US: Senator asks DOJ to reopen Comcast-NBC review

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut) said that he has asked that the Justice Department (DOJ) to investigate the Comcast-NBCUniversal merger and whether it will pose a threat to consumers after conditions to the transaction expire in September, 2018.

He referenced the transaction, approved by the DOJ and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in 2011, at a Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing on antitrust law and enforcement. But it also comes with renewed scrutiny on media mega-mergers, as the DOJ challenges AT&T’s proposed merger with Time Warner and reports that the Walt Disney is in a deal to purchase most of the assets of 21st Century Fox.

Blumenthal said at the hearing that if the set of conditions placed on the Comcast-NBCUniversal transaction are not extended, “I believe that this will pose a very serious threat to competition.” The conditions include provisions that prohibit Comcast-NBCUniversal from withholding content from online, cable, and satellite rivals. The company also must comply with anti-retaliation provisions, which are overseen by the FCC and are set to expire on January 20.

Full Content: The Hill

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