By the time they're finished, the FCC will probably know what toothpaste Comcast CEO Brian Roberts uses and when he has time to schedule his allegedly cutthroat squash matches with Comcast COO Steve Burke.
The federal agency has hit the MSO and its acquisition target NBC Universal with a barrage of questions on subjects ranging from online video delivery to TV Everywhere and more specific Comcast offerings like FanCast Xfinity. It's asked NBCU about the nitty gritty of resolving newspaper/station cross-ownership issues in Fort Worth as well as the channels' own online video distribution. Deadline for responses to all the information is June 11.
Even with the intense scrutiny that has accompanied Comcast's bid to buy into the broadcast business (and the FCC has received literally thousands of reasons why it shouldn't be allowed from interested parties), the idea of purchasing a broadcast network is attractive enough that the New York Post is suggesting that CBS and ABC may be the next ones with "for sale" signs in their front yards.
"This is a good time to sell a network," an unnamed Wall Street exec told the paper.
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