Roberts: NBC.Com Content Will Not Move To TV Everywhere
Comcast Chairman Brian Roberts has assured a House subcommittee that NBC.com content will not be migrated to the Comcast/Time Warner TV Everywhere model, which limits access to content to their cable subscribers.
Roberts was testifying at a House Communications & Internet Subcommittee hearing on the proposed $30 billion meld of the two companies.
Subcommittee Chairman Rick Boucher elicited that guarantee after expressing concern the new company could limit access to online content.
Roberts assured the committee that Comcast’s traditional content would continue to be made available on a nondiscriminatory basis as well. “We will be well served to make content available to all the players in the marketplace,” he said. “We want to see the content available and growing for the consumer.”
Spacecowboy commented:
Anyone who believes Comcast or Zucker about this is a complete and utter fool, I applaud Franken on this. I do however believe that it will not be ultimately enough, and I'm afraid, I HOPE NOT but I am afraid that he ( Franken) might simply be grandstanding.
If he doesn't get this merger stopped it WILL be the end of the broadcast affiliate model, almost guaranteed, which will cause a massive loss of jobs in the industry, it will spread to the other networks eventually also.
Any so called assurances will be useless. They always eventually are. They simply say, things have changed from when those promises were made and they take whatever fines or consequences are mandated, but the net result is the same.
I hope Franken stays the course on this, the broadcast model really depends on this support, as do thousands of careers
I predict however it will fade and Comcast and NBCU will merge and soon after, all NBC shows will be on NBC cable and .com. Zucker will get a massive payoff and never need another job, like Levin who screwed everyone with AOL.
This is Frankens moment to show and shine!