Comcast Roundup: Sen. Al Franken says ‘hard to trust,’ NBC lobbying continues 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 Washington Post reports on Comcast’s bolstered presence in D.C. circles, ahead of regulatory oversight of its deal for NBC.
• The New York Times reports that Democrats in particular have been critical of the NBC deal. Among them, the Washington Post reports that former NBC star and current Senator Al Franken said NBC can’t be trusted. But the Post also reports that Pittsburgh’s mayor, among other local leaders, encouraged their congressional members to support the deal.

Below, why some say the Comcast-NBC deal would ruin Web video, Brian Roberts makes a promise about layoffs and More.

MIGHT BE WORTH YOUR TIME

• The Business Insider reports that Comcast CEO Brian Roberts pledged that there will be “no massive layoffs” if he secured majority ownership of NBC. Read Roberts’s prepared testimony here. In questioning, the Business Insider also reports, Comcast and NBC executives refused to promise whether cable fees would go up or not if the deal went through.
• The Business Insider also reports that during the hearings the deal was criticized for likely limiting innovation on the Web around video.

GIVE A GLANCE

• The Boston Globe reports that Comcast’s recently debuted xfinity is another battleground with Verizon.
• Philly Tech News rounds up other news surrounding the xfinity brand launch.

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