Congresswoman Suggests That Comcast Tried To Bribe Her To Support Merger
from the bad-day-at-the-office dept
With plenty of scrutiny still facing the proposed merger between NBC and Comcast, Representative Maxine Waters strongly suggested that someone from the company tried to bribe her to get her to support the merger:During a House Judiciary Committee that took place in L.A. on Monday, Representative Maxine Waters stated that she had received a call from "somebody at Comcast asking, 'What do you want?'"Comcast, not surprisingly, denies any suggested wrongdoing:
Waters, who has been grilling the cable giant on issues of ethnic diversity, claims she replied by explaining the need for greater diversity in media. However, Waters says the Comcast caller responded by saying, "I'm talking about what do you want?"
Any implication that anyone ever inquired about what Congresswoman Waters would want personally is completely untrue. We meet and discuss the proposed joint venture with many members of Congress and other leaders. We have repeatedly tried to understand Congresswoman Waters' concerns so that we can address them.Honestly, I still don't see why there's so much concern about this merger, which strikes me as likely to be another AOL/Time Warner-type disaster for everyone involved. Still, buying off a politician seems a bit extreme, though, I would imagine that many assume this is pretty much standard operating procedures in DC. The only thing "different" is that Waters actually called Comcast on it publicly.
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Filed Under: bribery, maxine waters
Companies: comcast, nbc universal
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Anti competitive practices?
Hopefully it is doomed to failure.
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...and she didnt take the bribe...which is pretty amazing to me but I think noesbueno said it best, they werent willing to give her what she asked so now she's making it public.
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I hve a friend...
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Re: I hve a friend...
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You're an ignorant prick
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Re: You're an ignorant prick
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Re: Re: You're an ignorant prick
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Study your history
If you don't see why there's concern over a content producer being controlled by a distributor you need to study the history of the Hollywood studio system and the 1948 antitrust case that put an end to it. Comcast is clearly trying to create a walled-garden for cable content so that NBC content (NBC, MSNBC, Bravo, Syfy, Weather Channel, A&E, etc) is only (or preferentially) available on Comcast and not on other cable/satellite/internet providers.
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Re: Study your history
Content delivered over satellite has remained relatively flat over the past ten years. In comparison, cable services have increased substantially since deregulation in 1995. So the customers in a way have been subsidizing this merger through the higher rates.
Should we expect cable rates to decrease, and service to improve after this merger? I don't think so.
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Re: Study your history
Content delivered over satellite has remained relatively flat over the past ten years. In comparison, cable services have increased substantially since deregulation in 1995. So the customers in a way have been subsidizing this merger through the higher rates.
Should we expect cable rates to decrease, and service to improve after this merger? I don't think so.
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Re: Study your history
Content delivered over satellite has remained relatively flat over the past ten years. In comparison, cable services have increased substantially since deregulation in 1995. So the customers in a way have been subsidizing this merger through the higher rates.
Should we expect rates to decrease, and service to improve after this merger? I don't think so. But perhaps there will probably be some promotional offers that last 6 months.
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Re: Study your history
Content delivered over satellite has remained relatively flat over the past ten years. In comparison, cable services have increased substantially since the Cable deregulation in 1995. So the customers in a way have been subsidizing this merger through the higher rates.
Should we expect rates to decrease, and service to improve after this merger? I don't think so. But perhaps there will probably be some good 6 month promotional offers! :-P
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Re: Study your history
Content delivered over satellite has remained relatively flat over the past ten years. In comparison, cable services have increased substantially since the Cable deregulation in 1995. So the customers in a way have been subsidizing this merger through the higher rates.
Should we expect rates to decrease, and service to improve after this merger? I don't think so. But perhaps there will probably be some good 6 month promotional offers! :-P
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Re: Study your history
What's wrong with providing a competitively priced product that comes with good service?
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Re: Study your history
The world is a very different place than 60 years ago. If NBC/comcast tries to wall off that content, they'll find that people route around them.
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Elections?
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Doomed
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"buying off a politician" -- is ROUTINE.
So now you've got "politician refuses bribe" as the equivalent of the old "man bites dog".
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What Bribe?
Where's the bribe?
Not that I like either party involved.
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Re: What Bribe?
How's that?
I also am not a fan of either.
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Is "For Ethinic Diversity" the new "For The Children" PR line?
The whole thing smells like a PR stunt. It's almost as good as a promise for more programming for children, because we should do everything for the Children.
Mike: "Honestly, I still don't see why there's so much concern about this merger, which strikes me as likely to be another AOL/Time Warner-type disaster for everyone involved."
When you own origination as well as distribution, many companies will be affected. It changes the dynamics of the industry, and there will be casualties.
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Re: Is "For Ethinic Diversity" the new "For The Children" PR line?
Yeah, AOL/Time Warner was quite a casualty.
What, specifically, are you concerned about?
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Is "For Ethinic Diversity" the new "For The Children" PR line?
The whole thing smells like a PR stunt. It's almost as good as a promise for more programming for children, because we should do everything for the Children.
Mike: "Honestly, I still don't see why there's so much concern about this merger, which strikes me as likely to be another AOL/Time Warner-type disaster for everyone involved."
