It's Official - FCC & DOJ Approve Comcast's Takeover of NBC Universal

[FilmCritic3000]

My hope is that Comcast does a drastic overhaul of Syfy, adding more genre fare, and maybe merge Chiller into FearNet (I'd bet money they will.). I say that but then I think thinking that is a fool`s errand, as when one looks at the cable channels Comcast currently owns - The Golf Channel, Versus, style, E! (only The Soup is worth watching), & G4, to name a few - the management and programming of those channels doesn't exactly inspire confidence in their ability to program Syfy or Chiller properly, or better than the suits at NBC Universal are currently doing. At least Robert Greenblatt is the new president of NBC; he previously was president of Showtime so hopefully he can turn around NBC's misfortunes as of late.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2011/01/comcast-nbc-universal-deal-gets-thumbs-up-from-fcc.html


Comcast-NBC Universal deal gets thumbs up from FCC and Justice Department

The Federal Communications Commission and the Justice Department have approved Comcast Corp.'s deal to take a majority stake in General Electric Co.'s NBC Universal, the government actions needed to create a new media and entertainment behemoth that spans television, a Hollywood movie studio and the Internet.

Announced 13 months ago, the deal puts under one roof the nation's largest cable and broadband operator with one of the country's most storied broadcasters, whose assets include networks NBC and Telemundo as well as Universal Pictures and cable channels USA, Syfy and Bravo.

The FCC didn't give carte blanche to Comcast Corp, however. Its approval was contingent upon Comcast Corp. agreeing to conditions that the government hopes will reign in the media giant. Comcast also made commitments to boost NBC Universal's news and public affairs programming.

The conditions, most of which run seven years, include requirements that Comcast make its content available to rival cable and satellite distributors as well as online distributors.

"These conditions respond directly to the concerns voiced by participants in the proceeding — including consumer advocates, online video distributors, and MVPDs [multichannel video programming distributors] — while respecting the legitimate business interests of the applicants to protect the value of their content," the FCC said. Comcast also has to sell its content to online distributors at the same price it offers it to cable and satellite companies.

The FCC also said it will require Comcast to "offer standalone broadband Internet access services at reasonable prices and of sufficient bandwidth so that customers can access online video services without the need to purchase a cable television subscription from Comcast."

The Department of Justice, following quickly on the heels of the FCC, saying Tuesday it would not block the deal and that the parties had agreed to conditions for the merger to proceed.

The conditions were reached in a settlement with Comcast, the DOJ said.

Those conditions include Comcast-NBC Universal subjecting itself to “anti-retaliation provisions” and complying with open Internet requirements.

While there is overlap between the FCC and the Justice department, Justice's mandate is to make sure a merger doesn't diminish competition, and the FCC examines whether a deal serves "the public interest."

The Justice Department said in a statement that the conditions to the deal “will preserve new content distribution models that offer more products and greater innovation, and the potential to provide consumers access to their favorite programming on a variety of devices in a wide selection of packages.”

Comcast Corp. will own 51% of a joint venture, while seller General Electric Co. will retain a 49% stake. The venture's value is estimated at $30 billion.

Although Comcast and NBC Universal are not head-to-head competitors and their merger did not trigger significant antitrust issues, media watchdogs, lawmakers and competitors scrutinized the pairing because the combined company creates a vertically integrated giant that represents a formidable video gateway reaching consumers over the air, through cable and on the Internet.

A greenlight from the FCC, which has regulatory oversight over the media industry, was telegraphed last month when the agency's Chairman -- Julius Genachowski -- signaled that his office would vote in favor of the deal. The final vote was 4-1, with Democratic commissioner Michael Copps casting the lone ballot against the two companies combining.

The deal, Copps said in a statement, "confers too much power in one company’s hands." Copps, a critic of media consolidation, had warned at the outset that the two companies would "face a very steep climb with me."

Some of those concerned about the implications of the deal expressed satisfaction with the FCC's vote.

"We are pleased that the conditions in this merger, if properly enforced, will allow new online competitors to cable to develop, much as satellite service did in the 1990s," said Harold Feld, legal director for Public Knowledge, a public policy group that has been pushing for limits on Comcast.

Not everyone, though, was as pleased.

