Comcast Breaking Promises - Limiting Consumer Choice

Withholding its Philly SportsNet from satellite competitors despite the FCC's ruling on "terrestrial loopholes" could boomerang on Comcast. A filing with the FCC yesterday evening notes that this action makes Comcast's promise not to use the huge programming cache gained via a merger with NBC-U to harm satellite rivals look suspiciously like a lie.

Comcast's 600-page defense of the proposed joint venture failed to address three critical points. As it currently stands, wrote the company, "the proposed transaction would (1) enable Comcast to exploit an "online loophole" for critical content delivered via non-traditional platforms (such as the internet); (2) enable Comcast to impose large price increases" for its programming and (3) does not add "sufficient public interest benefits" to offset the first two points. In other words, Comcast wants to limit your choice and reserve the right to make you pay whatever they see fit.

Satellite TV providers such as DISH Network simply call for fair access to the same content at the same quality, the same speed, and the same time as Comcast makes available to itself. This would create choice and force Comcast to compete in the Philadelphia area - which can only be a good thing for consumers.

In other comments on the proposed merger, the ACA dubbed the deal as "the most serious threat to the media ecosystem in at least a decade." In a laundry list of recommendations, the small cable association said the FCC should nix channel bundling in carriage negotiations, apply program access rules to all platforms, can build in protections for little guys.

DISH Network supports this proposal and supports consumer choice.