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FCC Nearing OK Of Comcast-NBCU Deal With Conditions
The Federal Communications Commission is reportedly just days away from approval of the merger between Comcast Corp. and NBC Universal with a battery of conditions, some designed to mitigate transaction-specific harms identified by the American Cable Association in detailed filings and economic studies submitted during the past year, according to news accounts.
The $30 billion Comcast-NBCU deal, announced Dec. 3, 2009, would put Comcast in control of 10 NBC TV stations, more than a dozen top-tier NBC national cable networks and about 9 regional sports networks – all-must have content for pay-TV providers, especially those that compete head-to-head with Comcast for cable and broadband subscribers. Comcast already is the largest cable operator and residential broadband access provider in the nation.
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- Prime Beachfront Spectrum For All (The Washington Post, 1/9)
You're probably reading this on junk. And I'm not talking about newsprint - industry woes aside, that's high-quality stuff.
- Comcast Cuts Cost Of Entry-Level Cable Package 25 Percent (The Philadelphia Inquirer, 1/9)
With the nation's unemployment rate relentlessly above 9 percent and cable subscribers cutting the cord, Comcast Corp. has lowered the price of its entry-level 50-channel TV-only package to $29.95 a month in the Philadelphia area, a 25 percent drop from its previous $39.95 level.
- Sec. Locke Announces New Office To Secure Online Transactions (The Hill, 1/9)
Commerce Secretary Gary Locke announced Friday his department will open a national office dedicated to increasing the security surrounding sensitive online transactions.
- Genachowski: Underused Broadcast Spectrum Needs To Be Repurposed (Broadcasting & Cable, 1/6)
FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski says that broadcasters who are not making "effective use of the capabilities of their spectrum" should have it put to a "higher use for other purposes."
- Walden Plans Aggressive Oversight of FCC (National Journal, 1/6)
When Republicans selected Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., to head a powerful subcommittee that oversees telecommunications policy, they sent a blunt message about their dislike of the Democratic-controlled Federal Communications Commission, National Journal reports.
- FCC: Protecting The 'Open Internet' - There's An App For That (Executive Gov, 1/6)
The Federal Communications Commission has put out a call for software developers to create “open Internet” applications for wired and mobile devices.
- ESPN Near Deal To Pay NFL Close To $2B Per Year For "MNF" Extension (Sports Business Daily, 1/5)
ESPN and the NFL have agreed to broad terms on a new media rights deal that will be worth nearly $2 billion per year.
- Blackburn Gets Dem Support On Bill To Strike Net Neutrality (The Hill, 1/5)
Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) filed legislation Wednesday to strike down Internet line regulations passed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in December.
- An Ex-Regulator's Predictions For 2011 (National Journal, 1/5)
The FCC has just finished a busy few months, first voting on a net neutrality order and then circulating a Comcast-NBC order to the full commission, which will likely be finalized in the next few weeks.
- Public Knowledge, Other Groups Push FCC To Find, Flex Its Retrans Muscle (Multichannel News, 1/4)
Public Knowledge, joined by the New America Foundation and The Benton Foundation, has written the Federal Communications Commission urging it to weigh in to the retrans issue with all the power they argue the agency already has at its disposal, including possibly regulating the rates broadcasters are increasingly charging for their TV station signals and mandating that they keep supplying their signals to MVPDs during disputes.
- A Television Deal For The Digital Age: How To Worry About The Comcast-NBC Universal Merger (Columbia Journalism Review, 1/2011)
Those in the know say you don’t need a television to watch TV anymore.
- Taking Media Mergers To The Next Level: Comcast/NBC Would Be Unprecedented Powerhouse (FAIR, 1/2011)
Over the last decade, dozens of media mergers and purchases have resulted in a media industry controlled by a handful of companies—and the cable giant Comcast wants to be one of them.
For more news, visit the Headlines Page on the ACA website.
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Across this vast country, small and rural markets participate in the digital revolution by receiving video, broadband, and phone services from nearly 900 small and medium-sized independent operators represented by the American Cable Association (ACA).
ACA’s members -- cable, phone, and fiber-to-the-home operators and municipalities -- deliver affordable basic and advanced services to about 7.6 million households and businesses. ACA members operate in every state, offering high-definition television, next generation Internet access, and digital phone service.
Access to advanced communications is not a luxury but a critical necessity for consumers and companies, schools and hospitals. America’s economic prosperity in smaller markets and rural areas depends on the growth and success of ACA members, who believe a connected nation, is a united nation.
The ACA asks lawmakers and regulators to ensure fair treatment so that small and medium-sized independent operators may continue to supply affordable video, broadband, and phone services to Main Street America. Through active participation in the policymaking process, ACA members and leaders advocate for the interests of their customers, their companies, and their communities to help ensure the continued viability of their way of life in hometown America.
For more information, visit www.americancable.org, or contact:
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