Comcast says Internet Essentials not its first effort to bridge digital divide: 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 email subscription for our weekly Comcast roundup or other news updates

• Philly Live’s first phase to open in spring, create 500 construction jobs  [Philadelphia Business Journal] — Led by Comcast Spectacor
• Comcast boss Burke flip-flops on retransmission fees [New York Post] — On Steve Burke: “The Comcast executive, after fiercely resisting for 12 years paying broadcasters any retransmission fees, appeared to find religion yesterday, surprising a media conference audience by promising to doggedly pursue “millions of dollars” in — wait for it — retransmission fees for his NBCU unit.”
• Comcast names VP for public policy, adds to growing high-profile D.C. roster [Washington Post: Post Tech] — “Comcast continues its hiring spree of tech policy experts, announcing Monday that investment analyst Rebecca Arbogast will join as vice president of global public policy.”
• FCC’s net neutrality rules to trigger legal, Hill challenge [Washington Post: Post Tech]
• Comcast launching low-cost Internet [Twin Cities Pioneer Press]  — The Internet Essentials program launched here in Philadelphia is spreading, to the Twin Cities of Minnesota and parts of Illinois and then beyond.
• Comcast says it was helping low-income students before NBC deal [Comcast] — The company doesn’t want to be criticized for only launching Internet Essentials after NBC merger approval, as pitched by David L. Cohen.
• Potential Comcast (CMCSK) Trade Has $19.59 Breakeven [Market Intelligence Center]
• Comcast Introduces Its First Multiplatform Hispanic Film Festival [Market Watch press release]