Henry Waxman (D-CA) immediately promised a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing on the proposed acquisition by Comcast of a majority stake in NBC Universal, and now John Conyers (D-MI) has promised the same from his Judiciary Committee.
Conyers said, “This proposed merger between the country’s oldest broadcast network and its largest cable operator would create a global entertainment company combining content creation and distribution at an unprecedented scale. A merger of this magnitude involves a complex regulatory process and heavy public scrutiny. The Committee will consider the benefits of potential advances in content delivery and the impact on consumers.”
RBR-TVBR observation: There are better than even odds that the reciprocal committees in the Senate will follow suit – and Senate Commerce Chair Jay Rockefeller has already expressed concern about the deal. And don’t be surprised if other committees figure out an angle so they also can throw a Comcast/NBCU executive barbeque.
