Jan
21
Written by:
1/21/2011 5:38 AM
The Federal Communications Commission finally
inspired consensus. The conditions it imposed on the merger of Comcast and NBC
Universal drew brickbats from all corners. Anti-consolidation factions
grumbled. The pro-business camp carped. Democratic lawmakers wrung gloves.
Republicans barked like guard dogs.
The FCC had to do something, because that’s what it’s there for--to make sure
the biggest media merger in the nation’s history serves the “public interest.” The
mere concept of such a thing serving the public interest seems fancifully
archaic in the culture of full-on capitalism. Here’s what happens to me,
personally, if the Comcast-NBCU merger is not in the public interest--nothing. Bring
it.
Nonetheless, it was the FCC’s charter to devise public-interest standards for
the merger and it did, in 279 pages of eye-bleeding prose. The conditions essentially
require Comcast to behave and not drive competitors out of business. The
company has to provide programming to other TV providers, fair carriage to
networks it doesn’t own, open Internet access and a bunch of Eagle Scout-type
things like cheap broadband and computers for poor households and schools. For
seven years.
Comcast chief wizard Brian Roberts seemed okey-dokey with the requirements, probably
because his chieftains hammered them out with the FCC. “This is a proud and
exciting day for Comcast,” he said in a statement. “We are grateful for the
leadership of FCC chairman Julius Genachowski, Assistant Attorney General
Christine Varney, the other FCC commissioners and their staffs for the months
of hard work that went into reviewing an unprecedented number of documents and
public comments.”
But that won’t do for Republicans. Noooo. Here’s Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.),
chairman of the House Commerce Committee, along with some of his GOP cohorts: “The
FCC’s efforts to circumvent both the free market and courts by railroading job-
and investment-harming net neutrality provisions, as well as regulation of
nascent Internet-distributed video, represent more of a Chicago-style shakedown
than the thoughtful deliberation this transaction deserved. We will be
examining whether changes in the FCC’s transaction review process are needed as
we exercise congressional oversight in the weeks to come.”
Get that Chi-town reference?
Me-ow. Pffft Pffft. But neither were Democrats
OK with the outcome, though it was crafted by a Democratic commission. Oy! Here’s
West Virginia Sen. John D. Rockefeller, chairman of the Senate Commerce
Committee:
“I am very disappointed that the consumer protections were not stronger. . . .
I wish the FCC had made an effort to hold down consumer cable rates in this
transaction, because rates that rise as much as three times the rate of
inflation deserve a close look.” (Or competition from alternative platforms,
like over-the-air TV. But let’s not consider that a reason to block a spectrum
hijack.)
Hollywood scribes were likewise disappointed, for their own reasons. Members of
the Writers Guild of America West could be expected to object since their jobs
are steadily being outsourced to software and bicycle couriers with Flip
cameras.
“After a thorough review of yesterday’s announcements by the FCC and DOJ, the
WGAW disagrees with their decisions approving the Comcast-NBCU merger. Even
with the conditions... we believe this merger is anti-competitive and is
not in the public interest or the interests of our members.”
Here’s the Parents Television Council expressing its “deep disappointment” over
the merger approval. “On a far-too-regular basis, the American public is held
hostage in disputes between television programmers and video distributors; and
this regime is only likely to grow worse over time.”
That is the plan, of course. One of the merger conditions is that the
conglomathon’s 26 TV stations provide “thousands of additional hours of local
news and information programming.” Picture Disney’s Anne Sweeney holding two
outstretched fingers to the head of a couch potato while Comcast deputy Steve
Burke looks at his watch and yawns. That’s breaking news-cum-reality
programming:
“‘The Biggest Hoser,’ starring people just like you being held for ransom by
preternaturally attractive corporate executives!” Certainly that would be interesting
in a very public way.
-- Deborah D. McAdams
2 comment(s) so far...
McAdams On: The FCC Between a Rock and a Hard Place
contact@figomarketing.com
By on
1/21/2011 10:31 PM
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McAdams On: The FCC Between a Rock and a Hard Place
The version of this under "Features" has some comments, but this one under "Blogs" does not. Could they be unified?
By on
1/25/2011 5:31 AM
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