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Allbritton's advertising assault against Comcast-NBC merger
As Comcast and NBC Universal push for a speedy review of its merger, one local media chief has launched an assault to tell federal regulators to slow down and look at potential problems the union could present to smaller competitors.
Robert Allbritton, chief executive of Washington-based Allbritton Communications, has run ads in his own Hill publication, Politico ¿ online and in the print edition ¿ saying the proposed merger by Comcast and NBC Universal could hurt local news.
In the Politico ads and others in WTOP, Allbritton says Comcast and NBC have bought up influence in Washington and urged regulators to consider how the merger could affect local broadcasters (he owns WJLA and News Channel 8) who depend on Comcast to carry them.
Here's an example of an ad that ran this week in Politico's Playbook by Mike Allen:
"A vast army of lobbyists is pushing hard to rush through the largest media merger in American history. The Comcast/NBC monopoly would present serious problems for local news in communities across our country. Washington's decision makers must take the necessary time to carefully review this controversial merger to protect the public interest"
Allbritton has a huge stake in the merger, as Comcast carries his broadcast properties WJLA and Newschannel 8 on its systems locally, and WJLA competes directly against NBC-owned WRC, channel 4. In an interview The Post's Paul Farhi, he said Comcast has "hired every lobbyist in town" to talk up the merger and a speedy review. Rep. Rick Boucher, chairman of the telecommunications subcommittee, and several New York members of Congress have urged the Federal Communications Commission and Justice Department to wrap up their reviews quickly.
The legal and lobbying costs for Comcast are high: In the quarter that ended June 30, Comcast said legal and other costs associated with the NBC Universal transaction amounted to $59 million.
"You've got to have some protection [for other media companies] if you're going to allow that much concentration of media power. It's dangerous for political discourse" if one entity controls so much and abuses its power," Allbritton told Farhi last week.
"Comcast has been a good partner of ours." It distributes News Channel 8 locally and WJLA, the two local Allbritton-owned stations. But he says, "Do we really want the cable guy telling Jim Vance what to say every night?"
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