nbc Archives - Where Is The Outrage?

NBC – Comcast merger leaves us out in the cold, again

It seems to me that every merger should be looked at through the lens of the middle class. Is this merger good for the middle class? I just don’t think that the answer is yes. I think that this limits choices and will lead to increased consolidation and increased prices.

From HuffPo:

Today, the Federal Communications Commissionblessed the merger of Comcast, the nation’s largest cable and residential Internet provider, with NBC-Universal. The Justice Department immediately followed suit, removing the last obstacle to the unprecedented consolidation of media and Internet power in the hands of one company. (FCC press release here)

You should be afraid and mad as hell.

The new Comcast will control an obscene number of media outlets, including the NBC broadcast network, numerous cable channels, two dozen local NBC and Telemundo stations, movie studios, online video portals, and the physical network that distributes that media content to millions of Americans through Internet and cable connections.

Comcast CEO Brian Roberts called it “a proud and exciting day for Comcast,” and showered Obama’s FCC and DoJ with praise. (more…)

By ecthompsonmd|2011-01-19T13:08:19-04:00January 19th, 2011|Business, Legal|Comments Off

Olbermann’s statement

Keith Olbermann will be back on the air tonight. He isn’t the second coming. He is a good commentator. That’s it.

Keith’s statement:

A STATEMENT TO THE VIEWERS OF COUNTDOWN
by Keith Olbermann

I want to sincerely thank you for the honor of your extraordinary and ground-rattling support. Your efforts have been integral to the remedying of these recent events, and the results should remind us of the power of individuals spontaneously acting together to correct injustices great or small. I would also like to acknowledge with respect the many commentators and reporters, including those with whom my politics do not overlap, for their support.

I also wish to apologize to you viewers for having precipitated such anxiety and unnecessary drama. You should know that I mistakenly violated an inconsistently applied rule – which I previously knew nothing about – that pertains to the process by which such political contributions are approved by NBC. Certainly this mistake merited a form of public acknowledgment and/or internal warning, and an on-air discussion about the merits of limitations on such campaign contributions by all employees of news organizations. Instead, after my representative was assured that no suspension was contemplated, I was suspended without a hearing, and learned of that suspension through the media.

You should also know that I did not attempt to keep any of these political contributions secret; I knew they would be known to you and the rest of the public. I did not make them through a relative, friend, corporation, PAC, or any other intermediary, and I did not blame them on some kind of convenient ‘mistake’ by their recipients. When a website contacted NBC about one of the donations, I immediately volunteered that there were in fact three of them; and contrary to much of the subsequent reporting, I immediately volunteered to explain all this, on-air and off, in the fashion MSNBC desired.

I genuinely look forward to rejoining you on Countdown on Tuesday, to begin the repayment of your latest display of support and loyalty – support and loyalty that is truly mutual.

–K.O.

By ecthompsonmd|2010-11-09T15:36:23-04:00November 9th, 2010|Media|1 Comment

Some Republicans believe that healthcare isn't a major issue

Congressman Peter King is very troubling. I wonder if the folks in his district are as embarrassed by him as I am.

From TP:

Republicans have worked hard to stall and kill health care reform while not trying to appear callous to the health care needs of Americans. This strategy was outlined by GOP consultant Alex Castellanos in a well-publicized memo. But earlier today, Rep. Peter King (R-NY) failed to stick to the talking points. On MSNBC, King declared most Americans don’t view reform as “a major issue”:

KING: This is not a major issue among the American people. I think the last poll showed 14 percent see health care reform as being a major issue. …I think this is a metaphor of the president having gone too far, too fast, and really not living up to his campaign promises of governing from the center. But we have to avoid acting as if we won this battle. Right now the voters are turning somewhat against Barack Obama. It doesn’t mean they are coming toward us. We have to play this, I believe, very effectively but not be going for the kill.”

Check out the vid:

King was referring to a NBC/Wall Street Journal poll released last week that showed health care is the third highest priority for the public, behind job creation (38 percent) and the deficit (17 percent). But as HuffPost’s Sam Stein notes, “Being the third highest ‘top priority’ is hardly synonymous with being a minor issue.” When NBC/WSJ tallied the respondent’s first and second priorities, “health care shot up to a tie for second place, at 32 percent.” In addition, Time Magazine and Gallup found that more than 70 percent of the public wants health care reform.

By ecthompsonmd|2009-08-03T19:48:07-04:00August 3rd, 2009|Healthcare, Party Politics|Comments Off