FCC Talks on Comcast-NBCU Deal Unlikely to Start This Week
Negotiations among commissioner offices on the Comcast-NBC Universal order are unlikely to get started in earnest until next week, FCC sources said Monday. Advisers to the commissioners, many of whom are taking this week off, will likely use the next few days to start to delve into the main details of the order, which was circulated Thursday, but which runs several hundred pages, officials said.
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The order includes conditions that would try to prevent Comcast from favoring its own content over that of rivals, both on its systems and in its online operations once it owns a majority share of NBCU, agency officials confirmed Monday. The order also includes conditions aimed at preventing Comcast from withholding its own content from rival distributors and platforms.
The order also contains various conditions regarding the transfer of broadcast licenses, walking through the commitments made by the companies. The conditions in many cases closely follow concessions agreed to by Comcast in its initial public interest statement, one official said.
The deal’s opponents said little energy will be spent lobbying the Hill as the FCC moves to finalize its draft order. “This is going to be worked out at the FCC from here on in,” said Andy Schwartzman, director of the Media Access Project. “Congressional interest will have marginal impact at this stage.” The fight will primarily take place at the FCC, agreed Free Press Policy Counsel Corie Wright. But there could be more letters from Congress both in support and opposition to the deal, she said. With Comcast and NBCU pushing to have the deal closed by mid-January, it’s unlikely Congress would hold any more hearings, she said.
The deal must be approved by both the FCC and the Department of Justice. Comcast and NBCU originally hoped it would close this year, but are now pushing for early 2011.