"Free expression online and on television will be worse off as a result of today’s action," said Andrew Schwartzman, policy director of Media Access Project, an advocacy group. He warned that Comcast's deal with NBC could lead to more marriages of content and distribution, which he feels is bad for consumers.

"Perhaps the worst thing about today’s announcement is that it sends a message to other phone and cable companies that they, too, can buy up content providers," he said. "We may be about to see a new wave of media consolidation as a result."

The FCC review took about a year and there were several congressional hearings examining what the combination of Comcast and NBC Universal would mean for consumers and competitors. In a filing to the FCC defending the deal last year, Comcast and NBC Universal said the new entity would be able to "increase the quantity, quality, diversity, and local focus of its content and accelerate the arrival of the multiplatform, 'anytime, anywhere' future of video programming that Americans want."

Comcast has said it hopes to close the deal on Jan. 28. It announced new executive leadership for NBC Universal last November.

-- Joe Flint

[IJustLikeTivo]

I feel their hands in my wallet already. I can't imagine that we'll benefit from this arrangement but I'm fairly certain that my cable bill will go up.

[wprager]

I thought NBC was bought by Kabletown.

[Barmat]

I see nothing good about this.

[Bryanmc]

I thought NBC was bought by Kabletown.

Hurray for vertical integration!

[d-dub]

I can't see any way that this could turn out well.

[robojerk]

Can't say I'm happy about this deal.

Ars Technica (http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/01/cable-ization-of-the-open-internet-comcastnbcu-deal-approved.ars) has some more details about the deal, and the FCC's conditions.

The Federal Communications Commission and Department of Justice have blessed the mega-merger of Comcast and NBC-Universal. The combined company has agreed to a huge list of conditions, most of which will be made public later, that eroded much of the resistance among four FCC Commissioners. But the lone holdout, Commissioner Michael Copps, lived up to his unofficial title as the Grumpy Old Man of the FCC (and we mean that in the most complimentary way).

Copps' statement after the vote is stuffed with some truly inspired ranting. One bit in particular stands out:

The Comcast-NBCU joint venture opens the door to the cable-ization of the open Internet. The potential for walled gardens, toll booths, content prioritization, access fees to reach end users, and a stake in the heart of independent content production is now very real.

As for the future of America’s news and journalism, I see nothing in this deal to address the fundamental damage that has been inflicted by years of outrageous consolidation and newsroom cuts. Investigative journalism is not even a shell of its former self. All of this means it’s more difficult for citizens to hold the powerful accountable. It means thousands of stories go unwritten. It means we never hear about untold instances of business corruption, political graft and other chicanery; it also means we don’t hear enough about all the good things taking place in our country every day.

The slight tip of the hat that the applicants have made toward some very limited support of local media projects does not even begin to address the core of the problem. Given that this merger will make the joint venture a steward of the public’s airwaves as a broadcast licensee, I asked for a major commitment of its resources to beef up the news operation at NBC. That request was not taken seriously. Increasing the quantity of news by adding hours of programming is no substitute for improving the quality of news by devoting the necessary resources.

Make no mistake: what is at stake here is the infrastructure for our national conversation—the very lifeblood of American democracy. We should be moving in precisely the opposite direction of what this Commission approves today.

The size of the deal leaves mere mortals reaching for thesauri. The new company will control Comcast's US-leading cable network, 234 NBC affiliate stations, the Telemundo Spanish-language network, the NBC television network, TV production studios, the Universal movie studio, the Universal theme parks in LA and Florida, channels like MSNBC and CNBC, and a stake in Hulu. Comcast already controls its own empire of content, including TV channels like E! and G4, and it runs the Philadelphia Flyers NHL franchise and the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers.

As part of the deal, Comcast avoided requirements to open its network to other ISPs and cable operators at wholesale rates. It did, however, agree to a host of conditions that it would not use its programming or network as an anticompetitive bludgeon. In addition, Comcast/NBCU must provide its TV programming to online distributors who want it and cannot "exercise corporate control over or unreasonably withhold programming from Hulu."

Comcast is also prohibited from "unreasonably discriminating in the transmission of an online video distributor's lawful network traffic to a Comcast broadband customer." In addition, the company must continue to offer at least 12Mbps broadband service in areas where it has upgraded its network. Comcast is also required "to give other firms’ content equal treatment under any of its broadband offerings that involve caps, tiers, metering for consumption or other usage-based pricing."

