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FCC Chair Seeks Comcast-NBC Merger Conditions

Posted by Soulskill on from the go-stifle-yourself dept.

Anarki2004 writes with this excerpt from an Associated Press report: "The head of the Federal Communications Commission is proposing regulatory conditions to ensure that cable TV giant Comcast Corp. cannot stifle competition in the video market once it takes control of NBC Universal. The conditions laid out Thursday by FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski are intended to guarantee that satellite providers and other rival television services can still carry marquee NBC programming and that new Internet video distributors can get the content they need to grow and compete. ... Genachowski wants to ensure that Comcast won't be able to use its control over NBC's vast media empire to withhold content from emerging online competitors such as Netflix Inc., Amazon.com Inc. and Apple Inc. — locking consumers into costly monthly cable bills to get access to a wide range of popular programming. Genachowski now needs at least two of the other four FCC commissioners to back his proposal, and he is likely to make modifications to win the support he needs to cap off the yearlong regulatory review."

6 of 68 comments (clear)

  1. Really? by Thornburg · · Score: 5, Insightful

    So let me get this straight.

    The head of the FCC has just said, "We know this merger could be bad for consumers in several ways. Here are the ways: 'A, B, C'. However, I'd like to let the merger go through, if Comcast just promises not to do those bad things."

    Genius. Trust a business to put the interests of the people ahead of their profit. Sounds like a brilliant plan.

    Even if the promise is backed by punishment if they break it, it's still a terrible idea, and there's no way they can cover every bad thing Comcast could do in the promise.

  2. They might be sued otherwise by betterunixthanunix · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Suppose the FCC showed some spine and said, "No, this is not a merger that we can allow to happen, it would not be in the best interests of the American public." Comcast would sue, and say something to the effect of, "The FCC is going to prevent us from becoming more profitable than we already are, which is clearly a bad thing!" to which the judge would reply, "Hm, yes, you do need to be more profitable," and the FCC would be overruled. The problem is much broader: our government has forgotten that it is supposed to do what is best for all its citizens, not just those who hold stock in large corporations.

    --
    Palm trees and 8
  3. conditions? lol by Weezul · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I'd like to see them break up both Comcast and NBC into smaller regional outfits. :P

    --
    The Christian religion has been and still is the principal enemy of moral progress in the world. -- Bertrand Russell
  4. Content vs Distribution by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I'd be happy if there were laws against the joining of Content and Distribution. This vertical model is bad for the marketplace and for consumers.

  5. Vertical Integration by BlueBoxSW.com · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Is what this is. Anticompetitive practices is what it is ALL about.

    They're not doing this to save money in their accounting offices.

    They're doing this so they can make life hard on other cable/internet providers.

    And that's exactly what will happen.

    If you don't want that to happen, this right here, is the moment in time to do something about it.

  6. Extortion by loafing_oaf · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Why does every voting official, regardless of position, now demand some type of additional compensation in the form of concessions before they'll vote?

    --
    Always someone has power over you. The thing to consider is this: Is the power good, or bad?