Comcast Gets Notice That NBC Antitrust Scrutiny Will Persist

Antitrust restrictions placed on Comcast after its takeover of NBCUniversal are due to expire in a few days. But that doesn’t mean the Justice Department is done scrutinizing the company. The department’s antitrust division wrote a letter Aug 14 to Comcast warning that it would continue to monitor developments in how the company handles TV programming and distribution. It also asked for notice by Aug 29 of any changes that the cable giant plans to make when the decree runs out on Sept 1. Comcast’s acquisition of NBC won the approval of regulators more than seven years ago. But a so-called consent decree with the Justice Department and Federal Communications Commission imposed conditions designed to protect the emerging online-video market. “The department retains jurisdiction to enforce the antitrust laws and takes its obligations seriously,” Makan Delrahim, head of the Justice Department’s antitrust division, said in the letter. “We would appreciate your cooperation in keeping us informed by providing the department with any plans you may have to change your policies or practices involving video programming and distribution.”