You're not a TV guy, nor do you seem to understand contractual implications. But when you own origination as well as distribution, many companies will be affected. It changes the dynamics of the industry.
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Is "For Ethinic Diversity" the new "For The Children" PR line?
The whole thing smells like a PR stunt. It's almost as good as a promise for more programming for children, because we should do everything for the Children.
Mike: "Honestly, I still don't see why there's so much concern about this merger, which strikes me as likely to be another AOL/Time Warner-type disaster for everyone involved."
You're not a TV guy, nor do you seem to understand contractual implications. But when you own origination as well as distribution, many companies will be affected. It changes the dynamics of the industry.
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Re: Is "For Ethinic Diversity" the new "For The Children" PR line?
And you're clearly not a computer guy, nor do you seem to understand how to make a comment without reposting it up to five times. Hit the "Submit" button ONCE, genius.
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Re: Re: Is "For Ethinic Diversity" the new "For The Children" PR line?
Apparently they decided to not moderate all five of my comments.
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Re: Re: Re: Is "For Ethinic Diversity" the new "For The Children" PR line?
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Is "For Ethinic Diversity" the new "For The Children" PR line?
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Is "For Ethinic Diversity" the new "For The Children" PR line?
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Asked her the wrong question
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Comcast is up to something Someone should slow them down.
Also, Magic Johnson has been promised a diversity TV network if the merger is approved.
It makes me wonder if Comcast has been investing in buying politicians, especially when I read about this.
Why does all this matter?
If you look into Next Generation Network Architecture (NGNA) which is a technology blueprint devised by Comcast, you'll find that the new cable networks plan to use IP networks fairly extensively, and to classify it as an "information service" means it would be completely outside of regulation.
But the added merger with NBC, seems weird. How come no one is looking at all this stuff together instead of in parts?
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Also, Magic Johnson has been promised a diversity TV network if the merger is approved.
It makes me wonder if Comcast has been investing in buying politicians, especially when I read about this.
Why does all this matter?
If you look into Next Generation Network Architecture (NGNA) which is a technology blueprint devised by Comcast, you'll find that the new cable networks plan to use IP networks fairly extensively, and to classify it as an "information service" means it would be completely outside of regulation.
But the added merger with NBC, seems weird. How come no one is looking at all this stuff together instead of in parts?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Also, Magic Johnson has been promised a diversity TV network if the merger is approved.
It makes me wonder if Comcast has been investing in buying politicians, especially when I read about this.
Why does all this matter?
If you look into Next Generation Network Architecture (NGNA) which is a technology blueprint devised by Comcast in the past 6 months, you'll find that the new cable technology plan is to use IP networks fairly extensively. To classify it as an "information service" means it would be completely outside of regulation.
But the added merger with NBC, seems weird. How come no one is looking at all this stuff together instead of in parts?
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New technology path
Also, Magic Johnson has been promised a diversity TV network if the merger is approved.
It makes me wonder if Comcast has been investing in buying politicians, especially when I read about this.
Why does all this matter?
If you look into Next Generation Network Architecture (NGNA) which is a technology blueprint devised by Comcast in the past 6 months, you'll find that the new cable technology plan is to use IP networks fairly extensively. To classify it as an "information service" means it would be completely outside of regulation.
But the added merger with NBC, seems weird. How come no one is looking at all this stuff together instead of in parts?
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Re: New technology path
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How does this not become antitrust?
Well, if Comcast wants to be a technological standards body, own content, as well as all distribution channels for a well known brand, and delivery channels, I guess that's not an antitrust issue if you can bribe the congress.
Good For Brian. Must have an ego the size of Pennsylvania.
http://www.multichannel.com/article/441185-The_Life_of_Brian.php
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maxine waters is the very definition of a carrier politician and has done little else since 1976.
she has made the CREW list multiple times
called the 1992 riots an acceptable rebellion
has tons of nepotism surrounding her
requested the FCC to not renew KTLAs license stating that they had an 'undue influence over public opinion' which created harm to the community... the harm? reporting on the nepotism surrounding her.
she has been very confrontational several times in public and she is pretty much the absolute worst politics has to offer.
as far as comcast goes, we all know who and what they are & how they operate...
you tell me who the more trustworthy person here is?
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Re: harbingerofdoom
"she has made the CREW list multiple times"
What's that? Sounds like lightweight left-right paradigm.
"called the 1992 riots an acceptable rebellion"
Was that the one over the thugs who beat Rodney King getting acquitted after a lame prosecution? If so, it's acceptable to me too.
"has tons of nepotism surrounding her"
Is there a politician who doesn't?
"requested the FCC to not renew KTLAs license"
This is the "absolute worst"? Evidently invading Iraq based on a pack of lies, killing hundreds of thousands of people, shredding the Constitution here and abroad, and instituting an Orwellian "Homeland Security" doesn't count with you.
"confrontational"
I assume you mean contrary to your views, but that for an accusation of wrong-doing is... feeble.
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Merger
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Merger
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Re: Merger
I DO NOT KNOW WHY CABLE COMPANIES ARE ALLOWED TO HAVE MONOPOLIES
I DO NOT KNOW WHY CABLE COMPANIES ARE ALLOWED TO HAVE MONOPOLIES
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