Bloomberg and Comcast each rebutted the other’s arguments in the two...
Bloomberg and Comcast each rebutted the other’s arguments in the two companies’ long-running channel lineup dispute. Both had asked the FCC to review parts of an earlier Media Bureau order calling for Comcast to include Bloomberg TV in more news…
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“neighborhoods” on its channel lineups, pursuant to the conditions of the agency letting the cable operator buy control of NBCUniversal. “With Comcast delaying implementation of the FCC’s merger order for almost 2 years now, it’s essential that the FCC move swiftly to force Comcast, once and for all, to comply with the neighborhooding order immediately,” Greg Babyak, head of government affairs for Bloomberg, said in a statement emailed to reporters. Meanwhile, Comcast said the commission should not be swayed by Bloomberg’s arguments to lift a partial stay of the Media Bureau order (http://xrl.us/bnr7z8). “It is beyond dispute that the various applications for review in this proceeding present the Commission with its first opportunity to address the implementation of the Condition,” Comcast said. The outcome will determine not only how this dispute is resolved, but also how Comcast will have to handle similar requests from other independent programmers, it said. “Under these circumstances, a partial stay is reasonable and prudent.” Bloomberg argued that the standard definition and HD versions of its channel are different. “Comcast cannot treat SD and HD channels as the same for compliance purposes,” Bloomberg said (http://xrl.us/bnr7yr). “It is yet another attempt by Comcast to avoid the commitment it made when it accepted the news neighborhooding condition."