In an email response to the Comcast-NBC Merger, internet rights group Free Press calls the freshly approved merger a "Comcastrophe." It’s a noun. A partial statement from Joe Silver, Free Press CEO and President, follows:
"The FCC just blessed the merger of Comcast, the nation's largest cable and home Internet provider, with NBC Universal. The Justice Department approved the merger, too, leading to the unprecedented consolidation of media and Internet power in the hands of one company.
There's no way to sugarcoat it. Wherever you live, the Comcast-NBC merger is a disaster.
Letting one company control the pipes and the content that flows over those pipes is a formula for abuse. Comcast-NBC could soon hike up rates, take away your favorite channels or even stop you from watching your favorite shows online. Comcast has already targeted Netflix and other companies that compete with its video and Internet offerings.
The merger lays waste to then-candidate Barack Obama's 2008 promise, when he said, 'I strongly favor diversity of ownership of outlets and protection against the excessive concentration of power in the hands of any one corporation, interest or small group. I strongly believe that all citizens should be able to receive information from the broadest range of sources.'
We at Free Press believe that, too. But unlike the president and his FCC chairman, we're not caving to corporate pressure. Free Press is working with our allies and activists to fight for more open, democratic and diverse media."
If you agree with Free Press, there are some things you can do to get involved and fight back:
- You can join Next, the Free Press national network of local Comcast watchdogs.
- You can contribute to the Free Press Action Fund.
- You can tell your elected officials that "this merger is a disaster" by Tweeting about it or by writing a Facebook status message.
For more tips on fighting the man, visit Freepress.net.
Comments
Re: Free Press: Comcast-NBC Merger a 'Comcastrophe'
It starts again, same as AOL and time warner.
Time to pull my money out of tech and into energy.
Re: Free Press: Comcast-NBC Merger a 'Comcastrophe'
I find it depressing that stories like this and the one related to it are generating next to no comments, meanwhile JT's story is well into the double digits. Come on! Why is everyone wasting their energy on that jackass when there's real outrage to be had here? This has some serious, long range implications, but judging from the lack of comments, I guess no one cares. That's just sad, people. That's pretty damning when we'd sooner obsess over a has-been lawyer who was never that successful to begin with rather than be concerned over something that has real weight and import.
Re: Free Press: Comcast-NBC Merger a 'Comcastrophe'
Because of dejection. No matter what we do, no matter how many messages we post, letters we write, tweets we broadcast, etc. It won't matter. The deal already went through, the lobbyists' money is worth more than our rights or our votes. I think many of us realize that the fight's already over, at least until international companies get involved and offer an alternative. But, that won't be for years.
- When you look into the abyss, the abyss also looks into you.