Comcast: Launching social networking site Turnerfish, a call to drop Hulu and More

DEFINITE READS

• Businessweek reports that in the coming weeks Comcast will unveil a beta version of a social networking service focused on allowing users to share their TV and Internet video watching. The service is currently called ‘Turnerfish.’
• Politico reports that 78 former government officials, including former congressmen, staffers and others, have been registered as Comcast lobbyists in the final quarter of 2009 and first quarter of 2010, in a blitz to push forward its move to purchase a majority stake in NBC Universal. H/T Philly Tech News

Below, we bet you can guess what three governors are leaning on approval of the Comcast-NBC deal, another round of Google-Comcast rivalry brewing and more.

MIGHT BE OF INTEREST

• The Associated Press reports that the governors of Pennsylvania, New York and California are lobbying for regulatory passage for the Comcast-NBC deal, saying “the significant benefits associated with the creation of this new joint venture far outweigh any potential harms.”
• The AP also reports that Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wisc., a “key” member of the Senate Judiciary Committee has called to require Comcast to divest NBC Universal’s stake in online video site Hulu.com, among other conditions, if the acquisition were to be allowed by regulators. It’s a move out of concern that the deal could give Comcast too much power in Web video.

GIVE A GLANCE

• The Inquirer’s Joey DiStefano writes on analysis that suggests the newly announced Google TV product designed to make TV viewing more like web browsing is serious competition to Comcast.
• Peter Kafka from All Things Digital reports that Google is eying Invite Media, a demand-side, advertising-technology startup founded by a Penn grad and partially funded by First Round Capital and Comcast Interactive Capital, as PTN adds.

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