Here are the terms. Comcast will provide more space on its cable systems for independently-owned channels, they will guarantee the independence of NBC news, they will air more children’s programs, and they will not charge for any of the NBC Network programs.
The key issue here is to guarantee the independence of NBC news. Does independence mean it will continue to be an audience- losing, money- losing operation run by left wing lug nuts who spin the news to their ideology? Or, will NBC be a major competitor to Fox News? What does independence mean? Does it mean NBC News must be forever like it’s fellow audience losing competitors like CNN and CBS? Or, can the new NBC actually be a news show? What happens to MSNBC, the most liberal of all news shows, banked with the billion that Microsoft put into NBC a few years ago? Will they have CNBC, fair and balanced, NBC in the middle, and leave MSNBC far left?
I don’t know the business motive for Comcast to buy NBC. Many think it’s because Comcast believes people in the future will get their TV via the Internet, not on a TV set and Comcast wants to be a player in that market. This seems to be the concern from the FCC that has taken the most negotiation. Comcast agreed to be required to let its programming to any online competitor that has reached a similar deal for content with one of NBC’s competitors even Fox News. By doing that Comcast avoided a net neutrality rule which would have barred them from blocking websites or deliberately slowing Internet traffic. Two Republican members stopped the net neutrality issue. They, like most Republicans believe net neutrality will not survive, either the courts or Congress will strike it down.
If approved, this deal could close this month.
Personally, I believe NBC will be a major competitor of Fox News within a year. The President of NBC will be told he has 6 months to turn the NBC News portion around and begin increasing viewership and start making money. The President will be faced with putting his ideology on the air or putting Comcast dollars in his pocket and keeping his job. No one will tell him directly, there are too many left-wing news shows now, get off that dead horse. They won’t have to tell him that.
Now that your cable supplier, if you have Comcast, is now sending our MSNBC, and you happen to be opposed to everything MSNBC represents, do you switch cable suppliers?
If so, in the next few years, there may be actually two sources for balanced news. Won’t that be refreshing?