The following statement is attributed to Gigi B. Sohn, president and
co-founder of Public Knowledge:
“We have serious doubts whether this merger is in the public
interest. It raises substantial and complex competition issues across
multiple types of media.
“The combination of the country’s largest cable company, a TV
network and a movie studio could present grave dangers to a free and open
Internet. The sheer size of the transaction makes a Net Neutrality rule
that much more necessary, as more content comes under the control of
another giant media company. Regulators will have to make certain that
Comcast does not give advantage to NBC programs and films over others.
“The transaction also poses a threat to what is known as
over-the-top video —the ability of other services to have access to
programming. Just as the satellite industry needed access to cable
programming 15 years ago, so now do Web-based distributors need access to
programming. This deal cannot allow content to be locked up so that
consumers will ultimately have fewer, rather than more, choices for
programming.”
Members of the media may contact Communications Director Shiva Stella with inquiries, interview requests, or to join the Public Knowledge press list at shiva@publicknowledge.org or 405-249-9435.