GOVERNORS OF THREE STATES BACK COMCAST-NBC MERGER

After receiving mostly negative comments about the proposed $30-billion merger of Comcast and NBC Universal, the FCC today (Tuesday) received a letter from the governors of New York, California and Pennsylvania expressing support for the deal, which would give Comcast a 51-percent controlling interest in the merged company. NBC Universal is headquartered in New York and California; Comcast, in Pennsylvania. In the letter, New York Gov. David Paterson, California Gov Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Pennsylvania Gov. Edward Rendell said, “The interests of the nation and our states will be well served if the relevant agencies move expeditiously and with a clear focus on the merits of the deal, and if they avoid delaying forward progress or imposing extraneous conditions.” The governors urged the commission to set aside concerns expressed by opponents of the merger, including several labor-union leaders and former FCC Chairman Kevin Martin. “The significant benefits associated with the creation of this new joint venture far outweigh any potential harms,” the governors concluded.