The people working to get approval for the proposed merger of Comcast and NBC Universal certainly know their way around Washington – several made it to town the hard way – getting elected – and others worked for key FCC commissioners.
According to Politico, there are no less than 78 former employees of the government working the lobbies for Comcast alone. Most are former congressional staffers, but also among them are three former representatives, Robert Walker (R-PA), William Gray (D-PA) and Chip Pickering (R-MS); and one former senator, Sen. Don Nickles (R-OK).
Meanwhile, former Democratic House leader and presidential candidate Dick Gephardt (D-MO) is said to be one of 19 former government employees working the halls for NBCU.
Politico notes that Walker and Gephardt specifically mention the merger as a matter of interest; the others are not as specific.
Comcast has put two former assistants to FCC consolidation foes Michael Copps and Jonathan Adelstein on its payroll. Comcast has hired former Copps aide Jordan Goldstein and former Adelstein aide Rudy Brioche. Goldstein’s job at the cable giant is senior director of regulatory affairs; Brioche holds down the position of senior director of external affairs and public policy counsel.
RBR-TVBR observation: The infamous Washington revolving door, that connects and intermingles the regulators with the regulated, is still in good working order.
