FCC won’t vote on Comcast-NBC merger in January: 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 subscription for our Comcast news updates.

• Comcast to Start Streaming on Tablets [Gadgetwise: New York Times] — “Comcast on Wednesday took a step toward television viewing on tablets with two announcements about live and on-demand viewing.” The Comcast blog gave more corporate perspective on those announcements.
• No Comcast vote at January FCC meeting [The Hill] — “The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will not vote on the Comcast merger at its January meeting, according to an agenda summary released Tuesday.”
• Taking Media Mergers to the Next Level [FAIR] — Perspective on media coverage of NBC merger
• Why I Love Comcast [The Motley Fool] — Counter to the maxim of ‘don’t buy what you hate,’ an investor suggests that “we just need to ensure that we don’t extrapolate our own personal experiences too greatly onto the general population, and assume that everyone thinks like us.”
• Analysts: Comcast-NBCU conditions could change if GOP wins White House [The Hill] — “Telecom analysts say the conditions that may be placed on the merger of Comcast and NBC Universal could be rolled back if Republicans take the White House in 2012. “
• Inquirer Editorial: Cable giant grows bigger [Inquirer] — Local voice on the merger, without much hard perspective we can find.

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: Ed Rendell urges NBC deal approval, Level 3 parries back 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 and NBC [New York Times editorial] — Urging regulators to not feel rushed in approving the Comcast-NBC merger.
• As Comcast-NBC try to tie up merger, news editorials differ on consequences [Post Tech: Washington Post] — An October Washington Post editorial “said that many of the same critiques of the Comcast-NBCU deal were voiced in 2001 by hand-wringers nervous about the AOL-Time Warner merger – worries that came to naught.”
• Comcast merger helps consumers [Politico editorial by Ed Rendell] — Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell responds to an editorial from Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders criticizing the NBC deal.
• Level 3: Comcast Charging For Local Access, Not Peering [Multichannel News] — Colorado online distribution company Level 3 lobs back more detailed criticism of Comcast, after last week’s blow up. Comcast quickly denounced the update as, well, as not being an update.

Hulu and Earthlink give more details on their perspective on the NBC deal, extension of the partnership and more.

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Links: $45 million for new Drexel business school, NewsWorks launches and More

• TEDx at the Kimmel: Where ideas go to mix [Inquirer] — The TED preview, now read our TEDxPhilly review here.
• Drexel U. gets $45 million for new business school [BusinessWeek] — It’ll be a high-profile beauty on Market Street in University City.
• Gallup/Knight study: Love for a city tied to economic growth [Philadelphia Business Journal] — “In other words, it’s love and passion for the city that gets the economic engine going.”
• After an Adventure in Newspapers, a Publisher Returns to P.R. [New York Times] — Former Inquirer Publisher Brian Tierney is returning to his marketing roots by launching a new communications group with an online footprint and Ryan Davis, the former Philly.com president who we interviewed. H/T Philly Tech News
• Newsworks opens up shop; we wish it well (and have a few questions) [Clog: Citypaper] — Long awaited and much trumpeted online news venture from WHYY launches, with plenty of back story.
• PolicyMap Introduces Four New Decision-Making Tools [PR Newswire] — Updates from the Reinvestment Fund, which we’ve covered before.
• Lincoln Financial Field gets even greener [6ABC] — Wind turbines, solar panels and other sustainable measures being added to the LINC H/T the 700 Level
• Art of the American Soldier: National Constitution Center Uses iPads in Awesome Exhibit [Geekadelphia] — [Full Disclosure: Technically Media, the parent company of Technically Philly, is working with the NCC on various projects]
• Dept. Of Evil Geniuses: The Philly Church Parking For Atheists Website [Philebrity]

Every Friday morning, we make sure you didn t miss anything with Friday Tech Links.

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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[UPDATED] Comcast Roundup: merger would make NBC ‘robust,’ Q3 profit falls 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 ane-mail subscription for our Comcast news updates.

Updated 10/28/10 @ 10:23 p.m. with a variety of new stories

DEFINITE READS

• Zalaznick Says Comcast Takeover Would Make NBC `Robust’ [Washington Post] — Video of Lauren Zalaznick, head of NBC Universal Inc.’s women and lifestyle division, saying just that.
• Comcast Loses More Subscribers Than Expected, but Its Earnings Top Estimates [New York Times]
• Is Comcast’s Xfinity TV a Trojan Horse? [Gigaom] H/T Philly Tech News

Below, Comcast says its ‘disappearing subscribers’ aren’t ‘cord cutters’ and more.

