Comcast-NBC U merger could hurt consumers

[Commentary] What can consumers expect from the marriage of Comcast and NBC Universal? Higher prices for cable television and Internet access. Less local, diverse programming and independent media. More sensationalism and even fewer family-friendly content choices. If you think you're already paying too much to watch TV or go online, if you care about open and unfettered Internet access, or if you worry about what your kids see, you have good reason to object to this wedding. And you'd better speak now or forever pay the price. The merger would eliminate some of the critical competition that normally occurs among content distributors such as Comcast, content programmers such as NBC, and content producers such as Universal Studios. Instead of bargaining hard, a Comcast-NBC U behemoth would be likely to favor its own programming, squeezing more independent channels out of basic-cable tiers to make room for more Comcast-NBC content. Moreover, a merged company would have the market power to gouge its competitors, pushing up prices for Verizon FiOS, DirecTV, the DISH Network, and smaller cable companies. In other words, a Comcast-NBC U merger could mean higher prices even for those who get their programming elsewhere. And if Comcast gets control of NBC Universal's marquee content, it will have every incentive to move online video offerings behind a "pay wall," as it has already done with the online video product known as TV Everywhere. If you wanted to watch NBC Universal shows online, you might have to be a Comcast subscriber.

[Josh Silver is the executive director of Free Press, a nonprofit media reform group. Tim Winter is president of the Parents Television Council, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting children and families from graphic sex, violence, and profanity in entertainment.]