Any efforts to fight the U.S. government’s conditional approval of Comcast’s acquisition of control of NBC Universal would face hurdles, and challenges seem unlikely at first glance to be made, those who had sought more conditions agreed with one who opposed them. A hurdle is that the Justice Department and FCC imposed similar Internet conditions (CD Jan 19 p1) , and DOJ’s probably would stand even in the unlikely event that a lawsuit against the commission succeeded, said several lawyers who had sought more deal curbs. Judges who review consent decrees, such as the one that Comcast agreed to with DOJ, usually approve them, even if parties seek changes through written comments that they can submit to the court under the Tunney Act, the nonprofit group lawyers said.
The U.S. government is making Comcast fulfill several Web conditions to complete its purchase of control in NBC Universal from General Electric and form a new joint venture with GE. The FCC and Justice Department said they're barring the cable operator, in its role as an ISP, from discriminating against competing content. A condition from the commission -- which some see as a form of net neutrality (CD Jan 12 p4) -- prohibits Comcast from giving priority on its broadband network to its content over competitors’, FCC officials said.
The U.S. government is making Comcast fulfill several web conditions to complete its purchase of control in NBC Universal from General Electric and form a new joint venture with GE. The FCC and Justice Department said they're barring the cable operator, in its role as an ISP, from discriminating against competing content. A condition from the commission that some see as a form of net neutrality (WID Jan 12 p4) prohibits Comcast from giving priority on its broadband network to its programming over competitors’, FCC officials said.
Republican commissioners didn’t get some briefings by FCC staffers reviewing Comcast’s deal to buy control of NBC Universal, in the months leading up to Chairman Julius Genachowski’s sending a draft order to approve the agreement to his colleagues for a vote, commission officials said. Though Commissioners Mignon Clyburn and Michael Copps got many substantive updates throughout the deal’s review, Commissioners Meredith Baker and Robert McDowell didn’t get them, though they did hear some more topical details such as about the review’s timing. They didn’t explicitly ask for such in-depth briefings, and they weren’t offered, some commission officials said, although all FCC members were kept updated on timing of the deal’s review.
Five public interest groups led by Free Press said the FCC should investigate MetroPCS’s recently announced low-cost data plan, which would apparently preclude users from using Skype, Netflix and other popular services (CD Jan 5 p1). But customers would be able to watch YouTube videos. The Center for Media Justice, the Media Access Project, New America Foundation’s Open Technology Initiative and Presente.org signed the letter to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski.
Five public interest groups led by Free Press said the FCC should investigate MetroPCS’s recently announced low-cost data plan, which would apparently preclude users from using Skype, Netflix and other popular services (WID Jan 5 p2). But customers would be able to watch YouTube videos. The Center for Media Justice, the Media Access Project, New America Foundation’s Open Technology Initiative and Presente.org signed the letter to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski.
Key parts of the National Broadband Plan still require action by Congress. A potential roadblock for the commission as it implements the plan remains that the commission cannot control if or how quickly Capitol Hill moves forward on its parts.
Key parts of the National Broadband Plan still require action by Congress. A potential roadblock for the commission as it implements the plan remains that the commission cannot control if or how quickly Capitol Hill moves forward on its parts.
MetroPCS’s changes to its 4G service plans make clear why all FCC net neutrality rules should apply to wireless, Free Press said Tuesday. MetroPCS’s $40 per month service, unveiled Monday, allows Web browsing and use of YouTube, but appears to create a “walled garden,” excluding such popular services as Skype and Netflix, the group said.
A $1.2 million indecency fine against 44 ABC affiliates was vacated Tuesday by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York. The decision cited a Supreme Court ruling sending back to the FCC its policy that fleetingly indecent content could be found indecent. The 2nd Circuit also revealed that it recently turned down a U.S. government request that the court rehear en banc its affirmance of its earlier Fox ruling (CD July 14 p1). That puts all eyes back on the Supreme Court, which the government is expected to ask to hear Fox, said advocates on both sides of the issue.