Comcast: Bloomberg's Neighborhooding Allegations an Attempt to Manipulate FCC

Comcast says that while it continues to view Bloomberg TV as a "respected business partner," Bloomberg's allegations that Comcast is not honoring its neighborhooding condition in the NBCU deal is baseless and an attempt to manipulate the Federal Communications Commission for its own gain.

Comcast pointed out that its channel placements preceded the NBCU deal and was not based on any "discriminatory motive to advantage CNBC or MSNBC and disadvantage Bloomberg," and said that the FCC did not mean for Comcast to have to remake channel lineups in 39 state Comcast pointed out that it has launched Bloomberg TV to 18 million subs over the past five years and continued to add the channel after the transaction with NBCU. It also said that Bloomberg's definition of neighborhooding, which Comcast said is as few as four channels, is "inconsistent with its own advocacy before the FCC, leads to nonsensical and incoherent results, and would cause mass consumer confusion and disruption to other channels." Comcast asked Bloomberg to reconsider its plan to file a formal complaint at the FCC and instead, "resume good faith discussions."