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For Immediate Release
June, 21 2010, 12:33pm EDT
Contact:
Timothy Karr: 201-533-8838,,tkarr@freepress.net
Free Press Joins Bloomberg, CWA and Others to Urge the Government to Stop Comcast's Takeover of NBC Universal
Today,
Free Press, Bloomberg LP., Communications Workers of America and other
public interest, consumer and business groups objected to Comcast's
proposed takeover of NBC Universal in a letter to the Justice
Department and the Federal Communications Commission.
WASHINGTON
Today,
Free Press, Bloomberg LP., Communications Workers of America and other
public interest, consumer and business groups objected to Comcast's
proposed takeover of NBC Universal in a letter to the Justice
Department and the Federal Communications Commission. If the deal is
approved, the combined company would include the NBC broadcast network,
10 NBC owned-and-operated TV stations, the Telemundo broadcast network,
16 owned-and-operated Spanish language TV stations, Internet
properties, exclusive rights to the Olympic games, regional sports
networks, television and movie studios, as well as an ownership stake
in a slew of cable channels, including MSNBC, the USA Network and E!.
Thousands of Free Press activists have sent in comments to the FCC,
asking the agency to stop the takeover. Free Press will be filing
comments opposing the merger late today.
Free Press President and CEO Josh Silver said:
"If the Comcast-NBC deal goes through, it would be one of the largest
media mergers in a generation, leaving Americans with even higher cable
bills and fewer diverse, independent choices on the dial. Approval of
the deal would be business as usual in Washington, letting the largest
companies have their way at the public's expense. It's the same kind of
industry-friendly regulatory approach that led to the oil spill and the
financial crisis.
"The deal is especially bad for people who live in the 12 markets where
Comcast is the dominant cable and Internet provider and where NBC has a
local television station. It would consolidate far too much media power
in one company, with dangerous ramifications for local news,
competition and advertising. A merged Comcast/NBC would control a
massive amount of content - on broadcast TV, cable TV and the Internet.
Comcast/NBC would control one in every five hours of television viewing.
"The proposed merger also threatens competition and innovation in new
forms of online video delivery, like Hulu.com. If the merger is
approved, Comcast could prioritize its own online content and stifle
the free flow of Internet traffic, giving you less choice in what you
watch and how you watch it online."
Link to the letter: https://www.freepress.net/resource/letter-christine-varney-julius-genachowski-opposing-comcast-nbc-merger
List of letter signers:
Bloomberg LP
Common Cause
Communications Workers of America
Free Press
Media Access Project
The National Association of Independent Networks, NAIN
The National Coalition of African American Owned Media (NCAAOM)
National Consumers League
The Organization for the Promotion and Advancement of Small Telecommunications Companies (OPASTCO)
National Telecommunications Cooperative Association
Public Knowledge
WealthTV
Writers' Guild, West
Visit www.freepress.net/comcast for more information.
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
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