February, 19 2010, 03:33pm EDT
Industry and Consumer Groups Call on Comcast to Withdraw from Program Access Litigation Against FCC
Comcast's Continued Fight with FCC Calls into Question Promises the Company Made to Congress
WASHINGTON
Today consumer and industry groups concerned with the proposed
Comcast-NBC Universal merger called on Comcast Corp. to back up its new
promises of good behavior before Congress by withdrawing from its court
attack against the Federal Communications Commission on critical
pro-competition rules for the pay-TV distribution market.
"Under pressure from merger critics, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts
belatedly promised Congress that his company would abide by FCC program
access rules even if the courts declared them invalid," said Corie Wright,
policy counsel for Free Press. "Why would Comcast continue to spend
shareholder dollars trying to overturn an FCC regulation that its CEO
promises to follow regardless of the case's outcome? The fact that
Comcast didn't withdraw from the litigation raises concerns about
whether Comcast can be trusted to follow through on its commitment."
"Comcast seems to be promising federal regulators that it will abide
by the same rules that it now, in federal court, is seeking to have
thrown out," added Larry Cohen, president of the
Communications Workers of America. "What does it say about Comcast's
overall 'public interest commitments' when it so clearly is working to
undercut public policy for program access."
In the 1992 Cable Act, Congress adopted program access requirements
to ensure that competing multichannel video programming distributors
(MVPDs) had guaranteed access to satellite-delivered cable programming
owned or controlled by large incumbent cable operators like Comcast.
Twice renewed by the FCC, these pro-competition rules ensure that
programming distributors -- especially smaller, rural providers -- are
not cut off from video programming vital to their competitive success
in the marketplace.
On Dec. 3, 2009, Comcast and NBC Universal announced their $30
billion merger and agreed to an assortment of commitments that are
insufficient to address the serious public interest harms that will be
caused by this combining of media giants.
One of Comcast-NBCU's commitments dealt with applying FCC program
access rules to retransmission consent negotiations with NBC
owned-and-operated TV stations. The commitment would last, Comcast and
NBCU advised the public, "for as long as the FCC's current program
access rules remain in place."
Conspicuously absent from Comcast-NBCU's list of promises was any
acknowledgment that Comcast is at the same time asking the U.S. Court
of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to toss out the most meaningful feature
of the program access rules: The ban on exclusive contracts between
cable operators and affiliated cable networks delivered via satellite.
"What Comcast conveniently failed to tell regulators is that it has
no intention of letting the FCC rules remain in place," said Andrew Jay Schwartzman,
president and CEO of Media Access Project. "If Comcast is successful in
eliminating the ban, the FCC's current program access rules would no
longer exist, and Comcast's commitment will have vanished before the
merger review is even concluded."
It remains to be seen whether Comcast will also challenge the FCC's
newly adopted regulations closing the so-called terrestrial loophole in
the program access rules. Until recently, the program access rules
covered programming delivered only by satellite. But these new rules
extend the program access regime to programming transmitted
terrestrially -- a change critical to ensuring that Comcast can't lock
up regional sports programming. Comcast opposed the adoption of the
rules during the FCC rulemaking proceeding.
"If Comcast challenges the application of these new rules in court
or at the FCC, it would further undermine the company's promise of good
behavior," said Jill Canfield, senior regulatory
counsel for the National Telecommunications Cooperative Association.
"Comcast has said that that program access rules are enough to protect
competition if the merger is approved -- but that's not very reassuring
so long as the company continues to chip away at these very same
protections."
Read the full letter here: www.freepress.net/file/Comcast_Program_Access_Litigation_Letter.pdf
The signatories to the letter are:
The American Cable Association
Communications Workers of America
Consumer Federation of America
Consumers Union
Free Press
Media Access Project
The National Telecommunications Cooperative Association
The Organization for the Promotion and Advancement of Small Telecommunications Companies
Public Knowledge
The Rural Independent Competitive Alliance
The Satellite Broadcasting & Communications Association
The Sports Fan Coalition
Free Press was created to give people a voice in the crucial decisions that shape our media. We believe that positive social change, racial justice and meaningful engagement in public life require equitable access to technology, diverse and independent ownership of media platforms, and journalism that holds leaders accountable and tells people what's actually happening in their communities.
(202) 265-1490LATEST NEWS
Democratic Leaders Face Backlash Over 'Cowardly' Responses to Trump War on Iran
"As we plunge headlong into another catastrophic war, Sen. Schumer and Rep. Jeffries’ throat-clearing and process critique only serves Trump and the war machine."
Mar 01, 2026
The top Democrats in the US Congress, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, faced backlash on Saturday over what critics described as tepid, equivocal responses to President Donald Trump's illegal assault on Iran—and for slowwalking efforts to prevent the war before the bombing began.
