what it used to be.
    2. Re:I'm not worried by jgagnon · · Score: 3, Funny

      They could have a very successful Furry channel together...

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      Remember to maintain your supply of /facepalm oil to prevent chafing.
    3. Re:I'm not worried by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I find it hard to believe that you don't use at least something in the following list all owned by NBC.

      NBC, Universal Studios, NBC Universal Television Group, NBC News, USA Network, Syfy, CNBC, MSNBC Cable TV, NBC.com, MSNBC.com, iVillage, Bravo, qubo, Telemundo Television Studios, The Weather Channel, Hulu, A&E Television Networks

      All from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NBC_Universal

    4. Re:I'm not worried by socrplayr813 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Personally, I only use one from that particular list (SciFi), and I wouldn't care too much if I lost it. Regardless, I'm still very concerned about NBC-Comcast because of the dangerous precedent it might set. If the merger went through and NBC-Comcast was able to start favoring its own content (even in a small way), you know it would only be a matter of time until Time Warner and such start making similar deals. By then, it may be too late to stop without turning the market upside-down.

      Turning the market upside-down may not be a bad thing, but I'd hate to have to find out that way.

      --
      The confidence of ignorance will always overcome the indecision of knowledge.
    5. Re:I'm not worried by frank_adrian314159 · · Score: 3, Funny

      What about Fox and Cox? Would you claim that rocks?

      That Fox and Cox! That Fox and Cox! I do not like that Fox and Cox. The merger rocks for Fox and Cox. But put them both into a box. And keep them both secured with locks.

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      That is all.
    6. Re:I'm not worried by Monkeedude1212 · · Score: 3, Informative

      So you're among the very few people who exist on the internet who don't access any of the regular forms of entertainment. Even I don't watch TV but given the movies I've SEEN in my lifetime let alone what I may want to see in the future, its nearly impossible to miss universal studios. Even if I had somehow managed to dodge every VCR, DVD, and Blu-ray in the world and never visitted a movie theatre I would have somehow played one of the video games loosely based off of one of their movies.

      And all of its really a moot point though - even if YOU aren't DIRECTLY affected, perhaps half of your friends are affected by NBC and with anti-trust media practices you'll get very 1 sided opinions forming, so you'll either have to ditch half your friends for being narrow minded, or you'll have to be annoyed by your friends every time they're around, or you and your friends will become the social outcasts of society. You know the kinds, who don't work well with others in the work-place because they can't talk about current events and if they do, they upset other people when they tell them they are wrong, and it won't matter if you're right because your manager will get pissed that you are refuting the very facts they believe coming from their "trusted source". It's like if you don't jump on board you're "That guy" that no one wants to invite out to lunch.

      However, if you live under a rock, like to play chess by yourself by torchlight, and only visit the internet by tapping binary into a magnetic rock that sends signals to an access point, than you probably won't be affected by this merger too much.

  3. Let it happen by jgagnon · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I vote to let it happen and then watch it fail. It may take a few years, but it will most certainly fail. If history is any indication, the bigger companies get the more out of touch they get with their customers and the more fragile their success becomes.

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    Remember to maintain your supply of /facepalm oil to prevent chafing.
    1. Re:Let it happen by NeutronCowboy · · Score: 5, Insightful

      But if you control the entire entertainment and delivery vertical for a population that has only one choice in delivery, then there is no need to be in touch with your customer. Remember ATT? "We're the phone company, we don't have to care."

      --
      Those who can, do. Those who can't, sue.
  4. Have to admire their gusto by elrous0 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    They apparently think that a glorified letter-writing campaign is a match for the lobbying (aka "bribing") money that a major corporation can throw at Washington. That's almost as adorable as an environmentalist in Texas or Alaska writing his Congressman asking him to oppose big oil. Even if you could get the FCC to listen, the lobbyists would just get their slaves in Congress to override them (just like they did on net neutrality).

    --
    SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
    1. Re:Have to admire their gusto by elrous0 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      You couldn't get 90% of voters to oppose Hitler.

      --
      SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
  5. Re:so you are ok with missing the 2012 games? 2010 by h4rr4r · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Since they play more human interest crap than events, I think many folks would be ok with missing the olympics.

    I realize those pieces are cheaper, but they are pointless.