Home Miami TV NBC Has Caught The Comcast Virus

NBC Has Caught The Comcast Virus

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Because that virus known as Comcast wasn’t big enough, it’s now even bigger.

Comcast has agreed to acquire 51% of NBC Universal from General Electric. That includes several local NBC affiliates of which WTVJ is one. In three and a half years General Electric will have an opportunity to sell more of its stake in NBCU and again in 7 years.  That means 7 years from now NBCU could be wholly owned by Comcast.

Of course the deal still has to be approved by the FCC but given how close GE is to the current administration its likely we will only see  pretend-outrage and noise from DC.

When the deal is completed Comcast, which is the only cable game in town for South Florida from the Keys up to West Palm Beach will dominate internet delivery, cable channel delivery, own the most cable channels and have broadcast affiliates in over 200 television markets.

Naturally, those involved (GE & Comcast) will spin the sale as super, uber, awesome for the consumers. But if you watch the interview with GE and Comcast bosses you’ll know this has nothing to do with what’s in your best interest at all. It’s all about money and monopoly. Neither of these big conglomerates give a you know what about you the consumer, of course.

CNBC interview with GE and Comcast bosses after the jump

16 COMMENTS

  1. The headline on the NBC Miami web site was “locals are laughing about loud snoring father beating.” This is just one example of how bad NBC6 is these days when a news station would post an emotion like that as if they are Facebook and say something like this. Why woudl locals be laughing about any beating? How does NBC know how I or anyone else feels? Hopefully, this Comcast deal will help fix NBC and bring it back to the days when it was a good station. Anyone reading this at NBC, you should know your station sucks. If you don’t realize this, you are a fool. I was a producer or AP as they call it at NBC6 for several years. I am so happy to be gone from that horrible plsce where people like Tammy Delgado surf shopping web sites and have no idea how to put together a newscast. The only person who knows what they are doing on the morning news is Raf Perez, but Tammy makes it impossible for him to do his job. Hopefully, Tammy will be fired and replaced by a competant executive producer. Hopefully, The general manager and the weak asignment desk will be replaced. NBC used to be known for breaking stories, Now they are known for telling stories that other TV stations told yesterday and lying to the public, saying they are “telling South Florida’s Story.” How can you tell anyone’s story with inexperiened reporters and anchors and no helicopter? The key to a successful news station are people who have experience and a good assignment desk. The key to a succesful station are anchors who don’t need a TelePrompter to deal with breaking news and a helciopter so you can cover news quickly. Years ago NBC had that but now they have replaced real journalists like Kelly Craig with people like Roxanne Vargas. Nothing against Roxanne, but wasn’t she the secretary for the GM? Where did she pay her dues before anchoring at a top news market? Even Bob and Pam have been forced to tell the news at a station that can’t deliver the news. I miss the people with experience. Paul Deanno, Kelly Craig, Hetal Ghandi, Michael Williams and Joel Conable. Sorry, if I spelled his name wrong. Why is John Gerard not the lead weatherman? By the way, during the Thanksgiving holiday, NBC6 kept saying the Wednesday before Thanksgiving is the busiest travel day of thr year. No it is not. This is a perfect example of how people there don’t know basic information. The busiest travel day is the Sunday after Thanksgiving. I’m sure I will be insulted for this email, but NBC is a bottom feeder and really should be shot dead of of mercy like a sick horse. If you disagree with me, give me one good example of how NBC does a great newscast? No sports on weekends, bad at covering breaking news, usually misses breaking news, terrible 11am show which makes viewers fall asleep. Terrible 6pm, 7pm andc 11pm newscasts with the lowest rating in town, all which had potential, but when you lead your newscast with yesterday’s news, no one wants to watch. Channel 10 is the best example of a good newscast, Channel 7 is also pretty good, except, it’s a little big over the top sensational. But overall, the once number one station in the market is gone. Good thing NBC6 was sold. Maybe now Comcast will put some smart people at the top.

  2. Frankly, I don’t think the Comcast deal is bad.

    They sure can’t run the company any worse than GE has done.

    Sure, I’m happy I don’t work for one of the NBC O&O stations but, it’s just business. Ask the newspaper industry if you doubt that.

    Some will lose their jobs but, in the end, the company will be much healthier and stronger which means long term employment for those that remain.