The sheer number of specific conditions attached to the deal led the two Republican FCC Commissioners to issue a joint statement attacking the merger proceedings as an old-fashioned stick-up.

"The Commission’s approach to merger reviews has become excessively coercive and lengthy," they wrote. "This transaction is only the most recent example of several problematic FCC merger proceedings that have set a trend toward more lengthy and highly regulatory review processes that may discourage future transactions and job-creating investment."

Comcast CEO Brian Roberts called this "a proud and exciting day for Comcast,” and he expressed enthusiasm for the consumer benefits that will rain down upon a thirsty land.

“Our original vision for the combination remains intact so that consumers will benefit, and our competitors will be treated fairly," he said—the interests of "competitors" and "consumers" being the two chief things that massive cable networks have always been well-known for prioritizing.

[Steveknj]

This is awful, bad for the consumer, and bad for the country to have a conglomerate controlling not only the content we see, but how we see it. Yeah, it's not like the content providers have not owned content before, but owning an OTA network is different. I have always felt it's a conflict of interest to own the content and control the viewership of that content as well. Despite the "safeguards", the political climate will have more to do with how well those safeguards are enforced rather than what they are meant to do. Comcast throws enough money on the table and I bet those safeguards are ignored. It will be up to us to make sure they stick. The wording of the provisions in the article seem vague to me. Who is to say what is a "reasonable price and reasonable bandwidth? Who's to say that Comcast now goes to TW and Cablevison and DirecTV and offers them NBC at a substantially higher rate?

[That Don Guy]

Who's to say that Comcast now goes to TW and Cablevison and DirecTV and offers them NBC at a substantially higher rate?
Who's to say that TW, Cablevision, and DirecTV - and AT&T, for that matter - all suddenly decide that they don't need to air NBC that badly?

Didn't Rupert Murdoch own a share of DirecTV at one time? Were rates for Fox substantially higher while he did?

-- Don

[robojerk]

Who's to say that TW, Cablevision, and DirecTV - and AT&T, for that matter - all suddenly decide that they don't need to air NBC that badly?

Didn't Rupert Murdoch own a share of DirecTV at one time? Were rates for Fox substantially higher while he did?

-- Don

NBC is more than just the channel NBC. If they could just remove normal NBC and have people hook up OTA antennas that would be a simple way to say screw you to Comcast.

However here is the list of NBC/Universal channels I got off NBC's website
Bravo
CNBC
CNBC World
MSNBC
MUN2
Sci Fi (do they still own this?)
Trio
Universal HD
USA
+8 international channels

If other providers stopped showing these channels it would piss a lot of people off.

[DevdogAZ]

My hope is that Comcast does a drastic overhaul of Syfy, adding more genre fare, and maybe merge Chiller into FearNet (I'd bet money they will.). I say that but then I think thinking that is a fool`s errand, as when one looks at the cable channels Comcast currently owns - The Golf Channel, Versus, style, E! (only The Soup is worth watching), & G4, to name a few - the management and programming of those channels doesn't exactly inspire confidence in their ability to program Syfy or Chiller properly, or better than the suits at NBC Universal are currently doing. At least Robert Greenblatt is the new president of NBC; he previously was president of Showtime so hopefully he can turn around NBC's misfortunes as of late.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2011/01/comcast-nbc-universal-deal-gets-thumbs-up-from-fcc.html
Don't hold your breath. Most of NBC/U's cable properties are doing very well. You can expect to see big changes at NBC itself, since it's mired in a pretty bad slump, but the rest of the NBC entertainment division is performing very well.

[FilmCritic3000]

NBC is more than just the channel NBC. If they could just remove normal NBC and have people hook up OTA antennas that would be a simple way to say screw you to Comcast.

However here is the list of NBC/Universal channels I got off NBC's website
Bravo
CNBC
CNBC World
MSNBC
MUN2
Sci Fi (do they still own this?)
Trio
Universal HD
USA
+8 international channels

If other providers stopped showing these channels it would piss a lot of people off.
They also own The Weather Channel, Oxygen, and Chiller, as well as several international channels; Trio hasn`t existed since 2006, when NBC Universal replaced it with a mystery/crime entertainment channel called Sleuth. And yes, they still own Syfy. That list you cited needs updating but I guess they figured why spend the $ when they`ll have a new owner soon.

