Complaints About Comcast-Time Warner Cable Deal Now Being Accepted

Don’t like the idea of Comcast, the nation’s largest cable and Internet provider, getting larger by purchasing Time Warner Cable? You can now officially let regulators know, after the Federal Communications Commission formally launched its review of the deal.

The agency is asking for comments about the proposed $45 billion transaction (including Comcast’s spin-off deal with Charter Communications). Initial comments are due August 25, with final comments due October 8.

The action will be mostly administrative. The FCC has already received more than 10,000 comments about the deal since it was announced in February. The FCC notice also starts an informal 180-day shot-clock for completing its review, although that doesn’t really mean much because the agency routinely blows those deadlines. Comcast reiterated its position that the acquisition is in the public’s interest, but suggested that it knows others may not agree.