The war of words between Comcast and Bloomberg TV continues this week, with both companies submitting new memos to the FCC. To back up: Bloomberg TV argues that the deal Comcast made with the FCC in order to acquire NBCUniversal requires the cable company to include Bloomberg TV in any news “channel neighborhoods.” Comcast argues that it only applies to newly created news neighborhoods, not existing ones.
Recently Bloomberg argued that Comcast created new news neighborhoods without including Bloomberg TV. This week Comcast said that Bloomberg’s claim was completely inaccurate.
Bloomberg’s latest assertions are demonstrably false. As discussed below, the alleged channel relocations never took place. Bloomberg’s latest submission does not cite any data or other evidence. Bloomberg instead relies upon ipse dixit representations of counsel.
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Bloomberg responded with a statement to the FCC saying that Comcast allegedly filed incorrect channel lineups to Tribune Media Services, which is where it got its information.
Yet again, Comcast has shown that it does not feel bound by the same rules that apply to everyone else. Whether ignoring a legally-binding FCC Order to which it agreed, or ignoring the obligation to submit truthful information about channel lineups to the industry-standard reporting service Tribune Media Services (TMS), which is relied on by advertisers, courts and regulators. Comcast continues to maintain that night is day, and that ‘now’ means ‘never,’ apparently assuming that regulators either won’t notice or won’t care.
It just keeps going…