Groups in Opposition to Comcast/NBCU Merger Will Outline Complaints Wednesday

Reps from MAP, Wealth TV, Free Press and others push for scrutiny on access, pricing and diversity

By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 2/2/2010 3:43:35 PM

Groups opposing part or all of the Comcast/NBCU merger will outline their beefs in a conference call Wednesday (Feb. 3), the day before back-to-back hearings on the $30 billion deal in the House and Senate.

Representatives of Media Access Project, Wealth TV (whose program carriage complaint is still pending before the FCC), the Communications Workers of America, Free Press and the American Cable Association all argued the FCC and the Justice Department need to look closely at a number of issues, including pricing, program diversity and access to programming on-air as well as online.

Comcast does not disagree that the government needs to look at those issues, but says its conclusion should be that the deal is pro-competitive and consumer-friendly.  Comcast argues that they will enact voluntary conditions and existing FCC rules that protect access to, and carriage of, programming.