Comcast-NBC merger reaction from local Chamber head, others

A voice of Philadelphia’s business community has made clear his support for Comcast’s majority acquisition of NBC Universal.

“There is an immediate jolt to the reputation of the city and region. This raises our visibility nationally and globally as the headquarters of Comcast,” said Rob Wonderling, the CEO of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, in an organization press release. “It makes Ralph and Brian Roberts’ decision to stay in Philadelphia and build the HQ here even more significant and admirable.”

Last Thursday, Comcast announced it had agreed to terms with General Electric to take a 51 percent stake in NBC. The deal will have to undergo federal regulatory approval, primarily from the Federal Communications Commission, which could take up to a year.

Read more

Comcast Roundup: NBC deal facing long review, Comcast dabbles in Ticketmaster-Live Nation merger 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.

• Reuters reports that Comcast’s deal to take from General Electric a majority stake in NBC Universal seems increasingly likely but that its acceptance will then be slowed by a lengthy review process, not only by the FCC but by congressional committees beginning the long haul to midterm elections.
• In an excellent piece of business journalism, the New York Times runs a top notch profile of Comcast CEO Brian Roberts and his path through content courting. Read this, my friends.
• Not to be outdone, the LA Times has its own piece of long-form Comcast business journalism, chronicling how the NBC Universal purchase would make it an elite “major global communications player.”
• Bloomberg News reports that Comcast is working with Ticketmaster and Live Nation on salvaging their mega merger that is now under U.S. antitrust scrutiny. Does that merger still sound crazy to you? Read this excellent Philadelphia Weekly cover story on it from the alt weekly’s music editor Brian McManus.

After the jump Verizon FiOS swiping Comcast customers in Chestnut Hill and video of a Comcast executive talking about TV Everywhere.

Read more

City CTO and community to publicly discuss broadband policy at One Web Day kick-off

Nothing says civic duty like a town hall meeting. Now it’s Philly tech’s turn.

City Chief Technology Officer Allan Frank and a handful of influential members of Philadelphia’s technology community will hold a public panel this month to discuss broadband policy, Digital Philadelphia and the city’s technology future.

The September 22 panel, hailed as One Web Day Philly’s inaugural event, marks the first public discussion concerning Digital Philadelphia since Frank reached out to members of technology community earlier this year.

“With all the energy that’s gone into broadband expansion over the last few months because of the stimulus grant,” One Web Day Philly organizer Gwen Shaffer says, “we need to think about how we’re going to build on that momentum, and make sure there’s public input.”

Discussion will surround a pivotal question that Frank has been meek to respond to: If Philadelphia doesn’t receive federal broadband stimulus money, how will the city realize the Division of Technology’s Digital Philadelphia vision and the Nutter administration’s promise to expand Internet access in Philadelphia?

Read more

Event highlights for the week of August 3 – August 9, 2009

What do the Phillies’ farm system, our Brian James Kirk’s apartment and our events calendar have in common this week?

They’re all nearly empty.

Cliff Lee and new apartments aside, techies apparently are enjoying this little thing we call “summer” as the TP event calendar is as sparse as ever.

But fear not, as Refresh Philly should have enough action to keep you occupied all week when the group meets at the Comcast Center on Monday. Three speakers are scheduled, including former Q&A club member Gwen Shaffer.

The next day, you can kick it with NetSquared at NetTuesday and chat about when to use social media.  The group’s new Web site will be used as an example.

All events listed on the event calendar are free to attend. Be sure to check our complete calendar for more information, or follow us past the jump.

Read more

Friday Q&A: Gwen Shaffer, One Web Day organizer

On September 22, Philadelphia will celebrate its first One Web Day. Maybe celebrate isn’t the right word for it—this year’s event is about digital inclusion, or the lack thereof.

Modeled after Earth Day, One Web is an international event meant to raise the public’s awareness of Web issues. No, not the Facebook redesign. We’re talking issues like estimates that 50 percent Philadelphia does not have access to the Internet.

This year, organizer Gwen Shaffer is helping bring the event to Philly for the first time. “It’s an opportunity to demonstrate the positive impact broadband can have on people’s lives,” Shaffer says. She hopes to have a week of service built around the main event, a day filled with speakers, multimedia and stories about the Net’s impact.

“We will probably collect testimonials from either people who don’t have Internet and talk about how it would change their lives, and then get stories from people about how their lives were different before they had broadband,” she says. “Put a human face on what many of us take for granted.”

The organizers need your help. Shaffer says she is confident that the City will participate with the event, but the search for volunteers, corporate sponsors and additional partners has only begun. After the jump, it’s hard not to be persuaded into lending a hand.

Read more