Pressing for a fast FCC nod on the Adelphia deal, Comcast and Tim...
Pressing for a fast FCC nod on the Adelphia deal, Comcast and Time Warner told Comr. Adelstein that all pay TV providers can get Comcast’s PBS Kids Sprout VoD nationwide service. Some on the FCC want to tweak Chmn.…
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Martin’s order approving the $17 billion deal so it mandates that Comcast can’t withhold programming including Sprout (CD July 5 p11). “Comcast underscored that Sprout is available for distribution by all multichannel video program distributors,” said a Mon. ex parte filing on the meeting with Adelstein. RCN fears Comcast would “preclude anyone from receiving critical must-have content such as… PBS-Kids VoD,” RCN Senior Vp Richard Ramlall told us late Mon. Some Comcast rivals want Martin to set conditions barring Comcast and Time Warner from discriminating in selling their programming to competitors. In an April letter, Commerce Committee Chmn. Stevens’ (R-Alaska) requested such antibias conditions. “A very good guide to what we hope the FCC will do is contained in Senator Stevens’ letter to Chairman Martin,” said Ramlall. Adelphia’s suitors told Adelstein they will expand VoD if the deal is approved. Comcast Chmn. Brian Roberts told Comr. Copps in a Fri. phone call that there’s a “need for the Commission to act expeditiously to approve the pending transactions,” said another ex parte filing.