[robojerk]

I got the list here..

http://www.nbc.com/nbc/NBC_Universal_Cable_Networks/

I had a feeling it was off.

[Vendikarr]

Nothing will change for Syfy. According to this article, (http://www.deadline.com/2010/11/breaking-comcast-internal-email-from-nbc-universal-boss-steve-burke-reveals-new-organizational-structure/) Bonnie Hammer will still be in charge of the network. She will even be overseeing some of the Comcast cable networks.

Bonnie Hammer will become Chairman, NBC Universal Cable Entertainment and Cable Studios. USA, SyFy, E! Entertainment, G4, Chiller, Sleuth, Universal HD and UCP (Universal Cable Productions) will report to Bonnie. Neil Tiles will remain President of G4 and report to Bonnie as will a newly appointed president of E! Entertainment.

[Steveknj]

Who's to say that TW, Cablevision, and DirecTV - and AT&T, for that matter - all suddenly decide that they don't need to air NBC that badly?

Didn't Rupert Murdoch own a share of DirecTV at one time? Were rates for Fox substantially higher while he did?

-- Don

And is ANY of that good for the consumer? Those providers will then tell Comcast to stick it, or, they pay the huge rate increase and pass it on to the consumer. Either way the consumer is screwed. And if Comcast does this with every provider except their own, there is no where for the consumer to turn, especially if they can not access Comcast, which is the case for me.

[Steveknj]

NBC is more than just the channel NBC. If they could just remove normal NBC and have people hook up OTA antennas that would be a simple way to say screw you to Comcast.

However here is the list of NBC/Universal channels I got off NBC's website
Bravo
CNBC
CNBC World
MSNBC
MUN2
Sci Fi (do they still own this?)
Trio
Universal HD
USA
+8 international channels

If other providers stopped showing these channels it would piss a lot of people off.

Hooking up OTA anntennas is not always an option. In my case, unless I put up a relatively strong outside antenna, I can't get reasonable reception for a lot of channels.

[robojerk]

Senator Al Franken has been against this merger from the get go.

From Ars Technica (http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/01/sen-al-franken-no-joke-comcast-trying-to-whack-netflix.ars)
Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) has had it with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), who has just created "essentially two Internets" with weak net neutrality rules and who this week signed off on the mega-merger of Comcast and NBC Universal. A common thread unites the two decisions: both highlight the "growing threat of corporate control" over information.

Franken's remarks came yesterday during a speech to a Netroots Nation gathering in Minnesota. The former comedian and NBC employee (during his Saturday Night Live days) has made media consolidation and network neutrality two of his signature issues, and he hammered on both of them during his talk.

Calling net neutrality the "free speech issue of our time," Franken expressed his displeasure with the FCC's recent net neutrality rules. "These rules are not strong enough," he said, pointing out that paid prioritization was not banned and that wireless networks are allowed to discriminate at will.

The rules mark the "first time the FCC has ever allowed discrimination on the Internet" and they "will create essentially two Internets."

When it comes to the Comcast merger, Franken was even more vocal. "As you probably know, I hate this merger," he told the group. Not only will it raise prices on TV subscriptions, it will give the combined entity incredible power to stifle competition from online sources like Netflix.

"I'm hearing that Comcast is already preparing to pull NBC Universal's programming from Netflix when it's next up for review," Franken said. The cable industry is worried about the threat from cheaper options like Netflix; "they aren't stupid and they want to shut it down."

Franken even referenced the current controversy over Level 3's peering arrangements with Comcast (Level 3 just won a major contract from Netflix to deliver its content). Comcast's move to charge for this interconnection is, in Franken's view, "a clear warning sign of what we can all expect if this deal goes through."

As he was giving that speech, the merger did go through yesterday, signed off on by the FCC and the Department of Justice. As for what's next, Franken just sees a new wave of mega-consolidation in which AT&T tries to buy ABC/Disney while Verizon goes after CBS.

"Now is the time to decide if we want four or five companies owning and delivering all of our information and entertainment," he said.

[DevdogAZ]

Nothing will change for Syfy. According to this article, (http://www.deadline.com/2010/11/breaking-comcast-internal-email-from-nbc-universal-boss-steve-burke-reveals-new-organizational-structure/) Bonnie Hammer will still be in charge of the network. She will even be overseeing some of the Comcast cable networks.
And rightfully so, IMO. Bonnie Hammer has presided over one of an extremely successful period for the NBC/U cable networks. While I understand those who don't like the wrestling or reality stuff on Syfy, she's done amazingly well by the standards that count - ratings.

