Multistate Attorney General Group Eyeing Comcast/TWC Deal

The Florida and Connecticut attorney generals' offices confirm they are part of a multistate group reviewing the proposed Comcast/Time Warner Cable transaction effect on their states, along with Department of Justice's antitrust review.

Neither office would identify any other members of the group. "I can confirm that Connecticut is part of a multistate group reviewing the proposed transaction," said Connecticut attorney general director of communications Jaclyn Falkowski, but had no further comment.

Comcast has framed the $45 billion merger as necessary to match the scale of competitors and to extend fast broadband speeds and innovative services to current Time Warner Cable customers without harming competition since, says Comcast, they are simply expanding their footprint rather than supplanting a competitor.

Comcast has also offered to spin off 3 million subs to insure it is below the FCC's former cap on one operator's subs, even though that cap is no longer in effect and Comcast faces more competition from satellite and over-the-top providers than was the case when the cap was in effect.

Attorney generals similarly got together to vet the Comcast/NBC deal, which was eventually approved with various conditions, ones expected to be mirrored and perhaps expanded on if Comcast/TWC gets the green light.

Comcast had no comment.

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.