USA mega-media giants Comcast (cable television) and NBC-Universal (TV, Movies, etc.) are planning to merge to form a super-duper mega-media corporation which will control cable TV distribution, cable and television networks, TV shows, movies (and all things media related you can imagine).
An interesting side not: The often progressive-leaning MSNBC cable network (with Keith Olberman, Rachel Maddow), which is owned by NBC-Universal, has been eerily silent about this merger. (In case you had any question about the effect media conglomeration has on free speech.)
This all comes on the heels of the colossal failure of NBC's Jay Leno Show, the cheaply produced talk show which replaced all the dramatic television series that had previously filled the 10 PM (9 PM Central) time slot. The Jay Leno Show was canceled due to complaints from local NBC affiliates about low ratings leading into their evening news programs. Despite the low ratings, Jay Leno was making money for NBC because it was cheaper to produce than dramatic programs. NBC figured they could make more money from a cheap talk show with low ratings than expensive drama series with high ratings. That was an idea that Jeff Zucker brought with him to NBC from his cable experience. Who cares about quality or ratings? It's all about making money.
On Thursday February 4, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts and NBC President Jeff Zucker testified before Congress. Read a recap of the hearing on Huffington Post.
Senator Al Franken (Democrat, Minnesota), who ironically used to be an NBC employee on Saturday Night Live, was eloquent as usual while voicing opposition to the merger.
Note: The following video is a edited compilation. Links to videos containing Franken's full statement, and question and answer session, are below under Related Videos.
Video
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