NBC-Comcast deal comes under Justice Department, FCC scrutiny
By Joseph L. Flatley 
posted March 12th 2010 10:24AM
posted March 12th 2010 10:24AM
We can't say we didn't warn you. Looks like the kids at Comcast have to answer some questions over at the Justice Department -- and the FCC -- before they get their hands on NBC. Both agencies have pledged to "examine the transaction closely," says AP, being ever-vigilant as they are to protect consumers and competition in this free market society of ours. The review could last upwards of a year, but if that means that 2011 could see the debut of NBC-Universal's "Comcastic!" theme parks, it will all have been worth it.
In all seriousness, this should not be allowed to happen.
@sweet greggo
Agreed, worst thing that could ever happen to the American consumer. Telecom providers shouldn't even be allowed to own networks. They should just be dump pipes that deliver other companies content.
^^THIS^^
Content AND distribution? Comcast, please!
@sweet greggo
Do you like this gig? HAZMAT UNIFORM!
@sweet greggo I hate to tell you guys this, but the government can't stop this.
Courts have already ruled you can't limit size or vertical integration unless it totally controls the market. Comcast and NBC/Universal will still pale in comparison to Disney/ABC. There will still be plenty of options out there for your media outlets.
I don't see the problem. AOL, an Internet company, also is affiliated with Warner Bros., a huge entertainment company. While I don't like Comcast because of their throttling on file-sharing, this is a separate issues.
On a side note, it's interesting how smaller companies in countries such as S. Korea tend to have their hands everywhere. You know LG, the company that makes cell phones? In Korea, they are also have their own cellular service, make apartment complexes, and chemical products such as fabric softener. I could go on, but LG is big!
The situation here about Comcast owning NBC isn't a problem, and for the US to tell how companies what to own and not own doesn't sound like a free market does it?
@dataninja
But Disney isn't charge of the way the content is delivered to the home. Imagine if your utility company owned all of the gas, oil and coal?
Good. Keep it from happening.
This merger is a terrible Idea. And thanks, engadget, for thoughtful, unbiased reporting on a major issue of consumer choice. Seriously guys, I think you're in the running for the pulitzer here.
Can't wait for Kabletown!
@yankees368
They're from Philadelphia! It would be like Vietnam winning a ground war against the United States!
@Liamness.....Ah what?
Watch 30 Rock.
@Liamness Great, now you ruined it for me. Thanks. Jerk. Nah, I'm just messing with you man.
@Liamness Nice 30 Rock quote.
I still think Comcast owning NBC/Universal is a bad thing, but lets look at other companies... it makes this deal look "normal"
TimeWarners owns the WB and TimeWarner Cable, also, HBO, Cinemax, part owner of the CW network. Also owns DC comics, TBS, and Cartoon Network, Time magazine, and other publications, and held AOL when it was doing well.
Disney owns, ABC, Disney Channel, ESPN, Theme parks, Pixar (which is tightly involved with Apple), and slew of radio stations, Marvell Comics... also had owned professional sport teams
National Amusements owns Viacom and CBS, Paramount Pictures, which includes MTV, BET, Comedy Central. And a slew of movie theaters
Cablevision owns, MSG and other venues, a few professional teams, a cable company, a few TV channels, and Newsday
News Corp owns Fox broadcasting, 20th century fox, and other movie/production companies, a slew of newspapers, a few other cable channels, book companies, Myspace, Hulu (joint with NBC/Disney)
@LowSky
Maybe.. but Comcast flat out sucks ass. Their service is horrid and i cant imagine what this 'merger' would do.
@lyian
Does Comcast still have terrible service? I have been a comcast customer (TV and internet) for about 5 years now in two different locations (first was by choice, second by association rules). 4-5 years ago, we had a couple of terrible experiences with Comcast (missed appointments, visits not fixing problems, incorrect bills).
However, in the last 2 years, their service has been quick, polite, and accurate. In addition, they have bumped up our internet speed a few times with no notification (mostly I find out after the fact on websites that report these things)...
And now, I can watch any channels I pay for free on my PC (I haven't looked at Hulu in weeks).
