Technically Philly » Comcast Roundup

Comcast struggles to quantify TV Everywhere iPad viewership [Roundup]

Christopher Wink — Thu, 24 May 2012 12:30:10 +0000

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 email subscription for our weekly Comcast roundup or other news updates.

Cable companies offer free Wi-Fi — what’s the catch?
TV Everywhere’s Counting Problem [All Things Digital] — “Witness Comcast’s announcement yesterday, made at the cable industry’s annual convention in Boston, that it has been working with Nielsen on a plan to count viewers when they watched video on an iPad*, using Comcast’s Xfinity app. For various technical reasons, this is much harder than you’d think, and the two companies have already been beavering away at this for 18 months.”
Extra lane: how Comcast assures that Xfinity TV on Xbox 360 works well [Ars Technica]
New Comcast services threaten wireless text and data revenue [Cnet]
Comcast CEO Roberts not attending The Cable Show [FierceCable]

The Cable Show 2012: Verizon, Comcast Unveil ‘viewdini’ Mobile Search Product Signs on XFinity [Multichannel News]
Comcast service would connect home phone line to smartphones [LA Times]
Cable firms warn against heavy government oversight of Web [LA Times]
Comcast Asks FCC to Revoke Boston’s New License to Reregulate Rates FCC’s Media Bureau had recertified the city in April [Broadcasting & Cable]
Cable Show 2012: Comcast To Take X1 Guide To Some Existing Set-Tops, Too CTO Werner Says MSO to Deploy Cloud-Based Interface to RNG 150 Boxes [Multichannel News]
Comcast: An Impressive 9-Month Run Has Sent The Stock Up To Very High Levels [Seeking Alpha]
Comcast Ventures Join $12M Round for BodyMedia [Citybizlist]
Comcast Spotlight Forms Advanced-Ad Unit, Teams With SMGx ‘CM 360′ to Focus on Targeting, Interactivity and Measurement [Multichannel News]
Adobe Names Three New Members to Its Board of Directors [Business Wire] — Including Amy Banse, the managing director and head of funds for Comcast Ventures.
Fake Comcast workers flee after home invasion [Houston Chronicle]

Comcast will sell ‘substantial’ equity stake in A&E cable network [Roundup]

Christopher Wink — Thu, 10 May 2012 12:30:10 +0000

Comcast to Sell ‘Substantial’ Equity Stake in A&E [Bloomberg] — “Comcast’s NBC Universal entertainment business exercised an option to sell a “substantial” portion of its equity in A&E Television Networks, owner of the Lifetime and History cable channels. “
Senator Al Franken questions Comcast on Xbox 360 [TG Daily] — “Comedian-turned-Senator Al Franken wants the FCC to look into the way Comcast is offering streaming video on the Xbox 360.”
Comcast offers ESPN via iPhone, iPad [Inquirer] — “Comcast Corp. made available to its cable-TV subscribers the WatchESPN service for iPhone and iPad devices, part of the TV Everywhere initiative.”
7 ways Comcast is killing the cable killers [Gigaom]

Comcast customers lose access to e-mails; company investigating cause [Newark Star Ledger] — “Comcast e-mail customers throughout the nation have unable to use their e-mail service for hours this afternoon and this evening because of an unknown technical glitch, triggering a deluge of complaints on a customer service forum.”
NBCU Plans $190 Million In NYC Upgrades Programmer to Renovate 30 Rock, Other Installations over Next Two Years [Multichannel News]
Comcast’s first-quarter earnings rise 30 percent on Super Bowl advertising, more broadband [Washington Post] — “Comcast Corp., the country’s largest cable company, reported a 30 percent profit increase in the first quarter, beating expectations on the strength of Super Bowl advertising and its popular broadband service.”
Subscriber data from Internet service providers [Associated Press] — “Comcast Corp. says it added 439,000 Internet subscribers to end with 18.6 million. That was the best quarterly result in four years.”
Fans file class-action suit against Flyers [Chicago Tribune]
Comcast lands a sweet Metro Ethernet deal with Sarris Candies [CED] — “Comcast continues to rack up customer wins for its Metro Ethernet service, with the latest addition being Pennsylvania-based Sarris Candies.”