While both Democratic leaders chided Trump for failing to seek congressional authorization and not adequately briefing lawmakers on the details of Saturday's attacks, neither offered a full-throated condemnation of a military assault that has killed hundreds so far, including dozens of children, and hurled the Middle East into chaos.
Schumer (D-NY)—who infamously worked to defeat the 2015 nuclear deal that Trump later abandoned during his first White House term, setting the stage for the current crisis—said he "implored" US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to "be straight with Congress and the American people about the objectives of these strikes and what comes next."
"Iran must never be allowed to attain a nuclear weapon," he added, "but the American people do not want another endless and costly war in the Middle East when there are so many problems at home."
Jeffries (D-NY), a beneficiary of AIPAC campaign cash, said in his response to the massive US-Israeli assault that "Iran is a bad actor and must be aggressively confronted for its human rights violations, nuclear ambitions, support of terrorism, and the threat it poses to our allies like Israel and Jordan in the region."
"The Trump administration must explain itself to the American people and Congress immediately, provide an ironclad justification for this act of war, clearly define the national security objective, and articulate a plan to avoid another costly, prolonged military quagmire in the Middle East," said Jeffries.
The Democratic leaders' responses bolstered the view that their objections to Trump's attack on Iran are based on procedure, not opposition to war.
This is a disgusting and cowardly statement handwringing about process and the need for a briefing.
No you idiot. This war is a horror and a disaster and must be directly opposed. Any Democrat who can’t say that needs to resign and ESPECIALLY the ones in leadership. https://t.co/CdZoEyNkOy
— Krystal Ball (@krystalball) February 28, 2026
Claire Valdez, a New York state assemblymember who is running for Congress, said that "as we plunge headlong into another catastrophic war, Sen. Schumer and Rep. Jeffries’ throat-clearing and process critique only serves Trump and the war machine."
"Democrats should speak clearly and with one voice: no war," Valdez added.
Schumer and Jeffries both committed to swiftly forcing votes on War Powers resolutions in their respective chambers. But reporting last week by Aída Chávez of Capital & Empire indicated that top Democrats worked behind the scenes to slow momentum behind the resolutions, helping ensure they did not come to a vote before Trump launched the war.
"The preferred outcome of many AIPAC-aligned Senate Democrats, according to a senior foreign policy aide to Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, is that Trump acts unilaterally, weakening Iran while absorbing the domestic backlash ahead of the midterms," Chávez wrote.
Neither Schumer nor Jeffries backed legislation last year aimed at forestalling US military intervention in Iran.
The top Democrats' responses to Saturday's US-Israeli attacks on Iran, which Trump said would continue "uninterrupted" even after the killing of the nation's supreme leader, contrasted sharply with statements of rank-and-file congressional Democrats—and even some members of leadership—who condemned the president for shredding the Constitution and driving the US into another deadly war that the American public opposes.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), who has been floated as a possible 2028 challenger to Schumer, said Saturday that "the American people are once again dragged into a war they did not want by a president who does not care about the long-term consequences of his actions."
"This war is unlawful. It is unnecessary. And it will be catastrophic," said Ocasio-Cortez. "This is a deliberate choice of aggression when diplomacy and security were within reach. Stop lying to the American people. Violence begets violence. We learned this lesson in Iraq. We learned this lesson in Afghanistan. And we are about to learn it again in Iran. Bombs have yet to create enduring democracies in the region, and this will be no different."
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), a vice chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, was more blunt.
"Congress must stop the bloodshed by immediately reconvening to exert its war powers and stop this deranged president," she said. "But let’s be clear: Warmongering politicians from both parties support this illegal war, and it will take a mass anti-war movement to stop it."
Keep ReadingShow Less
Trump Says Bombing of Iran to Continue 'Uninterrupted' After Reported Killing of Supreme Leader
"For Iranians already suffering under repression, sanctions, and economic hardship, this escalation will mean only more pain," said the president of the National Iranian American Council.
Feb 28, 2026
US President Donald Trump and Israeli officials claimed Iran's supreme leader, 86-year-old Ali Khamenei, was killed in an airstrike on Saturday, along with other senior Iranian figures.
The US and Israeli militaries targeted Khamenei and other Iranian leaders with their opening barrage of strikes, part of an operation that was reportedly planned for months—with the launch date decided weeks ago—even as Trump claimed to be open to a diplomatic off-ramp. NPR, citing an anonymous source, reported that an Israeli strike killed Khamenei.
Trump made clear that Khamenei's alleged killing, which the Iranian government has not confirmed, would not stop the deadly military onslaught, which the US president launched in coordination with Israel without authorization from Congress and in clear violation of international law. The US president said explicitly in remarks early Saturday that his goal was to topple the Iranian government—something that analysts stressed is not synonymous with assassinating the supreme leader.