[rifleman69]

wtf does this have to do with tv show talk? Why isn't there a thread on Steve Job's leaving Apple, since he is the biggest owner of Disney stock, which in turn owns ABC, ESPN, and everything else?

[jpicard]

So now Comcast is going to be in partnership with Microsoft since NBC was with Microsoft previously? What does this mean for Comcast and the computer world? I see NBC becoming a no longer "free" channel over the air but a pipeline feed through the cable system like A&E and all the others.

[LoadStar]

So now Comcast is going to be in partnership with Microsoft since NBC was with Microsoft previously?
Microsoft divested any ownership or management stake in MSNBC quite some time ago. They continue to own a 50% stake in MSNBC.com, which is operated as an independent entity of MSNBC the cable channel. I don't anticipate that the Comcast buyout has any positive or negative impact on this. I don't believe that Microsoft has any other partnership agreements with NBC Universal.
What does this mean for Comcast and the computer world?
I respect Franken, and I like a lot of what he's done in Washington, but I don't think this is as much a "network neutrality" battleground as he is making it out to be. I mean, if this would be NBC Universal or Comcast buying someone like Akamai, someone who holds a key internet backbone role, I might think differently.
I see NBC becoming a no longer "free" channel over the air but a pipeline feed through the cable system like A&E and all the others.
Maybe one day... far, far into the future. Nothing anytime soon. There's still far more value in keeping them as an over-the-air outlet. There are more people than you might think watching OTA and only OTA television... and I think the "big 4" OTA networks still hold a significant prominence over even the biggest cable network.

[Barmat]

My prediction is a whole lot of exclusive content for Comcast internet subscribers. No Comcast, tough.

[Steveknj]

My prediction is a whole lot of exclusive content for Comcast internet subscribers. No Comcast, tough.

Which, of course, is inherently unfair, since the way cable TV is structured in most of the country, if you choose cable TV over FiOS or Satellite, you are limited to only the provider in your area, which in my case is Cablevision. I really wouldn't have a problem with that concept if Comcast were available to me. Even offering an online subscription if you are not in Comcast's territory would make that somewhat fairer.

[DevdogAZ]

Maybe one day... far, far into the future. Nothing anytime soon. There's still far more value in keeping them as an over-the-air outlet. There are more people than you might think watching OTA and only OTA television... and I think the "big 4" OTA networks still hold a significant prominence over even the biggest cable network.
Correct. The broadcast networks (ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, and CW) are far more prominent overall than any cable network. There may be certain cable networks that outshine some/all broadcast networks for specific programs (MNF on ESPN, for example), but overall, the ratings on the broadcast networks dwarf the ratings on even the most successful cable nets. The rights to those public airwaves is a huge cash cow that Comcast won't willingly give up anytime soon.

[bigpuma]

I respect Franken, and I like a lot of what he's done in Washington, but I don't think this is as much a "network neutrality" battleground as he is making it out to be. I mean, if this would be NBC Universal or Comcast buying someone like Akamai, someone who holds a key internet backbone role, I might think differently.


Franken wasn't claiming that this is a net neutrality issue. He was talking about 2 separate things. He has concerns about how the FCC created weak rules regarding net neutrality and how they allowed this merger. He isn't saying they are related. He is saying they are both bad.

[FilmCritic3000]

The Comcast brass held a closed circuit town hall meeting for the newly united NBCUniversal/Comcast employees.

And they also unveiled a new logo for NBCUniversal (and yes, that's how the company's name is spelled now - as one word.).

http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x18/jasoncinema/NBCUniversal-W_a_l.jpg

Here's a copy of the memo they sent to all employees today.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/steve-burke-brian-roberts-memo-82381

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118031020?refCatId=14

Comcast-NBC U execs tout synergy, muscle
Burke, Roberts rally newly merged troops
By Sam Thielman

"How do you feel?" NBC news anchor Brian Williams asked Comcast topper Brian Roberts, as the kickoff to Thursday's town hall meeting for the newly united employees of Comcast/NBC Universal.