Comcast adds Internet customers, loses cable subscribers, profits jump [Roundup]

Christopher Wink — Thu, 03 May 2012 12:30:49 +0000

Comcast reports jump in profits, revenues [Inquirer] — “Helped by Super Bowl advertising and still-surging demand for Internet services, Comcast Corp. reported a 30 percent jump in profits to $1.2 billion and a 22.7 percent boost in revenue to $14.9 billion during the first quarter”
For Comcast, data equals big dollars [Gigaom] — “During the first quarter of 2012 (ending March 31), the company added 439,000 net new high-speed Internet customers to bring the final tally to 18.58 million”
Comcast Falls After Reporting Video-Subscriber Decline [Bloomberg]
Comcast’s losses in cable subscribers continue [San Francisco Chronicle] — “37,000: That’s how many cable TV subscribers Comcast lost in the first quarter.”
Comcast Must Put Bloomberg TV Among News Channels, FCC Says [Bloomberg] — “Comcast (CMCSA) Corp. must carry Bloomberg Television near other news channels on cable systems in the 35 largest U.S. media markets, the Federal Communications Commission said today. “
Comcast Cares Day 2012: A Day in Photos [Comcast Voices] — “67,000 Comcast employees, their families and their friends offered their time and elbow grease to nearly 650 projects in 39 states and Washington, D.C. Comcast and NBCUniversal volunteers painted schools; planted trees and gardens; cleaned up parks and trails; and beautified community centers.”

Comcast Awards $173,000 in scholarships to Pennsylvania high school seniors [Sacramento Bee]
On the Call: Comcast executive on Xfinity iPad app [CBS Money Watch] — With Neil Smit
NBC Universal’s Style Network and DailyCandy Team Up for StyleCandy [Ad Age]
Comcast CEO Roberts says deal will close in 2012 [Philadelphia Business Journal] — “Comcast Corp. Chairman, CEO and President Brian Roberts said he expects the controversial deal in which a joint venture between Comcast and two other cable-television firms would sell its 122 Advanced Wireless Services spectrum licenses to Verizon Wireless for $3.6 billion to close in the latter part of the year.”
Summary Box: Comcast 1Q net rises 30 pct [Fox 6 Alabama]
Comcast Business Class Services Recruits VARs For The Cloud [CRN]
Hoping for FiOS, some cities now feel abandoned by Verizon [Inquirer] — “Years after Verizon Communications Inc. wired the suburbs of Boston, Buffalo, and Baltimore with superfast Internet, more than one million residents in the poorer urban neighborhoods of those metro areas are still waiting for FiOS.”
More Comcast Cares coverage and the below wrap up video here.

Comcast partners with Oprah, spars with Boxee [Roundup]

Christopher Wink — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 12:30:10 +0000

Comcast Strikes Deal with OWN [Zacks] — “Comcast Corporation has recently entered an agreement with Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) to increase the viewership of the channel by making it available to existing Comcast subscribers”
Big Media Tussles With Tiny Boxee Over the Future of TV [Bloomberg] — “The company is fighting a proposed Federal Communications Commission rule backed by Comcast Corp., News Corp. and Walt Disney Co. that would let cable operators encrypt the TV transmissions that are delivered to U.S. homes. “
No, Comcast is not breaking the Internet…again [Cnet] — “Service that allows consumers to use their Xbox for viewing Comcast programming has prompted cries of imminent disaster for the Internet. But the service doesn’t violate FCC’s Open Internet rules.”
From Google to Comcast, Tech Giants Are Shaping Your Home’s Smart Future [ReadWriteWeb]
Are Amazon and Comcast Really Threats to Netflix? [Daily Finance]
Reed Hastings Will Get His HBO Go as Comcast Nears Deal on Xbox [Media Decoder: New York Times] — “The (HBO Go) app, which offers all of the pay cable channel’s shows, movies, and documentaries, will be available to Comcast’s 22.3 million Xfinity subscribers via the Xbox as early as this week”
Comcast Sizes Up All-IP Set-Top [Light Reading Cable]
Comcast Corporation Names D’Arcy F. Rudnay Chief Communications Officer [Business Wire]
Apple Doesn’t Need To Make the TV of the Future [Slate] — “The revolution is already here—and it’s called the Xbox.” Comcast has partnered to with Xbox around delivery
Comcast targets Twin Cities’ mid-size businesses [Pioneer Press]

Comcast Xfinity TV app joins Xbox Live, won’t count against data cap [Roundup]

Christopher Wink — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 12:30:57 +0000

Facebook Taps Former Comcast Exec To Head Outreach Program [National Journal]
The technical and legal realities of Comcast’s Xbox cap spat [Gigaom]
Xbox 360′s Comcast Xfinity TV app in beta testing, won’t count against data caps when it launches [Engadget]
Microsoft Xbox Live to add Comcast, HBO Go today [Gigaom]
Comcast, Verizon face critics at Senate hearing [Inquirer]
How will Comcast ‘beat the brains’ out of Verizon FiOS? [FierceCable]
AT&T, Comcast, Other ISPs Urged by U.S. to Step Up Cybersecurity on Home PCs [Bloomberg]