In a Truth Social post, Trump wrote that "heavy and pinpoint bombing... will continue, uninterrupted throughout the week or, as long as necessary to achieve our objective of PEACE THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE EAST AND, INDEED, THE WORLD!"
Iran has responded to the US and Israeli assault with drone and missile attacks on Israel and American military bases across the Middle East. The US Central Command said in a statement that there have not yet been any reports of American casualties and that "damage to US installations was minimal."
In Iran, more than 200 people have been killed by US-Israeli airstrikes and around 700 others injured, according to the Iranian Red Crescent, a toll that's sure to grow in the coming days as rescue workers search through rubble. More than 80 people—mostly young children—were killed in an Israeli strike on a school in southern Iran.
Jamal Abdi, president of the National Iranian American Council, said in a statement that "for Iranians already suffering under repression, sanctions, and economic hardship, this escalation will mean only more pain."
“Bombing Tehran will not bring security. It will endanger civilians, place US service members at risk, empower the most repressive and violent elements inside Iran, and destabilize the region for years to come," said Abdi. "Congress must act immediately to reassert its constitutional authority and halt further escalation. The pending War Powers resolutions must come to a vote without delay. Lawmakers must make clear that there is no authorization for war with Iran."
Keep ReadingShow Less
'More Horrific Death and Destruction Will Come,' Warns Tlaib as Israeli Strike Kills Dozens of Iranian Kids
"These acts of war threaten to ignite a catastrophic regional war that will make no one safer while unleashing unconscionable suffering," said US Rep. Rashida Tlaib.
Feb 28, 2026
More than 50 young children were reportedly killed Saturday by an Israeli airstrike on southern Iran as the US and Israel carried out joint attacks across the country. A local official told Iranian state media that "an Israeli missile attack" hit a girls' elementary school in Minab.
Saturday is a school day in Iran. A school staff member told Middle East Eye that "you could hear the sound of children crying and screaming" following the strike.
“We still don’t know how many are under the rubble," said the unnamed staffer. "Some are even saying more than 100. Some of these small children are severely injured. Their parents have come to the school, and this place has turned into a house of mourning.”
Iranian media now report 40 killed and 48 students injured following the strike on a girls’ elementary school in Minab, as rescue and recovery efforts continue. https://t.co/kCR6Gagvip pic.twitter.com/faBFkgFn3D
— Ali Hashem علي هاشم (@Alihashem) February 28, 2026
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on social media that the school "was bombed in broad daylight, when packed with young pupils."
"Dozens of innocent children have been murdered at this site alone," he added. "These crimes against the Iranian people will not go unanswered."
Al Jazeera noted that "separately, Iran’s Mehr news agency reported that at least two students were killed by another Israeli attack that hit a school east of the capital, Tehran."
“Every war is a war on children," said Inger Ashing, CEO of the global humanitarian group Save the Children. "All children have the right to access a safe education, and schools should always be a haven for children—not a battlefield."
In a statement, US Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) alluded to the Minab school bombing as she condemned President Donald Trump for "acting on the violent fantasies of the American political elite and the Israeli apartheid government, ignoring the vast majority of Americans who say loud and clear: No More Wars."
"The Trump administration and Israeli regime’s illegal war of aggression on Iran has already killed dozens of children, and more horrific death and destruction will come," Tlaib warned. "These acts of war threaten to ignite a catastrophic regional war that will make no one safer while unleashing unconscionable suffering."
“President Trump will pretend this is about democracy and the rights of the Iranian people," she continued. "Don’t be fooled, Trump does not care about the Iranian people. The Iranian people are not pawns for the interests of foreign powers. Our government has imposed brutal sanctions that have destroyed the Iranian economy and the lives and livelihoods of millions of people. You cannot ‘free’ people by killing them and destroying their country."
Tlaib issued her statement shortly after Trump declared in a Washington Post interview that he decided to wage war on Iran to secure "freedom for the people." As of this writing, the White House has not responded to the Minab school massacre. (Update: A spokesperson for the US Central Command said in a statement that "we are aware of reports concerning civilian harm resulting from ongoing military operations. We take these reports seriously and are looking into them. The protection of civilians is of utmost importance, and we will continue to take all precautions available to minimize the risk of unintended harm.")
"I want a safe nation, and that’s what we’re going to have," Trump said as the US-Israeli onslaught hurled the Middle East into chaos.
Tlaib said in her statement that the US Congress "must stop the bloodshed by immediately reconvening to exert its war powers and stop this deranged president."
"But let’s be clear: Warmongering politicians from both parties support this illegal war, and it will take a mass anti-war movement to stop it," she added.
Keep ReadingShow Less
Most Popular