Sen Heller Questions FCC's Review of Pay-Television Acquisitions

Sen Dean Heller (R-NV) has called into question how the Federal Communications Commission is reviewing the proposed acquisitions of pay-television companies Time Warner Cable by Comcast and DirecTV by AT&T.

In a letter to FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, Sen Heller requested information regarding any confidential meetings the agency has had with media companies as part of its regulatory review of the deals. The letter, in response to a recent article in The Wall Street Journal disclosing that the FCC was offering the cloak of anonymity to companies concerned about Comcast and AT&T, asked the agency to justify the reasons for the meetings. While people or companies can express concerns about the two deals by filing public comments at the FCC, an agency spokeswoman has said offering confidentiality to concerned parties is "an established part of the FCC's rules." Such confidentiality is typically granted if a company fears that going public could lead to reprisals or retribution. Typically, companies that meet with FCC officials disclose such meetings in ex-parte filings.