A Look At Comcast’s Growth Prospects [city biz list]
Comcast Business takes a continuous improvement model to CEM [FierceTelecom]
Comcast to introduce new business phone service [Inquirer] — “a new package of high-definition business phones with software features that, for instance, allow sales staff or other employees to transfer on Microsoft Outlook an incoming phone call to another phone or phones.”
Comcast Rolls Business Voice Into the Cloud [Light Reading Cable]
Apps Helping Comcast Market Its Digital Library [Hispanic Business]
Comcast, NBCUniversal pledge to hire 1,000 veterans [Today Show]
Comcast Promotes Three Women to Senior VP Operator elevates Tracy Pitcher, Rebecca Scilingo and Amy Stipandic [Broadcasting & Cable]
Comcast Applauds Work of the FCC’s CSRIC on Online Security and Safety [Comcast Voices]
Comcast Adds Text Appeal For Voice Subs [Multichannel News] — “Comcast — looking to give customers two new reasons to keep their landlines — is offering Xfinity Voice Unlimited Nationwide plan subscribers free, unlimited text messaging from mobile apps plus the ability to receive transcribed voicemail messages via e-mail.”
Comcast Corporation Names D’Arcy F. Rudnay Chief Communications Officer [Business Wire]
Comcast Pulls Back On IPv6 Rollout, Citing Netgear Modem Glitch [Multichannel News]
Comcast to Host First Quarter 2012 Earnings Conference Call [Business Wire] — May 2

‘Comcast, Verizon say they’re itching to fight Google, Apple’ [Roundup]

Christopher Wink — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 12:30:47 +0000

Comcast, Verizon Say They’re Itching to Fight Google, Apple [All things Digital]
Verizon, Comcast Clash With Opponents Over Cable Spectrum Deal [PC Mag]
First woman executive vice president at Comcast [Philadelphia Inquirer] — Cathy Avgiris
Comcast Adds $200,000 to Club Tech Program at Boys & Girls Clubs across America [Business Wire]
Comcast’s Strategy Chief Calls a Power Play [Light Reading Cable] — “Mark Coblitz, Comcast’s SVP of strategic planning, is calling on the cable industry to forge a new long-term energy management strategy as MSOs continue with their IP video migrations and shift more services and apps into the cloud, including network DVRs. “

Senior vice president of Comcast Corporation pledges $1.055 million for Cooper Medical School of Rowan University scholarships [NJ.com] — Lawrence J. Salva, chief accounting officer and controller, h/t Philly Tech News
Comcast Ventures Leads $11M Series B in Integrate [Citybizlist]
Comcast Spotlight Announces Executive Promotions (Press Release)
Comcast, Liberty Global Lead $11M Round In Ad Startup Integrate [Multichannel News]
Comcast Presents Consumer Benefits of Spectrum Assignment to Senate [Comcast Voices] — From EVP David L. Cohen
Tech Talk Episode One: The Cloud [Comcast Voices] — new vodcast from the company blog, as seen below, an interview with John Schanz, Comcast’s Chief Network Officer

Comcast streaming NCAA tournament video free for customers [Roundup]

Christopher Wink — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 12:30:16 +0000

Comcast Streaming NCAA Tournament Video for Free [PC Mag]
O3 launches national site for Comcast’s Project Open Voice [O3 Blog] — The Northern Liberties firm leads the FCC-mandated Comcast initiative to bolster local video content
Sears spars with Comcast over blackouts [Bennington Banner] — “BENNINGTON — Comcast officials say they have taken steps to correct “miscommunication” that resulted in Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin’s January State of the State address being blacked out. “
Comcast Launches TiVo Xfinity On Demand In April [Zatz not Funny]

Op-Ed : Comcast’s commitment to Martha’s Vineyard is stronger than ever [Martha's Vineyard Times]
Comcast Dividend Capture With Options [Seeking Alpha]
Did NBC miss the boat on ‘Downton Abbey’? [Inquirer] — “Comcast Corp.’s NBC television network desperately needs more prime-time hits. But did it let one slip away?”
Comcast Celebrates New Minority-Owned Independent Networks [Comcast Voices]

Does Comcast belong in the Dow? [Roundup]

Christopher Wink — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 13:30:24 +0000

Comcast Cable Chief Talks Sub Trends, Streampix [Hollywood Reporter] — “Neil Smit said the new streaming video service, which offers older films and TV series like Netflix, gives customers “no reason to go anywhere else.”
Does Comcast Belong in the Dow? [The Motley Fool]
Comcast bets big on sports [CNN Money] — “The media company raised eyebrows last year when it bid $4.4 billion to broadcast the Olympic Games. Turns out the cable guys have a plan – and they’re just getting started.”

