Today kicked off the congressional inquiry into the mega-merger between Comcast and NBC Universal. The chief executives of both companies were on hand to defend the union, but some lawmakers expressed serious reservations.
Chief among them: How will the merger reshape the online video market? And what is the impact on net neutrality? Or copyright enforcement? Enterprise Networking Planet has the story.
The executive stewards of the $30 billion merger of Comcast and NBC Universal began their congressional inquisition Thursday morning, answering questions from members of a House subcommittee on the potential anticompetitive implications of the blockbuster deal.
Comcast CEO Brian Roberts offered broad assurances that the combined entity would not use its market share to alter the existing rules of the road regarding television licensing and distribution, reiterating his promise preserve NBC’s over-the-air broadcast content.
But Roberts, who testified alongside NBC Universal President and CEO Jeff Zucker, who would head the new joint venture, remained somewhat vague about how the joint venture would approach online video.