Roberts: Comcast Won't Discriminate Against Competitor's Web Programming

Comcast Chairman Brian Roberts and NBCU President Jeff Zucker have responded to a host of follow-up questions from Senate Judiciary Committee members about their proposed joint venture, with Roberts saying his company will not discriminate against competitors Web programming, but making no promises about putting all, or any, new programming on the Web.

Most questions were broadly philosophical and drew similar answers that essentially restated hearing testimony about the lack of overlap of assets, the competitiveness of the market, or the relatively small share the combined company would control of cable channels or online content. But there were a series of pointed questions from Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.), by far the most aggressive questioner in two separate hearings on the deal, attempting to pin Roberts and Zucker down about specific conditions and potential pledges. Zucker deferred to Roberts on most of those questions, since Comcast will be the majority owner of the new venture.