Comcast Roundup: Won’t tie rates to inflation, chasing BitTorrent users and More

Every Thursday morning at 8:30 a.m. EST, find all the stories you need to know about your friendly telecommunications giant in the Comcast Roundup. Get an e-mail subscription for our Comcast news updates.

Update: edited title, updated TV Everywhere link

DEFINITE READS

• The Washington Post reports that the FCC has begun a review of the “rules governing how broadcasters and pay television services negotiate transmission fees,” prompted by disputes surrounding the Comcast-NBC deal. The Post also reports that the FCC commissioner blasted Internet service providers, like Comcast, for raising prices (as the company did) as the agency has moved to provide more affordable Web access.
• The Inquirer’s Bob Fernandez reports that Comcast won’t tie their rates to inflation, a proposed condition to its merger with NBC. Fernandez also reports that Comcast founder Ralph Roberts celebrated his 90th birthday.
• Businessweek reports that Comcast and TimeWarner, among others, helped fight off a once prevalent trend toward free TV.

Below, how Comcast is chasing down some BitTorrent users, NBC executives learning Comcast culture and a dozen more stories.

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Comcast Roundup: Fourth NBC Senate hearing, NBC promotions and More

Every Thursday morning at 8:30 a.m. EST, find all the stories you need to know about your friendly telecommunications giant in the Comcast Roundup. Get an e-mail subscription for our Comcast news updates.

DEFINITE READS

• The Washington Post reports that the Senate Commerce committee has called Comcast and NBC Universal back for a fourth hearing on the merger. The Post also reports that the chairman of the FCC and a Department of Justice antitrust executive will testify at the hearing.

Below, promotional plans with NBC, the stock is good but the deal is bad and more.

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Comcast Roundup: Xfinity is the new iPod, more channels on the way and more

Every Thursday morning at 8:30 a.m. EST, find all the stories you need to know about your friendly telecommunications giant in the Comcast Roundup. Get an e-mail subscription for our Comcast news updates.

DEFINITE READS

Another week, another round of questions from Congress about the NBCU/Comcast merger. In this week’s episode, both companies deflected accusations that the merger would result in significant job losses. Also: Brian Roberts gets stuck in a well.

Thanks to its new “World of More” effort to digitize all channels, the company will will be able to offer 30 more channels to basic subscribers.

The Inky’s Joey D chatted with CFO Michael J. Angelakis. Among the highlights: Comcast believes Xfinity is to Comcast as iPod is to Apple or Windows is to Microsoft.

Below: Comcast gets a new DVR mobile app … and a new public service announcement.

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Comcast Roundup: 250 Mbps on the way, Comcast criticized for being two-faced and more

Every Thursday morning at 8:30 a.m. EST, find all the stories you need to know about your friendly telecommunications giant in the Comcast Roundup. Get an e-mail subscription for our Comcast news updates.

DEFINITE READS

• Comcast is said to be planning to unleash 250 Mbps speed Internet in the near future.
• Industry and trade groups are chastizing Comcast for agreeing to FCC rules in its NBCU merger while simultaneously trying to change regulations. Which, in government, is like yelling “Yo, youse a liar!” on the playground.
• NBCU and Comcast continue their dance with the federal government today. The companies say that even if they merged, their online video presence will still be a tiny fraction of Google’s market share.

Below, Comcast comes down hard on hackers the company continues to try and rehab its customer service image.

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Comcast Roundup: Al Franken wants money for fighting NBC deal, xfinity ad and More

Every Thursday morning at 8:30 a.m. EST, find all the stories you need to know about your friendly telecommunications giant in the Comcast Roundup. Get an e-mail subscription for our Comcast news updates.

DEFINITE READS

• The Atlantic Wire suggests that like Google Buzz is an attack on social media companies like Facebook, the search engine’s announcement that it will offer super fast broadband networks to select municipalities is an attack on telecommunications companies like Comcast.
• The Business Insider reports that Senator Al Franken used his vocal opposition to the Comcast-NBC deal to garner campaign donations.

Below, an anti-Comcast pink dragon, the first xfinity TV ad and more.

