A Look Back: NBC's Words Against AOL/Time Warner Merger May Come Back To Haunt

from the ooops dept

NBC Universal is probably wishing that people didn't remember stuff from a few years ago right now. The folks over at the National Journal dug up NBC Univeral's vehement opposition to the AOL/Time Warner merger, which used all sorts of arguments that I would imagine NBC Universal would prefer were not used against its pending merger with Comcast. The letter, sent to the FCC in July of 2000 included this point:
"Given the size and scope of the proposed merged company, AOL/Time Warner will have both the ability and the incentive to discriminate against unaffiliated content providers such as NBC."
Furthermore, NBC Universal was quite worried about how that deal would impact net neutrality and asked the FCC to make clear net neutrality principles if it allowed the merger to move forward, asking the FCC:
"to establish firm principles of non-discrimination in the treatment of unaffiliated content providers in the broadband services marketplace"
Of course, Comcast is now very much against that concept.

Not surprisingly, the letter was signed by NBC Universal's General Counsel, Rick Cotton, who has a long history of sticking his foot in his mouth in saying things he later regrets -- such as his still hilarious quote about how corn farmers were being harmed by movie piracy, and who was a major source for the bogus Hollywood propaganda piece on 60 Minutes. Still, you have to imagine that he now regrets that letter -- and the fact that reporters have now brought it back to light.
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Filed Under: mergers, net neutrality, rick cotton
Companies: aol, comcast, nbc universal, time warner


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  1. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 8 Dec 2009 @ 1:13pm

    and the fact that reporters have no brought it back to light.

    Know. Not no. On an unrelated note I leave with this Jon Stewart quote:

    "Don't they know were recording all of this?"

    link to this | view in thread ]

  2. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 8 Dec 2009 @ 1:14pm

    Re:

    Now! It's now! Stupid internet laws.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  3. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 8 Dec 2009 @ 1:16pm

    Re: Re:

    And we're! By the gods. And they let people like me on the internet?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  4. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 8 Dec 2009 @ 1:26pm

    have no brought it back...

    Is that "not brought it back..." or "now brought it back..."?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  5. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 8 Dec 2009 @ 1:33pm

    I hereby change the topic of this thread to "What should I Send Mike For Christmas"

    Any ideas?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  6. icon
    Dark Helmet (profile), 8 Dec 2009 @ 1:38pm

    Re: I hereby change the topic of this thread to "What should I Send Mike For Christmas"

    Gratuitous acts of senseless thread derailments are MY forte....

    (Anyone who can guess the original source of this altered quote gets my undying respect for life)

    link to this | view in thread ]

  7. identicon
    No body, 8 Dec 2009 @ 1:39pm

    Re: I hereby change the topic of this thread to "What should I Send Mike For Christmas"

    I don't no. Anyone else?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  8. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 8 Dec 2009 @ 1:39pm

    Re: I hereby change the topic of this thread to "What should I Send Mike For Christmas"

    That's a weird question. What would Mike want?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  9. identicon
    6 billion ways, 8 Dec 2009 @ 1:42pm

    6 billion ways to say illove you

    ha
    wonder how many other countries artists they have a ...pending list of music they been infringing on since Ronald Reagan took power

    see a pattern yet people

    link to this | view in thread ]

  10. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 8 Dec 2009 @ 1:43pm

    Re: Re: I hereby change the topic of this thread to "What should I Send Mike For Christmas"

    For the stealers and thieves to be kicked off of the interent based on an accusation.

    "God bless us every one!"

    And a camera in every home! To watch you. Doing nothing illegal.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  11. icon
    Brian (profile), 8 Dec 2009 @ 1:44pm

    Re: Re: I hereby change the topic of this thread to "What should I Send Mike For Christmas"

    Sam and Max Hit the Road :P

    link to this | view in thread ]

  12. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 8 Dec 2009 @ 1:45pm

    Re: 6 billion ways to say illove you

    Exactly, the Chinese don't infringe upon copyright and create counterfeit goods, they make legitimate goods which they add to their own pending list to be paid at a much later date.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  13. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 8 Dec 2009 @ 1:45pm

    Re: Re: I hereby change the topic of this thread to "What should I Send Mike For Christmas"

    Hmm... Good question.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  14. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 8 Dec 2009 @ 1:45pm

    Re: Re: I hereby change the topic of this thread to "What should I Send Mike For Christmas"

    Secret: I have his address...

    link to this | view in thread ]

  15. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 8 Dec 2009 @ 1:45pm

    Re: Re: I hereby change the topic of this thread to "What should I Send Mike For Christmas"

    Yeah? I'd send you a toaster.

