For Immediate Release
Liz Rose, Communications Director, 202-265-1490 x 32 or lrose@freepress.net
Free Press Warns Congress: ‘Comcast’s Actions Speak Louder than Words’
Group Urges Legislators to Protect Consumers, Oppose NBC Takeover
Thursday, Free Press urged members of the House Judiciary Committee to
challenge the CEOs about how a merger of their companies would affect
consumers.
"Consumers across the country are tired of rubber-stamped media mergers," said Corie Wright,
policy counsel of Free Press. "They want their elected officials to
protect the public and ask tough questions of Comcast and NBC: How will
consumers benefit from this deal? Will cable rates go up? Will
Americans lose jobs? Can these companies be trusted to follow through
on their promises?"
In testimony before the Senate on Feb. 4, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts
promised to abide by important FCC rules that prevent the company from
withholding Comcast-owned cable channels from competing video service
providers. Now Comcast appears to be going back on its promise to
Congress and is refusing to withdraw from a court case where it's
trying to get these very same rules thrown out.
"Actions do speak louder than words," Wright said. "Comcast claims
that existing regulations will safeguard competition if the merger is
approved. But Congress and regulators should be troubled that Comcast
is trying to whittle away at the same rules it argues will protect
consumers."
Wright also urged the committee to ask Roberts about Comcast's plans
for future Olympic games. Currently, NBC is limiting online access to
some Olympic programming only to those viewers who can prove they
subscribe to cable.
For more information, go to www.freepress.net/comcast
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