Associated Press
Before Comcast Corp. can transform the entertainment business by taking control of NBC Universal, it must convince Washington that the plan won’t hurt rivals and consumers. And the promises the cable company has made so far don’t impress opponents who want federal regulators to attach strict conditions to the deal.
To show that it would not abuse its control over NBC’s broadcast networks, cable TV channels and movie studios, the nation’s largest cable provider is making nine pledges, including a vow not to move the NBC broadcast network to cable and a commitment to expand public interest programming.
But consumer groups and competitors say Comcast is offering token concessions that don’t address their biggest fears about the NBC combination. More…