    Perfect one picked out--
    http://shop.starwars.com/catalog/product.xml?topcatID=1300264;product_id=1307702


    Now, as for Mike...

    link to this | view in thread ]

  16. identicon
    Magnets under the earths crust, 8 Dec 2009 @ 1:47pm

    Re: Re: I hereby change the topic of this thread to "What should I Send Mike For Christmas"

    Sam: Who was that?
    Max: I don't know, but if it weren't for the sheer carefree innocence of this carnival called Tech Dirt, I'd be breaking his kneecaps.
    Sam: You're a demonic little imp, Max.
    Max: Someone said his name was Dark Helmet
    Sam: What the h-heck kind of name is that?
    Max: Hmm ... no you have me wondering.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  17. icon
    Dark Helmet (profile), 8 Dec 2009 @ 1:47pm

    Re: Re: Re: I hereby change the topic of this thread to "What should I Send Mike For Christmas"

    Winner!

    You get my respect for your video game trivia abilities as well as unlimited corndogs so you can yuke all over yourself....

    link to this | view in thread ]

  18. icon
    Dark Helmet (profile), 8 Dec 2009 @ 1:48pm

    Re: Re: Re: I hereby change the topic of this thread to "What should I Send Mike For Christmas"

    That....is....AWESOME!!!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  19. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 8 Dec 2009 @ 1:50pm

    Re: Re: Re: I hereby change the topic of this thread to "What should I Send Mike For Christmas"

    Bullshit. You don't have his address.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  20. icon
    Dark Helmet (profile), 8 Dec 2009 @ 1:51pm

    Re: Re: Re: I hereby change the topic of this thread to "What should I Send Mike For Christmas"

    Max: Sam, can I drive?

    Sam: Sure, as long as you don't mind me clawing at the dash and shrieking like a cheerleader...

    link to this | view in thread ]

  21. icon
    Dark Helmet (profile), 8 Dec 2009 @ 1:53pm

    Impressed

    Okay, I have to say, that was the single greatest thread derailment of all time....

    And I think the best gifts are the ones you make yourself. You got any skills you can use to turn out something gift-like?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  22. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 8 Dec 2009 @ 2:00pm

    Know he went and fixed It ...

    People won't no know what the heck we are talking about.
    To much fun with a single missing letter.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  23. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 8 Dec 2009 @ 2:04pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re: I hereby change the topic of this thread to "What should I Send Mike For Christmas"

    Sure do.

    I'm thinking about sending him a big fake deer as a yard ornament.

    You know, a neighbor a few down from me recently moved in and all I know is that they're from California and bought a big fake deer and set them up in the back yard.

    After a month, they decided to setup a camera to take pictures of the the real deer that would come close.

    Now, we don't know much about that neighbor, but I'm curious if I send a deer to the old address, would it show up next door. So thusly...

    link to this | view in thread ]

  24. identicon
    The NTSB, 8 Dec 2009 @ 2:05pm

    Re: Impressed

    We hereby banish the letter W from the English language for the amusement of all and hereby proclaim Dark Helmet engineer and conductor of this thread.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  25. icon
    Dark Helmet (profile), 8 Dec 2009 @ 2:10pm

    Re: Re: Impressed

    What the hell is the Nat'l Transportation Safety Board doing banishing letters from the English Language? Oh, as a favor to my asian friends, can we banish the letter "L" too? Some of them have some issues with it....

    Uh oh, there I go being racist again.

    Sigh...

    link to this | view in thread ]

  26. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 8 Dec 2009 @ 2:32pm

    Re: Re: Re: I hereby change the topic of this thread to "What should I Send Mike For Christmas"

    What does that have to do with this? No one named Sam or Max was here. I am really confused.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  27. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 8 Dec 2009 @ 2:32pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re: I hereby change the topic of this thread to "What should I Send Mike For Christmas"

    Winner of what? Corndogs?
    Are you serious?
    That's lame.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  28. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 8 Dec 2009 @ 2:32pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re: I hereby change the topic of this thread to "What should I Send Mike For Christmas"

    According to whom?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  29. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 8 Dec 2009 @ 2:37pm

    Re: Re: Re: Impressed

    "It's the letter R you plick!"

    As someone once said .....
    (Anyone who can guess the original source of this altered quote gets my undying respect for a second or to)

    link to this | view in thread ]

  30. identicon
    Max, 8 Dec 2009 @ 2:42pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re: I hereby change the topic of this thread to "What should I Send Mike For Christmas"

    Sam .... Is that you? I didn't know you could type let alone use Mr. Gore's internet

    link to this | view in thread ]

  31. icon
    Dark Helmet (profile), 8 Dec 2009 @ 2:57pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Impressed

    I'm going to go with Lethal Weapon....3?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  32. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 8 Dec 2009 @ 3:00pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: I hereby change the topic of this thread to "What should I Send Mike For Christmas"

    Wow. I knew there were trolls, but this is insane!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  33. identicon
    Chris falco, 9 Dec 2009 @ 8:01am

    Please don't use the word acumen again.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  34. icon
    Brian (profile), 9 Dec 2009 @ 12:16pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: I hereby change the topic of this thread to "What should I Send Mike For Christmas"

    It isn't lame its awesome!

    link to this | view in thread ]


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