Roberts said he was overwhelmed, but given the time he's had had to study the companies' history over the 13 months of the approval process, he confessed himself surprised at the similarities between NBC, Universal, and Comcast. Others (including Ryan Seacrest) joined Roberts and Williams, and the presentation opened up to include feeds from various parts of the world where other execs took part in the welcome.

Newly-minted NBC U CEO Steve Burke told his troops that he recognized the market power the merged companies represent.

"With the set of assets that are in this co I think there's no reason why we can't set the bar very high -- whatever we do, we should be in it to win it," he said."We got big for a reason."

He also discouraged in-house competition, saying that the future of the org would be determined my its willingness to work together.

"Synergy is not a bad word," he said. "It's something we should focus on."

To that end, he encouraged NBC U to use Comcast's technology and Comcast to use NBC's content. He also addressed some of the recently-aired concerns over Comcast's commitment to the local side of the biz.

"It's impossible to think about the network without the local stations," Burke said. "We're going to try to do everything we can to be supportive and grow the local station business."

Roberts also said that given the history of company men past and present, the new org was "determined to be good stewards of your and their collective efforts for all those years past." No mention was made of outgoing CEO Jeff Zucker, who leaves NBC U on Friday, though the group did briefly address the controversy around Keith Olbermann's departure from MSNBC, which Burke said wasn't his call to make, as the FCC hadn't finalized the deal when Olbermann's exit transpired.

Roberts echoed Burke's synergy sentiments. "I really do hope we can now become one truly combined company," he said. "In my opinion, Steve Burke is the perfect person to help guide us. He's smart, he's tough, he's fair, he's very innovative, puts his family first and like all of us, he just wants to win."

The presentation wasn't all earnest moments. Williams displayed his trademark wit, riffing on the dodgy satellite feed for the international portion of the address and joking that he simply takes notes on a 3 by 5 card when the news breaks. "I work on air between seven and 11 minutes a week," he quipped.

"Saturday Night Live" head writer Seth Meyers showed up and joined in, having a "quiet moment" with Burke in which he warned the new NBC U topper that, though Williams seems nice, not to give the newsman his phone number unless Burke wanted Williams to show up at his house wanting to hang out and watch VHS tapes. "He might be a vampire," Meyers cautioned.

Universal Studios prexy and COO Ron Meyer expressed deep confidence in the new management. "I'm confident that the Comcast culture and the combination of our businesses will make us unquestionably one of the greatest entertainment companies in the world," Meyer said. "I personally couldn't be more optimistic regarding our future." Jim Cramer interviewed Michael Angelakis (Comcast's CFO) and Neil Smit (the company's cable prexy) in the packed Comcast lobby in Philadelphia.

Angelakis told Cramer that "marriages take work," but that "this company is going to be so well-positioned to lead, influence and benefit from all the changes." Regarding the company's new credo, Burke told Williams that "truly great companies stand for something, and ideally they stand for something that they take the time to write down."

He also enthused about NBC skeins "30 Rock," "The Office" and "Saturday Night Live" (which, he said, his son loves) and said that he was committed to serving the industry. Burke allayed any fears about the NBC doing away with its iconic peacock logo (prompted by the sudden appearance of the new corporate credo around the building), saying that it would be "a part of NBC and CNBC and MSNBC for years to come."

[sieglinde]

Is it pronounced NB cuniversal? :)

[FilmCritic3000]

Is it pronounced NB cuniversal? :)

:D

I'm no Graphic Design major, but what a boring logo.

[LoadStar]

:D

I'm no Graphic Design major, but what a boring logo.

Agreed. Awful logo. I swear, many graphic designers these days seem to have just given up.

What was wrong with the old NBC Universal logo, which combined the best of the classic Universal Studios logo with the NBC peacock? It was classic and well designed.

[trainman]

Wonder if Brian Roberts designed that new logo himself -- taking a page from Jeff Smisek, CEO of United/Continental, who designed the new United logo himself.

[ewolfr]

Which, of course, is inherently unfair, since the way cable TV is structured in most of the country, if you choose cable TV over FiOS or Satellite, you are limited to only the provider in your area, which in my case is Cablevision. I really wouldn't have a problem with that concept if Comcast were available to me. Even offering an online subscription if you are not in Comcast's territory would make that somewhat fairer.

