Comcast-NBC will face tough antitrust review

[apnu]

Source: AP

WASHINGTON - Comcast Corp. will likely have to accept substantial conditions if the cable TV provider wants to win regulatory approval for control of NBC Universal's broadcast network, cable channels and movie studios.

Although federal regulators probably won't block a deal outright on anticompetitive grounds, they could prohibit Comcast, for instance, from denying rival subscription-TV services such as DirecTV access to NBC channels and other popular programming.

Under a deal announced Thursday, Comcast would control a 51 percent stake in the Peacock network and about two dozen cable channels such as Bravo, CNBC and SyFy along with the cable lines to roughly a quarter of all U.S. households that pay for TV.

Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34246925/ns/business-media_biz/

[madrchsod]

1. "tough antitrust review".....now that`s funny

they`ll get the deal done and the consumers in this country will be fucked over again.

[proudohioan]

2. Anti-trust?? Ha Ha; they'll be laughing all the way to mega bank!

:evilgrin:

[valerief]

3. We still have anti-trust laws? I thought an anti-anti-trust clause went in

with Gramm-Leach-Bliley, along with the perpetual war clause.

[Beavker]

4. Wonder how it will effect content, or viewpoints to be more exact?

I'd love to see them rip through CNBC and make them more like Bloomberg, where they don't focus on Politics all day and actually provide 'business' news, but I wonder if that would instead make MSNBC or NBC go more conservative? Most likely nothing, but you never know. I don't know much about the Comcast brass.

[RamboLiberal]

6. I wonder if they will move MSNBC back to basic cable

In a lot of areas of the country including my area of Pittsburgh they moved MSNBC last year in the summer to the top tier which meant you had to have a cable box. They of course left Faux and CNN on basic cable. In MSNBC's place in my area we got the damn Golf Channel which I understand Comcast has a financial interest in.

So I'm hoping if they get NBC they will move MSNBC back to basic cable and that they won't mess with the evening hosts at least.

[Go2Peace]

5. Just another name for "no change" at the FTC

This merger should not be allowed period. More consolidation and more attacking of the public good. Just goes to show that little is changing.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

7. Oooohhh I'm sure they're trembling in their billion dollar boots. nt

[Vidar]

8. Who knows: maybe rubber stamps have gotten tougher?

[Doctor_J]

9. From whom?

not the current joke of an FCC.

Say your good-byes to Keith and Rachel