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.

MIGHT BE OF INTEREST

• What Was Fox’s Hulu Blackout Really All About? [NewTeeVee] — Cablevision and Fox are in a scuffle in the New York City market. As a “warning shot,” Fox closed Hulu off for Cablevision internet users. Might it bring to light for the FCC another concern about the Comcast-NBC deal, in which they will have great control over the dominant online video service.
• Cablevision/Fox Spat Could Affect Comcast/NBCU Deal [The Wrap]
• Comcast begins DNS security rollout [NetworkWorld] — “Comcast has begun migrating its customers to a new Internet security mechanism that will help protect them from being inadvertently routed to phony Web pages for pharming attacks, identity theft and other scams.” H/T PTN
• Comcast targets Lone Star State, causing big money to flow [Washington Examiner] — Landing in the Houston market may have pushed Fox Sports to drop big figures on exclusive deals with the Texas Rangers.
• Comcast Campaign Giving Jumps by Half as U.S. Weighs NBC Deal [Bloomberg] — More lobbying
• With a deal in the oven, Comcast PAC ups the ante [RBR]

GIVE A GLANCE

• Cablevision, Fox flap has Hamilton Mayor John Bencivengo courting Comcast [The Trentonian]
• Mediation Anyone? Comcast, Tennis Channel Agree to Carriage Umpire [Multichannel News] — “Tennis Channel argues that Comcast is favoring its own similarly situated networks Versus and Golf Channel by placing them on more widely viewed tiers.”
• Comcast plans iPad app [Stock Briefings]
• UBS Analyst Cites Four Reasons to Buy Comcast Shares [Hollywood Reporter]
• Phillies’ Comcast ratings set another record [Philadelphia Business Journal]

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