  3. I’m very much aware this deal may be liked by some… and hated by others. I have mixed feelings about it.

    NBC has truly lost touch with the audience. “Law & Order” and “SVU” no longer air at 10PM… reviews for “The Jay Leno Show” remain mixed. NBC cans the crime drama “Southland” days before its much anticipated 2nd season, which TNT has since picked up… it appears the rookie medical drama “Tramua” is also being thrown out to the wolves. Jeff Zucker was quoted as saying, “I don’t believe NBC will ever be on top again.” Many TV viewers, myself included, wish to see him gone… and replaced with someone who is willing to reconnect with the audience, and willing to put quality, ground-breaking shows on the air.

    As for the local affiliates. New management at WTVJ ought to be a must… new managers that think outside the box, as well as about displaying accountablility. Willing to do whatever it takes to give this local TV news department (and news broadcasts) a sorely needed turn-around. Competant on-camera talents that can deliver for viewers. I believe that what local news should be.

  4. One of the biggest reason for this deal is that Comcast wants access to NBC’s huge video libary of movies and tv shows for their On Demand cable feature. I myself, would like to see some of those old shows from the 50s. I’m sure Diego would enjoy watching “Uncle Miltie” in a dress !

  5. I switched from Comcast to DIRECTV in June ’08. Those of you who’ve had their channels switched around without notice and then told you’d have to upgrade to digital cable to get them back, you might know what I mean. Now, they have responded in revenge by taking away Versus a while back. Hopefully Syfy, USA, and other top-rated NBCU cable nets don’t have to suffer the same fate on my system. I mean, that’s the prime reason why Comcast wants the Peacock.

    As far as the entire NBCU-Comcast deal is concerned, it will only be a matter of time before we know how it all ends and whether or not Comcast becomes another (AOL) Time Warner. One thing is for sure, NBC needs some serious revamping if it’s going to top the ratings as it did even a decade ago. Primetime, news, WTVJ, you name it, they need help. Also, I’m hearing Universal is having some troubles with box-office successes.

    It will be interesting to see how the folks up in Washington handle this one, a cable company owning a broadcast network. Should the deal go through, those of us who get our TV from other places will have to hope that our bills don’t go up…and our channel selection diminishes. Monopoly? I wouldn’t call it that just yet. Again, we’ll have to see what happens.

  6. Direct TV blows!

    Where else do you pay for a service only to have it disappear with light showers and heavy cloud cover.

    NBC put itself in this position by making stupid decisions and now they deserve what they get.

    It’s sad for a bunch of people who work there but if they still work there, they aren’t too smart. The writing has been on the wall for some time now and they should have done something for their own situations.

    Washington is firmly in the pocket of the money boys. This is business. Reagan, years ago, set the stage for large companies to control bigger pieces of the pie.

    I don’t blame Comcast for anything. They see the big picture in the future. Content is king! Not delivery systems. If you make content, be happy. If you’re a middle manager with no skills, time for a career change!

    • This guy has his facts wrong. The big change in station ownership rules was the Telecommunications Act of 1996 under Bill Clinton, not Reagan.

      • True, that’s when the bill passed but Reagan began those efforts, first killing off the fairness doctrine, then loosening the requirements as to licensing of engineers working in the stations.

        It all didn’t just happen overnight.

        • Yes sir, Reagan killed off the Soviet like Fairness Doctrine and returned free speech to the airwaves. I understand there are people like you who support government repression. Strange to me, but I understand it.

          Licensing of engineers? Who cares? I bet whatever you are talking about benefitted no one except the engineers and needed to be fixed.

          • Yes, youth.

            They are the hardest to educate since they have lived such short lives and don’t understand the world did not begin the day they were born.

          • Gerry, keep watching Fox. There’s no sense where there’s no feeling. This explains Reagan.

  7. I’m not crazy about Comcast either , but I got them to give me ( now a new customer) HD Cable , Unlimited long dist phone service, Internet, free HBO 4 two years for $99 a month. No one could touch that deal ! Dish and Direct TV both have teaser deals as well as AT&T. Their low price is good for the entire 2 years !!! The rest give you a year, but tie you into 2 years !

  8. “Comcast, which is the only cable game in town for South Florida from the Keys up to West Palm Beach”… partly true:

    – Atlantic Broadband – coverage areas include: coastal cities in Dade County, a small territory in South Dade, and Williams Island (but has a Local marketing agreement with Comcast’s Ad Sales division known as Comcast Spotlight). If Comcast Spotlight was a station in this market, it would be third in revenue right after Channels 7 and 23.
    – Advanced Cable – Weston/Coral Springs

    The only reason these two cable companies are still around has to do with anti-trust legislation. Otherwise, Comcastrophy would have swallowed up these two companies in a second.

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