3-4 weeks ago, Comcast sent reps to our neighborhood to give out one or two free digital tuners to every household for TVs still plugged into the wall. We went in to the office they had set up, and picked one up for the bedroom TV. It took about 15 minutes from sitting down to walking out with a box registered to our account. At home, it took about 10 minutes on the phone (to activate the box) to get it working. The reps both in the field station, and on the phone were polite, attentive, and knew what they were doing.
Okay, I'm done doing my bit sounding like a Comcast representative...
@LowSky Yes but the big difference is that NBC/Universal owns a vast number of TV and Cable channels, and Comcast has a track record of being perfectly willing to withhold it's channels from competitors as it did in the case of prevent DirectTV from being able to show the Versus channel so Comcast could claim it as an exclusive.
Also the biggest threat to the cable distribution model is IP based on demand streaming. Currently Hulu is Comcast's biggest comeptitor in that regard.
Bottom line this will undoubtedly be bad for the consumer, itis just whether Comcast has paid enough in lobbying money to ram it through.
@LowSky
It's worth noting that Time Warner doesn't own Time Warner Cable anymore... they spun them off into a separate company last year.
@Nicnac
I work for Comcast, and the only thing I dislike is the Gig Cap. But even then I have had little to no trouble with the service.
Don't you meant their Xfinity! theme park?
Awesome photoshop. Mad props.
The Federal Government has already been bought. This will happen.
we all fear it but you know it is inevitable. comcast + nbc = money for politicians. at least we'll all have fond memories of "remember when hulu was awesome?"
While they are at it they should have the FTC look into Comcast's internet pricing and speed advertising. Its a glorified pain in the ass to find what the true speed binning they are selling you is without "powerboost" advertising speak. Add to that they want to charge you $15 more per month if don't want to buy cable from them too, but they don't show that fact till after you start to try to buy one the internet service. No where in the terms and conditions apply BS that's on the side that shows pricing does it state that prices could be higher if you don't buy more than one service. So I'm basically stuck between Uverse and their higher latency, lower upload speeds, and the RG3800 instead of a dumb modem and Comcast with their higher prices for internet only service and data caps for broadband.
@KAL326 that would be the FCC, and they are. Go to http://www.broadband.gov to report your speed.
We just cancelled our Comcast cable in favor of over-the-air broadcasts. Many folks are becoming cord-cutters. What would this deal mean to us? How might this deal let Comcast screw with the NBC over-the-air broadcast affiliate network?
Mega corporations. Sigh
No Merger!
http://www.freepress.net/comcast
Senator Franken is leading the effort in the Senate to stop the merger. He said that he does not trust Comcast or NBC. He 'has history' that tells him that the merger would be bad for consumers:
https://secure.alfranken.com/page/contribute/NBCComcastMerger
Throttle my Super Bowl games from now on please Comslow ok ty.
The mix can't be or do any worse than the disaster that NBC is now. I'm hoping that Comcast "might" have a bit more a creative ear and not jeopardize or dump good programming that would be nice for the bottom line when it hits its stride. Like NBC has and does.
@(Unverified)
Agreed. Unlike NBC, Comcast makes decisions that improve their bottom line. One can hope - if this deal goes through - that NBC will be back on track giving viewers what they want to see thus making them more money...
@Nicnac I'm finding it severely ironic that all that great programming that was not good enough for NBC to keep on their network is being scattered all over their "cable" broadcast holdings and shown in very heavy rotation. So obviously, now, it has merit, but since it was not allowed to continue accruing more episodes, although it was good stuff, we get the same episodes over and over and over and over . . . AND they can't even show it proper or consecutive order. It can't get much worse. But then these days are full of surprises.
I hate surprises. Especially the kind we get this days.
Is the FCC scrutinizing this deal, or is the government still waiting for some lobbying money from comcast?
@thejared
They've been waiting for the technician to come out and its now 3 hours after the set time frame he was supposed to be there and their getting ticked out
Tecnically speaking your local OTA affiliate handles transmission OTA so you have nothing to worry about.
It's Com-crashtic!