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Comcast Roundup: NBC merger review will go into 2011, Hulu politics 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

• Post Tech:Comcast-NBCU merger review expected to go into 2011: analyst [Washington Post]
• Comcast Has Answers for FCC, Responses concerned with distribution agreements, rates, proprietary info [Broadcasting and Cable]

Below, the politics of Hulu, don’t mess with Texas and more.

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VC Roundup: First Round raises $126 mil, Philly VC investment is up

Welcome to the VC Roundup, where we’ll parse through venture capital news related to Philadelphia-based private equity firms and the companies they fund. Subscribe to the roundup as an email newsletter. If you have any VC-related news to pass along to us, please drop us a line.

Edit: Corrected the amount of Seatgeek’s round.

DEFINITE READS

While Q3 VC investment was down nationally, it was all rosey here in Philadelphia. According to the PricewaterhouseCoopers Money Tree report, there were 31 deals totaling $136.3 million involving companies in the area.

It looks like First Round Capital is finished raising its third fund. Astute SEC watchers have noticed that First Round Capital III is estimated to be somewhere around $126 million. The firm has had several nine-figure exits, and has backed nearly 100 startups, according to PE Hub. The firm celebrated the new fund the only way it knows how: by investing in FREEjit and UberCab.

MIGHT BE WORTH YOUR TIME

DreamIt grads SeatGeek have raised a round of $550,000 from a handful of out-of-town VCs. If you remember, the founders of SeatGeek started out as Scribnia before selling the site midway through their time at DreamIt. We interviewed the then-Scribnia founders last year. The company, now based in the 67th Ward, is a ticket search engine and price forecaster that helps its users find the cheapest tickets.

Comcast Interactive Capital is among the investors in CarWoo, a Lending Tree-like service for automobile purchases. The San Francisco-based company raised a $4.5 million round and is a Y Combinator grad.

GIVE A GLANCE

Burrill & Company, a San Francisco-based life sciences company that dabbles in VC, is opening up a new “Alternative Equities Group” here in Philly. It appears we’ve finally reversed the flow of money from Philly to San Francisco. Good job, everyone.

Comcast Roundup: appeals court backs FCC, Comcast launches 2,000 WiFi spots in Philly 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

• Appeals Court Upholds Access Rules for Cable TV [New York Times] — “United States appeals court on Friday upheld a Federal Communications Commission rule that forbids cable companies that also own programming channels from refusing to allow competitors to also offer those channels.” This is expected to have a major impact on Comcast’s pending acquisition of NBC.
• As Technically Philly reported yesterday, Comcast has launched a free WiFi network for existing customers in Philadelphia and some parts of New Jersey.  The Jersey Journal reports on the spread of these hot spots outside New York City in New Jersey.

MIGHT BE OF INTEREST

• Comcast unbound: Wi-Fi service available in Philly, parts of N.J., Del. [CED Magazine] — Includes some 2,000 spots in Philadelphia
• Microsoft, Comcast, Yahoo: no zombie cookies here, Congress! [ars technica] — A breakdown of the use of Flash cookies by major sites, including what Comcast does.
• Comcast Says Interactive Ads Available in 10M Homes [Broadcasting and Cable]
• Comcast Sponsors City Year’s Opening Day [Comcast blog]

When there is just too much Comcast news to follow, the Comcast Roundup will be there every Thursday morning at 8:30 a.m. EST

Comcast Roundup: Will Keith Olbermann be silenced, home security 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

• An Award, Criticism and Perils for Comcast [New York Times] MSNBC Host Keith Olbermann is openly and regularly critical of, for example, Fox News Host Bill O’Reilly. Will things change when Comcast takes ownership of MSNBC, considering the company’s relationship with Fox and its owner News Corp.?
• Comcast-NBC Universal merger review hits FCC speed bump [Washington Post] — The FCC wants more information by Oct. 18.
• Alms for the Rich and Powerful [New York Times] — Comcast donates money to nonprofits supported from key legislators

Below, how the drop of net neutrality in Congress affects Comcast, offering home security and more.

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