07 Feb 2010, Posted by Susana Baker in Articles,General, 0 Comments

Former SNL Writer Lashes Out Against Impending Merger

At a Senate hearing on the proposed merger between NBC and Comcast, Democratic Senator Al Franken, former writer/performer for NBC’s Saturday Night Live, tore into both Jeff Zucker (NBCU President) and Brian Roberts (Comcast Chairman.) As someone who was previously a part of NBC and now a politician, Franken’s insistence that the merger between the two companies will in no way benefit the public interest should produce qualms about the deal.

Comcast, at 24 million subscribers, is the nation’s largest cable provider. In addition, it has about 15 million broadband internet subscribers, controls Fandango, and owns E! Entertainment Television, VERSUS, The Golf Channel, G4, and Style.

NBC Universal, already the result of a merger with NBC and Universal Entertainment, owns ten television stations, Telemundo, NBC Entertainment, NBC News, NBC Universal Sports and Olympics, Universal Pictures, Hulu.com, and Universal Parks and Resorts.

This vertical integration, while an intelligent business move, is further consolidation of the media industry, putting more power into the hands of few. Sure, NBC now has a guaranteed place to present its programs and films, and Comcast picks up loyal viewers and countless valuable holdings. According to the market, this deal makes sense in every way. But is the market the only thing that should be controlling the business deals of the media industry? Media is protected by the first amendment because it informs and serves the public interest, but if it continues to fail in this mission, it no longer deserves to be protected.

Franken also argues that the consolidation of media limits the development and success of independent content, citing that 60% of the networks new pilots are NBC created.

While mergers such as this one are not technically illegal under anti-trust laws because the two companies were never direct competitors, many insist that the industry is becoming increasingly monopolistic to the detriment of the public. Let’s hope that more politicians like Franken choose to speak out in defense of their constituents in the face of future media mergers and unfavorable FCC regulation (or lack thereof).