Comcast tries to placate FCC; US Tennis Association speaks out on media consolidation

> Comcast has promised competing broadcasters CBS, ABC and Fox that it will engage in good faith negotiations after it acquires NBC and not discriminate on the basis of affiliation. The MSO hopes that this will keep those networks quiet and that the FCC will take this as a show of good faith. How this all plays with the ongoing and increasingly rancorous retransmission consent fights between the cable and broadcasting industries in general is yet to be seen, although some cynics believe it's all talk that won't be backed up. Story.

> Speaking of Comcast and NBC Universal (see above), tech customers aren't always happy, satisfied or willing to buy more services from consolidated companies. "When the smaller guys are gobbled up by the bigger guys, in theory it's supposed to be better, but in our experience it's been worse," said Larry Bonfante, CIO of the United States Tennis Association. Story.

> A $66 million federal stimulus grant is expected to help a "long, complicated effort to spread high-speed Internet service throughout New Hampshire" being built by a public-private consortium called Network New Hampshire Now. Story.

> Insight has abandoned plans to charge for mini-digital boxes as it transitions from analog to digital in Lexington, Ken. Originally the MSO was going to give away two free boxes and charge 75 cents for each additional outlet. That's been waived until 2013 as the system is "trying to make sure that this box is well received and the transition is done seamlessly," according to spokesman Jason Keller. Story.

And finally... As if there aren't enough things going on in Pakistan, it's now being reported that Pakistan Telecommunications Company Limited (PCTL) failed to upgrade its copper with fiber for its PTCL Smart service and there have been situations where "customers were denied this service due to technical limitations." Story.