Opponents of Comcast's proposed NBC Universal acquisition have until May 3 to tell the FCC how they feel according to a public notice the agency released yesterday. Comcast then has until June 2 to respond. Finally, to be absolutely fair, the opponents then get the last word with final responses by June 17.
The FCC and the Congress have already grilled Comcast on whether it's a good idea for the nation's biggest cable operator to buy one of the "big four" broadcast TV networks and all the accouterments that go along with it, including cable channels, a motion picture studio and theme parks (Kabletown anybody?). Those hearings have attracted their share of outside dissenters. This latest step, in the bureaucratic words of the FCC, is to "assist the Commission in its independent review of this proposed transaction."
And speaking of buying up movie studios, word is that Time Warner's mulling a $1.5 billion bid to buy MGM by today's deadline. Of course the word also is that the deadline might be extended so more players can get into the action for a studio with an archive of James Bond and Pink Panther flicks.
For more:
- see this public notice (pdf)
- and this story
- and this story
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