World Cup Match Breaks Online Viewing Records… Or Does It?
Last week, ESPN claimed to host the largest ever online audience for a sporting event: the United States' World Cup game against Algeria. Read More »
Last week, ESPN claimed to host the largest ever online audience for a sporting event: the United States' World Cup game against Algeria. Read More »
The Communications Workers of America called on the Federal Communications Commission to deny the application of Comcast Corporation and NBCU parent General Electric Company, or impose conditions that will protect the public interest. Comcast and NBCU are looking to "combine the nation’s largest cable and Internet distribution company with the nation’s leading newsroom and production company." This merger would create a media conglomerate that "would have a significant anti-competitive impact," affecting consumers as well as growth of the video marketplace and other innovation, CWA said in its filing. Read More »
Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) questioned assistant attorney general for antitrust Christine Varney on the Justice Department’s review of the proposed Comcast-NBCU merger in a Senate Antitrust Subcommittee hearing on June 9. Read More »
Forty-Six members of Congress — including many from the Congressional Black and Hispanic Caucuses — recently called on the FCC to hold public hearings on Comcast's bid to purchase NBC Universal. Read More »
FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski on May 6 announced support for reclassifying the transmission component of broadband Internet access service as a Title II telecommunications service. Read More »
The FCC has extended the formal comments period on the Comcast-NBC Universal merger as it awaits delivery of documents both companies have failed to present. Read More »
A study authored by the Future of Music Coalition and the National Alliance for Media Arts suggests that universal high-speed Internet access is critical to the success of the arts and creative industry over the next decade. The report notes that technological advancements will offer both unique challenges and opportunities for the arts. Read More »
Senate Antitrust chair Senator Herb Kohl (D-WI) wrote a letter to NBC to express concern that some of its Internet coverage of the Vancouver Winter Olympic games was available only to paid subscribers. Visitors to the NBC site who sought coverage of the Olympics - NBC and its sister stations were the exclusive domestic carriers of the games - had to first confirm they had a subscription to cable, satellite, or IPTV. Read More »
Communications Workers of America President Larry Cohen testified before the House Judiciary Committee on February 25 about the impact of a proposed merger between Comcast and NBC Universal. Cohen, who represents employees of both companies, made the case that the merger would adversely affect the public interest by shedding quality jobs, reducing competition, and devaluing online content and broadband services. Read More »
The proposed merger of Comcast and NBC Universal raises real anti-trust concerns. If approved by regulators, this deal would create a mega-media company, one with the market power to determine what programs get aired and how much consumers must pay to view programming in every media outlet: cable, television and especially the Internet. This mega-company would control one out of every five viewing hours in the United States. Read More »