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Comcast Defends NBC Universal Merger Against Senatorial Criticism

Kit Dotson | November 17th
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In a statement Tuesday, Comcast responded to criticism from Senator Bernie Sanders (Vermont-I) about their upcoming takeover of NBC Universal. The senator sent a letter to the FCC asking the commission to block the merger on the grounds that it would be too close to a monopoly and that this would limit diversity and increase prices to the consumer.

The New York Times Media Decoder blog covers a little bit of this development, by commenting on the response from Comcast’s vice president of government communications, Sena Fitzmaurice,

Ms. Fitzmaurice disputed Mr. Sanders’ charges that the new company would limit voices and diversity in media, saying that it would, in contrast, add “more independent programming choices, more opportunities for ownership diversity” and in general open a path toward “the anytime anywhere video future consumers want.”

Mr. Sanders also said the deal would lead to higher costs to consumers, but the Comcast response did not address that concern.

The letter penned by Senator Sanders comes along while the FCC and the Justice Department review the merger—a slow process which has caused Comcast to become rather impatient. His criticism mimics a number of concerns currently floating around in the industry about cable companies, as media distribution, merging with media production.

As a spokesperson for Comcast, Ms. Fitzmaurice assures us that the entire process has been overseen by government regulatory commissions and they have adhered to every rule passed down to them. Not that anyone is worried, but the slow grind of government does seem to be wearing thin on the cable communication giant as they’re already girding their loins for the merger.

In the same vein:

About Kit Dotson

Technology and civilization walk hand in hand and civilization is nothing without the skin of society, brushing up against itself, speaking strange nothings across dimly lit avenues and computer screens. If we're going to understand ourselves in this digital era, it will be through watching the adoption of technology by people to express themselves as people. I am an anthropologist and an author of science fiction and fantasy--and with my techology, I hope to open up new and exciting worlds that both enlighten the humanity of my friends and fans, but also educate and enhance the expression of their own personhood.
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