Bloomberg Outlines Opposition to Comcast-NBCU

Lobbyists for financial-media firm Bloomberg LP want the Federal Communications Commission to deny Comcast's deal for control of NBC Universal because it is concerned that, without certain conditions, Comcast will have the motive and opportunity to disadvantage its Bloomberg Television, a competitor to NBC's CNBC.

Bloomberg's position is that the FCC "must deny" the deal unless it requires Comcast to put all business-news networks on channels adjacent to CNBC, so that it cannot put BTV on a more-expensive tier, and to continue to carry all business-news channels. Bloomberg wants the FCC to prevent Comcast from packaging ad sales for non-Comcast owned business channels with its owned channels without those other channels' permission and prohibit it from offering advertisers discounts tied to not purchasing ads on competing business channels or distributors discounts tied to less favorable carriage terms. It also wants the FCC to streamline the complaint process, including arbitration for fee disputes.