Boston Mayor asks FCC to let the city control basic cable prices: Comcast Roundup

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 subscri ption for our Comcast news updates.

• Comcast defends its local rates for cable TV [Boston Globe] — “Cable television giant Comcast Corp. yesterday defended its local rates as Mayor Thomas M. Menino filed a petition asking the Federal Communications Commission to give the city control over the price of basic cable service in Boston.”
• Massachusetts Sen. Kerry steps into Comcast-Boston brouhaha [Fierce Cable]
• Comcast annual meeting lasts 35 minutes [Inquirer] — Attended by 50 people, the Inquirer reports it far shorter than ones in the past
• Only AFL-CIO Rains on Comcast’s Parade [AdWeek]

More below, including how Brian Roberts brought Stephen Spielberg to Center City.

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“What used to be called ‘reruns’ on television is now called Netflix:” Comcast Roundup

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 subscri ption for our Comcast news updates.

DEFINITE READS

• Comcast CEO Brian Roberts Calls Netflix Streaming Service a Positive [Hollywood Reporter] “What used to be called “reruns” on television is now called Netflix,” he says
• Comcast’s Brian Roberts: The man who loves cable [Company Town: Los Angeles Times] — Brian Roberts was most concerned about transitioning Steve Burke from COO to NBC chief.

MIGHT INTEREST

• Peers or not? Comcast and Level 3 slug it out at FCC’s doorstep [ars technica] H/T PTN
• Comcast, NBC deal opens door for online video [USA Today]
• Cable TV In Pursuit Of Mobility [State of the Art: New York Times] — A funny faux internal Comcast memo on trends in the industry of TV.

Below, a big deal with Samsung, negotiating Manhattan real estate and more.

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NBC Network turnaround will take years, says Steve Burke: Comcast Roundup

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 ane-mail subscription for our Comcast news updates.

• Comcast Posts 7% Increase in Revenue [New York Times]
• New NBC Universal CEO Steve Burke: NBC Network Turnaround Will Take Years [Hollywood Reporter]
• Update: McDowell: Deal Desperation Fueled Comcast Acquiescence to Net Rules [Multichannel News] — “Republican FCC commissioner Robert McDowell said Wednesday that Comcast told him the reason it agreed to voluntarily abide by the FCC’s network neutrality rules whether or not they were overturned by the courts was because it was desperate to get the deal approved.”
• Is TV Everywhere Working For Comcast? [Gigaom] — “Comcast had some good news for investors this morning, with news that the number of subscribers lost to pay TV competitors and online-only services had slowed dramatically in the fourth quarter. Could Comcast’s slower subscriber losses be evidence that its TV Everywhere initiative might actually be working?” H/T Philly Tech News
• Comcast, Time Warner join IPv6 test program [Cnet]

Comcast Roundup: Will Comcast support another NBC push for Olympics coverage?

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 Deal May Hang on Showing Rivals’ Online Video [BusinessWeek] — Nothing new here, online video has always been the most talked about issue in the merger
• In NBC’s Shadow, Comcast Ponders an Olympic Plunge [New York Times]
• FCC chair to approve Comcast-NBC merger with conditions for program sharing [Post Tech: Washington Post]

Below, discounts to lower income customers, video of ‘Comcast Holiday Hell’ and more.

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Comcast Roundup: Senate chairman worried, House leader encouraged by NBC deal

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

• Internet issues bog down Comcast-NBC merger [LA Times]
• Comcast Tests Combo Internet-Cable Device [Wall Street Journal] — “Comcast Corp. is testing a new service that knits together television and the Internet, as the U.S. cable giant goes after rivals that threaten to undermine its business.
• Rockefeller Pans Comcast-NBCU Deal [Tech Daily Does: National Journal] — “Senate Commerce Chairman Jay Rockefeller – the most powerful voice in Congress on telecom policy — told the FCC he’s worried that the $30 billion transaction could have a detrimental impact on consumers and competition.”
• Comcast getting good deal on NBC Universal, research firm Bernstein says [Philadelphia Business Journal]

Below, why Comcast should chase the Olympics, is the end of NBC regulatory approval nearing and more.

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Comcast Roundup: Level 3 price dispute becomes focus, ensnaring NetFlix, 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 Puts Tollbooth on Net Video, Says Backbone Provider [Epicenter: Wired] Colorado-based online video streaming service Level 3, which has NetFlix as a primary client, accuses Comcast of charging unfair rates. Comcast says it’s a standard rate negotiation.
• 10 Facts About Peering, Comcast and Level 3 [Comcast blog]
• What The Comcast/Level 3 Fracas Is Really About: Money [Tech Crunch]

More on the Level 3 dispute, another profile of anointed Comcast lead of NBC Universal Stephen Burke and more.

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Comcast Roundup: ‘Self regulation, not government mandates’ for internet 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 executive: self-regulation, not government mandates, for Internet [Post Tech: Washington Post] — “Comcast executive vice president David Cohen will deliver a speech in Washington on Monday, where he will stress the role of self-regulation of the Internet.”
• Verizon echoes Comcast: Feds shouldn’t reign over Internet service providers [Post Tech: Washington Post] Tom Tauke, Verizon’s executive vice president of public affairs, says: “After haggling over the issue for over five years, we are essentially in the same place we were when this debate started… There still is no identifiable problem to be solved, and instead, as predicted, technology and market forces are ensuring that access to the Internet is open to consumers, as well as to developers of content and services.”
• Who Should Govern the Internet? [Comcast blog] — David L. Cohen says “The more important the Internet becomes, the more discussion, debate and pressure grows for more government involvement. In my talk at Brookings, I will suggest a path that relies primarily on the consensus-based self-governance model that has typified the Internet since its founding as a better alternative…” And follow up on the Comcast blog regarding the panel that followed Cohen’s keynote address.

Below, Comcast said to struggle with the Hollywood entertainment ecosystem, NBCU reshuffling detailed and more.

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Comcast Roundup: Net neutrality DOA until Nov. 3, the future of NBC Sports predicted 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 Sports Business Journal makes five predictions about what will happen when Comcast runs the NBC Sports show. H/T LA Times
• The Washington Post reports that a decision on controversial ‘net neutrality’ rules has been delayed by the FCC until after the November elections.

Below, more angles on the future of online video, how Comcast exists in the news ecosystem and more.

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Comcast Roundup: Partnership with Blockbuster, net neutrality ‘trap’ 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

• Zatz Not Funny reports on Comcast’s deal with Blockbuster to partner on DVDsbyMail to, you know, send DVDs by mail, and TechDirt wonders why.
• The New York Post reports that the FCC is readying a ‘net neutrality trap’ for Comcast.
• The Inquirer’s Bob Fernandez reports that Comcast has already spent $90 million on lobbying, advertising, lawyers and other costs pushing for approval of their acquisition of NBC.

Below, four months in prison for hacking Comcast, the most expensive rowhome purchase ever and more.

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Comcast Roundup: Reports make the case for NBC deal, net neutrality broadens and More

• The Inquirer’s Bob Fernandez covers two Comcast-funded economic reports that help make the case its NBC acquisition isn’t anti-competitive.
• The Washington Post technology blog has a series of posts on net neutrality, from action groups urging the FCC to restructure its approach to be more able to follow through on its broadband policies to the FCC chairman’s apparent agreement to Microsoft’s sudden emergence in the conversation.
• The Inquirer also reports on rumors that the FCC will hire an outside expert to help review its growing regulatory overview of the Comcast-NBC deal.