Watchdog opposes the cable wedding

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Watchdog3Media advocacy Free Press believes that nothing good can come from the Comcast/TWC merger, but there are a few bad things that could be in store if it is allowed to go through.


The organization believes that Comcast is already making ill use of its market power.

The organization listed three primary harms that may result from a completed merger:

1.It would lead to no merger-specific benefits but ample transaction-specific harms;

2. It would occur in a market already trending towards a nationwide cable monopoly; and

3. It would give Comcast the market power and incentive to discriminate against and control the emerging high-speed online services market.

According to Free Press, Comcast is already failing to deliver promised processing speeds, and that its overwhelming control of the ISP market can stifle innovation. It is also not pleased that sufficient consumer protections have not been included as conditions on the deal.

Free Press Policy Director Matt Wood said, “Letting one company control so much of America’s telecommunications infrastructure puts the future of online innovation at risk. The merged entity would have the unilateral power to dictate what the Internet is today, and how that platform would be allowed to evolve. This is an unacceptable prospect for Internet users, the economy and the future of communications in America.”