While the fight rages over Net Neutrality at the FCC there are new developments in the Comcast-NBC merger. Rep. Waters takes a swipe at the FCC and the agency announces a new deadline for the public to weigh in.
A few weeks ago Rep. Maxine Waters introduced a bill designed to put the brakes on the Federal Communications Commission’s review of the proposed Comcast/NBC merger and to ensure that the public had a fair chance to weigh in. This action came after repeated requests from public interest groups and citizens to extend the deadline for comments and to hold public hearings around the country. Up to this point, every one of those requests had been denied. But the ink had hardly dried on Rep. Waters’ bill when the FCC changed their tune. They announced they were stopping the shot clock and temporarily postponing the deadline for public comments until they got a host of new economic studies from Comcast and NBC.
Those studies were submitted earlier this week, and the FCC announced a new timeline for the merger review. But Maxine Waters is keeping the pressure on, to make sure the process is thorough, transparent and accountable to the public who will be so impacted by this merger.
Yesterday she sent a letter to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, signed by 45 members of Congress, calling on the agency to hit the road and talk with real people around the country about how this merger will impact them. In past hearings, when the FCC traveled the country to talk about media consolidation, 99% of people spoke out strongly against Big Media getting any bigger – some waiting in line until 2:00 in the morning to make their voice heard.
The letter argues that "the Commission must give the Comcast-NBC merger its most labor-intensive review [...] in addition the FCC must hold public hearings so that the newly appointed FCC Commissioners will have every opportunity to understand how this merger will impact communities across the nation."
In addition, the letter includes a long list of tough questions that members of Congress want the FCC to ensure Comcast answers publicly before any deal is done. The questions address diversity, consumer costs, labor issues and competition.
The letter is a strong move by Rep. Waters and her colleagues. It should be a message to all of us that the game is on and we need to hold Comcast’s feet to the fire.