Feingold Offers Tough Written Follow-Up to Zucker, Roberts

Sen Russ Feingold (D-WI) had some toughly-worded questions for Comcast and NBCU in a written follow-up to a Hill hearing on the proposed deal, including asking if the companies would be willing to divest all their Internet TV interests, stop bundling channels, and tie cable rate increases to the rate of inflation. It is essentially an anti-media consolidation wish list, according to a copy of written questions submitted to the witnesses following a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing two weeks ago. At that hearing, Feingold raised concerns about the deal with witnesses that included Comcast Chairman Brian Roberts and NBCU President Jeff Zucker. The tone of the written questions was decidedly accusatory.