Except that its already happening with ESPN and Time Warner Cable. http://espn.go.com/espnnetworks/index

[sieglinde]

I wonder if I will even notice any difference in programing except that I have read that Comcast is a better run corporation than NBC was. This may mean shows get dumped faster when it is obvious that they are no gos.

[FilmCritic3000]

I wonder if I will even notice any difference in programing except that I have read that Comcast is a better run corporation than NBC was. This may mean shows get dumped faster when it is obvious that they are no gos.

NBC just gave the go-ahead for a Wonder Woman pilot from David E. Kelley, as well as Grimm, a procedural bout Grimm fairy tale elements in our every day life, from Angel co-creator David Greenwalt and Angel writer Jim Kouf.

And as I said before, I like that Robert Greenblatt is now the head of NBC; he was responsible for Dexter, Californication, among others, when he was president of Showtime; hopefully he can steer the network back on course from their currently long-held position of being stuck in fourth place.

As for which direction the Peacock may travel....

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/peacock_no_prude_lIoOF9BwEvbp1bPl4ZkptI

Peacock no prude
New NBC chief vows racier fare to boost ratings

By CLAIRE ATKINSON

Last Updated: 11:20 PM, January 25, 2011

Posted: 11:16 PM, January 25, 2011

NBC's new chief, Bob Greenblatt, the programming executive who transformed Showtime into a pay-TV powerhouse, is telling Tinseltown producers that he's going to push the boundaries of broadcast television in a bid to revive the Peacock network.

Greenblatt, who built his reputation on shows such as "The L Word," "The Tudors" and "Dexter," is eager to ramp up production of edgier, less mainstream programming when he officially takes over as chairman of NBC Universal Entertainment, according to sources.

One source, who recently met with Greenblatt, said he's prepared to push the envelope as far as his new bosses will let him.
Ex-Showtime boss and NBC entertainment Czar Bob Greenblatt (above) reportedly has the go-ahead to produce some racy shows despite the conservative leanings of the soon-to-be parent Comcast.
AP
Ex-Showtime boss and NBC entertainment Czar Bob Greenblatt (above) reportedly has the go-ahead to produce some racy shows despite the conservative leanings of the soon-to-be parent Comcast.

Greenblatt reports to Comcast's Steve Burke, who will replace outgoing NBC Universal CEO Jeff Zucker once Comcast completes its takeover of the entertainment giant.

"He's trying to find his way with Comcast management in terms of how racy they want to go," the source said.

Greenblatt is arriving at NBC during television's busiest time of the year -- pilot season -- when network execs pick new shows for the coming fall schedule. The pressure is on Greenblatt to revive the fourth-place network after the collapse of its prime-time entertainment schedule.

Sources said Greenblatt has been holed up on the NBC lot at the Lew Wasserman building in Los Angeles for weeks quietly reading scripts. Already, his early picks suggest he's looking to inject some of Showtime into NBC, including programming that touches on gay and lesbian themes and sexual situations.

Greenblatt has greenlighted a romantic comedy, "I Hate That I Love You," about two lesbians who are introduced by a straight couple, fall in love and immediately get pregnant. The show is from Jhoni Marchenko, a producer on "Will and Grace," the groundbreaking NBC drama about a gay man and his straight female roommate.

His other early calls include: "Mann's World" from "Sex and The City" producer Michael Patrick King; a remake of "Wonder Woman" that was reportedly shopped around and rejected by several networks before NBC changed its mind; and the Steven Spielberg-produced musical "Smash."

Comcast management -- Chairman and CEO Brian Roberts and his No. 2, Burke -- are viewed as buttoned-down executives, but it appears that, for now, they're willing to let Greenblatt go with his gut.

"Bob's got the ball. We support him 100 percent," said one source familiar with Burke's thinking.

Another source said Greenblatt is also planning to give former NBC entertainment president Ben Silverman a big presence on the network through his Barry Diller-backed production company Electus. Silverman's firm was behind Showtime's risqué "The Tudors."

Meanwhile, NBC's comedy, drama and marketing departments are on tenterhooks wondering how Greenblatt will shake up their teams. Last week, NBC's president of primetime, Angela Bromstad, announced she was stepping down.

[FilmCritic3000]

And after seven years of neglect, the official site has been redesigned and relaunched for the newly rechristened NBCUniversal.

http://www.nbcuni.com

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