Comcast dives into Carrier Ethernet 2.0 [IT World]
Comcast and other providers rush to impose data caps [Inquirer]
No More Free Ride with Comcast Video on Demand [Zatz Not Funnny] — More ads expected to run on the free section of Comcast onDemand
Comcast warns of cyber security threat posed by botnets; network will never be ‘completely secure‘ [Fierce Cable]
Installed Throughout Most of Mt. Airy [Mt. Airy Patch]
Comcast won’t offer Netflix to Xfinity TV subscribers [Fierce Cable]
Robert Rodriguez Reveals El Rey Network [Comcast Voices] — One of the Comcast-backed minority cable channels to meet FCC guidelines
Netflix May Become a Cable Channel Too [Tom's Guide]
Advanced Advertising: Comcast’s Jenckes Sees Plenty of ITV Ad Opportunities [Multichannel News]
SIP Forum elects Comcast’s Jenkal to board [CED]

Comcast says it has exceeded many FCC conditions for its NBC acquisition [Roundup]

Christopher Wink — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 13:30:07 +0000

DEFINITE READS

Comcast to FCC: We Have Met — and Often Exceeded — Merger Conditions [Reuters]
Comcast Files First NBCU Condition Compliance Report [Broadcasting and Cable] — “Says conditions have become part of company’s DNA, and that it has overdelivered on some promises” More from the Comcast blog here.
Comcast’s Netflix Killer Isn’t One Yet. But It Could Be. [All Things Digital]
Comcast On Demand TiVo Integration Weeks Away [Zatz Not Funny]
Mets Asked To Use SNY As Collateral For Comcast And Time Warner Cable Investment [Forbes]
Q&A: Comcast’s Cathy Avgiris [Light Reading Cable] — EVP in data. H/T Philly Tech News
Netflix CEO to Comcast: Quit the poor-mouthing (CNET News)

MIGHT INTEREST

Comcast enters smart thermostat game [MotherNature Network] — “Comcast partners with EcoFactor to bringing smart thermostat technology to Xfinity Home customers. ” More from Multichannel News here and more from Gigaom here.
Comcast Business Services Launches New Chamber Referral Program in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. [MarketWatch] — “Program enables organizations to provide their members with even more ways to save on Comcast Business Class Solutions “
A Triple Play Ends the Inning, Comcast [MSNBC] — Perspective on cable ‘bundling’ of services
Comcast Beats Analyst Estimates on EPS [MSNBC]
Comcast Endorses Multi-stakeholder Approach to Developing Online Privacy Principles [Comcast Voices]
Comcast’s Role in Carrier Ethernet 2.0 [Comcast Voices]

GIVE A GLANCE

Comcast Promotes William Strahan to Executive Vice President of Human Resources for Comcast Cable [Business Wire] H/T Philly Tech News
Brodsky Becomes Member of SCTE Foundation Board Comcast Exec Joins Werner, Fawaz [Multichannel News]
Edmunds exits Cox for new job at Comcast Cable [Communications, Engineering & Design Magazine]
Advanced Advertising: Comcast’s Jenckes Sees Plenty of ITV Ad Opportunities [Multichannel News] — “Exec Also Bullish on VOD Mid-Roll Dynamic Ad Insertion”
Comcast cutting some local jobs, adding more [KnoxvilleBiz] — In Tennessee, “As Comcast cuts 16 local positions and transfers the work to Chattanooga, the telecommunications company is filling 85 other jobs at its Asheville Highway operations center.”

Comcast launches Streampix, billed as Netflix competitor [Roundup]

Christopher Wink — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 13:30:39 +0000

Comcast launches Streampix video service [Inquirer] — Billed as competition for Netflix, which played out in stocks.
Comcast to start new minority-owned cable channels [Wall Street Journal] — “Comcast will launch four minority-owned networks on its cable-TV systems in the next two years, including channels spearheaded by music mogul Sean “P. Diddy” Combs and NBA great Magic Johnson.” Perspective from Gawker here and more details here.

Comcast makes good on diversity promise – will it pay? [Reuters]
FCC Tells Verizon, Comcast, AT&T To Work Harder To Prevent Hacks, Data Theft [Reuters]
T-Mobile asks FCC to block Verizon-cable deal [Boston.com] — “T-Mobile USA, which just had its acquisition by AT&T blocked by regulators, is urging the federal government to block another deal in the wireless world: Verizon’s planned purchase of spectrum from cable companies for $3.9 billion.”
Google Aims to Offer Kansas City TV [Wall Street Journal] — Seen as an attempt to offer cable TV-like packages. H/T Philly Post
Bibb Says Comcast Has `Little Confidence’ in Streampix [Bloomberg business video] — Watch below.