Comcast Roundup: NBC executives named, the fallout 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, NBC argue against sharing with Internet TV [Post Tech: Washington Post] — “Comcast and NBC Universal executives met with senior officials at the Federal Communications Commission this week, urging the agency against conditions to their proposed merger that would require the new company to provide shows and movies to Internet video distributors.”
• Sanders Tells Regulators to Block Comcast-NBC Deal [Media Decoder: New York Times] — Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders: “The sale of NBCU to Comcast would create an enormously powerful, vertically integrated media conglomerate, causing irreparable damage to the American media landscape and ultimately to society as a whole,” he wrote.”

Below, Comcast announcing NBC executives, is criticized by some for doing so and much more.

• Comcast’s Plans for Executives Offer Clues to Future of NBC [New York Times] — 48 new executives and a focus on NBC’s cable channels.
• Sen. Franken urges Justice to investigate Comcast antitrust violation [Post Tech: Washington Post] — Franken says Comcast announcing new NBC leadership is a case of “gun-jumping.”
• For NBC Sale, Tensions Rise in Washington [New York Times] — Tussle over if Comcast’s executive announcements were “presumptuous and arrogant.”

MIGHT BE OF INTEREST

• Mixed Media [Reuters via NYTimes.com] — Cablevision is moving toward separating content and distribution, which makes the Comcast-NBC deal “stand out even more.”
• Analysts Predict Likely Conditions of Comcast-NBC Universal Deal [The Hollywood Reporter] — H/T Philly Tech News
• Comcast, Time Warner And Charter Sued Over Modems [paidContent] Copyright infringement claims from a Canadian company
• Comcast and Tennis Channel call in the referee [Company Town: Los Angeles Times] — “Cable giant Comcast Corp. and the independent Tennis Channel said Tuesday that they were unable to resolve through mediation their dispute over channel position and would begin preparing for an administrative trial.”
• Comcast Trims Another Division [Light Reading Cable] — Comcast is reorganizing and consolidating its field operations.

WORTH NOTING

• Comcast commits to business customers [Philadelphia Business Journal] — Peter Key shares background on Comcast’s chasing of large corporate customers.
• Come See The Comcast Holiday Spectacular 2010 [Comcast blog] — An updated 3D experience in the Comcast Center City corporate headquarters.
• Comcast: T-Commerce Four Times More Effective Than Online Shopping [Mutichannel News] — “Shoppers are four times more likely to complete a purchase with interactive TV than they are via e-commerce sites, according to Mark Hess, Comcast senior vice president of video business and product development.” H/T Philly Tech News
• Saying Goodbye to the Spectrum [Comcast blog] — Watch below a video piece on the demolition on the prized South Philadelphia sports and entertainment venue owned by Comcast-Spectator.

http://www.csnphilly.com/common/thePlatform/web/swf/flvPlayer.swf