John Kerry Joins Growing Challenge to Comcast-NBCU Merger

Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.), Chairman of the Commerce Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet, urged the FCC to ensure that consumers are protected as it reviews the Comcast-NBCU merger deal. Sen. Kerry's letter joins the voices of other legislators, consumer advocacy groups, and public interest organizations, who have similarly called for conditions to be placed on the new company.

In a letter addressed to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Julius Genachowski and Assistant Attorney General Christine Varney, Kerry outlined the need to protect consumers' rights and keep innovative platforms, such as online video, open to healthy competition:

It is important that consumer access to video content on the Internet continue to grow and flourish, including content that the new merged firm will control. I want to make sure competition between video distributors will drive down prices for consumers and that the market will welcome and encourage the development of independent voices. I do not think anyone wants this new entity to act unfairly as a bottleneck or gatekeeper for critical programming for competing distributors or leverage its distribution network against content that competes with its new property.

With mounting pressure on FCC members, the increasingly unpopular merger has the potential to cost consumers $2.4 billion in new subscription costs. With the fusion of two media behemoths, the possibility of shutting out competition — at a huge cost to the consumer — is a tangible worry for many following the proceedings.

Were the merger to go through, regulatory oversight by the FCC would serve as a critical bulwark against anti-competitive practices by the new entity.

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