Comcast Roundup: Stronger than expected Q1, what NBC means for Web startups and more

DEFINITE READS

• Business Week reports on Comcast’s better-than-expected first quarter, backed by rebounding advertising. paidContent reports that during the earnings call, CEO Brian Roberts said he remains “hopeful” about the NBC deal.
• The Los Angeles Times reports that Kevin Martin, a former chief of the FCC who is now a private lawyer, is representing clients that oppose the Comcast-NBC deal.
• Reuters has a piece on investor questions around Comcast’s various “regulatory run-ins.” H/T Philly Tech News

Below, what the NBC deal could mean for Web startups, a secret product launch and more.

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Comcast Roundup: Olympic channel controversy, Justice Dept. on telecom abuse and More

Every Thursday morning, find all the stories you need to know about your friendly telecommunications giant in the Comcast Roundup.

The United States Olympic Committee and Comcast announced yesterday they would partner to launch in 2010 The U.S. Olympic Network, broadcasting the trials and training and everything else that goes into the international event.

Comcast’s corporate blog takes on the rosy dream of giving you superhuman mega athletes and their schmaltzy stories 24/7/365. Of course, the N.Y. Times and the Debbie Downers that they are focus more on the fact that, well, the International Olympic Committee has made clear they have not given name or TV rights for the project.

The Times reports that this is just the latest development in the tense relationship between the U.S.O.C. and the I.O.C.

Richard Carrion, an I.O.C. executive board member, told the Times that they were concerned about the viability of the network and its affect on longtime U.S. broadcaster NBC.

“We’ve given the rights to NBC to be the Olympic network,” he said. “I don’t think something else called the Olympic network will fly.”

After the jump, Verizon crashes Steel Town, what Pirate Bay wants to sell Comcast and five other stories for the faithful.

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Comcast Roundup: “Worst Company in America,” Hulu threatens and More

Comcast’s place as this year’s “Worst Company in America” is being voted on today in the final round of the annual event held by Consumerist, the Consumer’s Union-owned nonprofit Web site. It is vying for lowlight with AIG — called the battle of the monopoly and the bailout.

It keeps growing and all your complaining ain’t stopping it.

This continued bruising of a telecommunications giant that has seen plenty of it comes on the heels of a five-and-a-half percent first quarter jump in profits for Comcast. The only rising cost for the profitable cable company is programming.

See other top Comcast headlines, including why Hulu should be scary, what happened to Joost and a $1 billion plan I don’t fully understand, after the jump.

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