NBC affiliates tell FCC to make sure Comcast keeps sports on NBC after merger

[TMC1982]

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/ent...comcast-keeps-sports-on-nbc-after-merger.html

NBC's affiliates are worried that the network will stop carrying big-ticket sporting events after its deal to merge with Comcast Corp. closes.

In a meeting with commissioners and top staffers at the Federal Communications Commission this week, NBC affiliates said one of the conditions of regulatory approval of cable giant Comcast's proposed takeover of NBC Universal should be a commitment to keep sports on NBC. Details of the meeting were disclosed in a regulatory filing by the D.C. law firm of Covington & Burling, which represents the NBC affiliate board.

Specifically, NBC's affiliates told the FCC that the agency needed to ensure the "availability of highly valued sporting events on free, over-the-air broadcasting by preventing the migration of such programming to Comcast cable channels," according to the Covington & Burling Ex-Parte filing.

NBC Sports' lineup includes the Olympics, NFL Football and NHL Hockey as well as golf and the Kentucky Derby.

The affiliates also want the agency to safeguard against the possibility that Comcast would drop a station from being an NBC affiliate in a market where it owns the cable system and could create its own channel to carry NBC. The FCC must "protect the integrity of local markets by preventing a bypass of local affiliates via a direct feed from the network to Comcast cable systems."

Obviously, NBC affiliates (who had already felt burned by the whole "Jay Leno at 10 p.m., five nights a week" ordeal) have seen what has been going on over at ABC, with Disney preferring to showcase major sporting events on ESPN instead. So naturally, Disney and ESPN tries to appease ABC's affiliates by putting together nothing more than an ad hoc Saturday afternoon package called ESPN Sports Saturday. So of course, the fear is going to be for NBC's affiliates, that things will eventually be passed over to Versus, where most of the money (due to the duel revenue stream of advertisers and subscription fees) would be made (at the expense of more exposure).

 

[The Incredible Hulk]

The problem here is that Network TV is a dying breed. Between cable and the internet, Network TV is losing viewers by the bucket full. I also cant see why the FCC would step in and try to stop this? It's a free market, if (more like when) they approve Comcast's acquisition of NBCU, Comcast can basically do whatever it wants with the programming once the current TV deals for the NHL, NFL, and Olympics run out. I cant see the FCC really caring much about 1 NFL game a week, since no one really watches the NHL anyway and Comcast already has it on Versus, and the majority of the Olympics is already airing on cable (USA, MSNBC, CNBC) anyway.

 

[Addendum]

The FCC has no authority over sports leagues and the deals they make regarding what network can air their events.

 

[Dr. Evil]

NBC has a channel called Universal Sports, where they show all Olympic sports except basketball and soccer. Of course, Olympic soccer is irrelevant.

 

[BlackLantern]

it's the free market....deal with it...

I have a feeling that Comcast is going to clean house once this deal goes through...Zucker is already out, but Im talking a full on Roto Rooter of NBC here

 

[Dr. Evil]

If Zucker is out, it doesn't bode well for Jay Leno trying to keep the Tonight Show for another 18 years.

 

[BlackLantern]

from various rumors and stuff in trades Ive come acrss, once the takeover is official...Comcast is going to go over NBC with a microscope...any and every show will be under serious scrutiny...essentially no one is safe

 

[Dr. Evil]

from various rumors and stuff in trades Ive come acrss, once the takeover is official...Comcast is going to go over NBC with a microscope...any and every show will be under serious scrutiny...essentially no one is safe

Good, this way Jimmy Fallon (or whoever else decides to take over the Tonight Show) won't be Conaned by Leno.

 

[BlackLantern]

how is Fallon doing?? I haven't had a chance to catch it since he's taken over

 

[Dr. Evil]

how is Fallon doing?? I haven't had a chance to catch it since he's taken over

He's done good enough to be hosting the Emmy Awards later this year.

Also hoping that changes on NBC means that they can dump most of the crew of Football Night in America, which is by far the worst pre-game show out of all of the NFL Pre-game shows.

 

[BlackLantern]

its the worst football show period

 

[Addendum]

I haven't watched a pre-game show in years. I'm proud of that.