FCC Seeks More Information from Comcast on NBCU Merger

Not surprisingly, Comcast got its own laundry list of information requests from the FCC May 21 as the commission collected information from both the nation's largest MSO and NBC Universal as it prepares to resume its shot clock for vetting thier proposed $30 billion joint venture.
Like NBCU, Comcast was asked a number of questions about online video delivery, including any discussions about providing or not providing its progarmming to unaffiliated online video distributors like Boxee, Hulu, and iTunes.
The commission also asked for details on TV Everywhere, Fancast Xfinity, In Demand, and thePlatform.
On the program-access front, the commission wants a list of all requests for program carriage and an explanation of why requests were approved or denied, including whether there was any "price adjustment" related to distribution.
Not surprisingly, network management was on the menu as well. "Provide all strategic plans, policies, analyses, and presentations prepared for, presented to, reviewed by, discussed by, or considered by the Company's board of directors or the Company's executive management, or any member thereof, discussing the management of traffic via the Company's Broadband Access Service..." reads the FCC request, one of a total of 63 such requests.

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.