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Comcast Roundup: Sen. Al Franken says ‘hard to trust,’ NBC lobbying continues and More

Every Thursday morning at 8:30 a.m. EST, find all the stories you need to know about your friendly telecommunications giant in the Comcast Roundup. Get an e-mail subscription for our Comcast news updates.

DEFINITE READS

• The Washington Post reports on Comcast’s bolstered presence in D.C. circles, ahead of regulatory oversight of its deal for NBC.
• The New York Times reports that Democrats in particular have been critical of the NBC deal. Among them, the Washington Post reports that former NBC star and current Senator Al Franken said NBC can’t be trusted. But the Post also reports that Pittsburgh’s mayor, among other local leaders, encouraged their congressional members to support the deal.

Below, why some say the Comcast-NBC deal would ruin Web video, Brian Roberts makes a promise about layoffs and More.

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Comcast Roundup: NBC hearings begin today, a Google balance and More

Every Thursday morning at 8:30 a.m. EST, find all the stories you need to know about your friendly telecommunications giant in the Comcast Roundup. Get an e-mail subscription for our Comcast news updates.

DEFINITE READS

• USA Today reports that Hulu executives are likely eager to start experimenting with paid version of the popular video streaming site but must wait for the finalized result of Comcast’s deal with NBC, which owns nearly a third of the site.
• The Washington Post reports that today the congressional hearings on the Comcast-NBC deal have begun.
• paidContent reports on Democratic staff memos that discuss, ahead of today’s congressional hearings on the matter, the impact the merger has to “fundamentally shape the way Web video evolves.”

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Comcast Roundup: Comcast knew about Leno’s ratings, NBC deal a “probably” and More

Every Thursday morning at 8:30 a.m. EST, find all the stories you need to know about your friendly telecommunications giant in the Comcast Roundup. Get an e-mail subscription for our Comcast news updates.

DEFINITE READS

• The Philadelphia Business Journal reports that Comcast-Spectacor will buy ticketing company Paciolan, which Ticketmaster has to spin off to win approval from the U.S. Justice Department for its merger with Live Nation.
• Reuters reports that Sen. John Kerry, chairman of the U.S. Senate’s communications and technology subcommittee, said oversight of the Comcast-NBC deal can “probably” be resolved.
• Bloomberg reports that NBC had warned Comcast in November that Jay Leno’s ratings were hurting local stations, a major factor in the controversy surrounding moving Leno and releasing Conan O’Brien. H/T Philly Tech News

After the jump, what Comcast would trade for SportsNet, notes from the State of the Net speech and More.

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Comcast Roundup: Jeff Zucker speaks, $1 million for Haiti relief and More

Every Thursday morning at 8:30 a.m. EST, find all the stories you need to know about your friendly telecommunications giant in the Comcast Roundup. Get an e-mail subscription for our Comcast news updates.

DEFINITE READS

• The Wall Street Journal’s Deal Journal blog shares portions of a transcript of NBC head Jeff Zucker talking to Charlie Rose about, among other things, the Comcast deal. H/T Philly Tech News
• BusinessWeek has a piece calling the “Conan and Leno saga” NBC chief Jeff Zucker’s “eventual undoing, even if it takes Comcast to come in and pull the plug.
• The Philadelphia Business Journal reports that Comcast has announced it will send $1 million in cash and in-kind support for disaster relief efforts in Haiti.

After the jump, Fancast Xfinity expanded again, why Comcast has to write down their promises now and a dozen more stories.

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Comcast Roundup: Antitrust reviews begin of NBC deal, carrying ESPN 3d and More

Every Thursday morning at 8:30 a.m. EST, find all the stories you need to know about your friendly telecommunications giant in the Comcast Roundup. Get an e-mail subscription for our Comcast news updates.

• The Washington Post reports that the Justice Department will begin an antitrust review of the Comcast-NBC merger.
• The Post also reports that a Senate Judiciary subcommittee and a host of other House and Senate panels want to review the deal.
• The Silicon Alley Insider reports that Comcast is in talks to carry ESPN’s announced 3d sports channel.

Below, the power of Comcast’s top attorney, the Tennis Channel is pissed and More.

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