Cable Comcast: Al Franken Says Hell No on the NBC Takeover

[FourScore]

Cable Comcast: Al Franken Says Hell No on the NBC Takeover
posted by Katrina vanden Heuvel on 02/10/2010 @ 1:01pm

The "I will mess you up" Senator is what Keith Olbermann is now calling Al Franken. He also added that "orientation" for Minnesota's Senator is now over.

Franken's toughness and savvy was on display last week at a hearing on the proposed $30 billion mega-merger between Comcast and NBC Universal.

In his feisty opening statement, Franken said: "I worked for NBC for many years. And what I know from my previous career has given me reason to be concerned--let me rephrase that, very concerned--about the potential merger of Comcast and NBC Universal. The media are our source of entertainment, but they're also the way we get our information about the world. So when the same company that produces the programs runs the pipes that bring us those programs, we have a reason to be nervous.... You'll have to excuse me if I don't just trust their promises and that is from experience in this business."

The former SNL star and entertainment industry insider-turned-Senator is dead on with his concerns. As Free Press--the media reform advocacy organization founded by The Nation's John Nichols, media scholar Robert McChesney, and current executive director Josh Silver-- points out, the merger would result in Comcast controlling one in every five television viewing hours. It would lead to fewer choices of what you can watch and how you can watch it. Those cable bills that continue to rise would rise even higher, and if you don't use Comcast you might have to pay a premium to get NBC's shows. There will be even less access to local and independent programming as Comcast would promote NBC's shows at their expense. And, finally, there's the even larger issue of concentrating power and limiting access to free public interest media...

http://www.thenation.com/blogs/edcut/528746

[BrklynLiberal]

1. Franken/Grayson..What a ticket that would be!!!!

[FourScore]

2. Sweeet. n/t

[FiveGoodMen]

4. Yes, it would!

[Jackpine Radical]

3. Al Franken has rocketed to the Top 10 on my Favorite Politician list.

And he did it in less time than anyone in history.

That guy is destined to be the most influential politician in America before he's done. Thank you Minnesota. It almost makes up for a couple of your other "contributions" to leadership in America. Like Coleman and Timmy the Puke.

Oh, and I have forgiven you for Jesse the Mind.

[FourScore]

6. You've forgiven me?

Did I post something lame?

[Jackpine Radical]

8. I was addressing that generally to any Minnesotans that read the post.

Not you. I appreciated the information on Franken.

I know a fair number of the Minnesota DU crowd & was picking on them for some of their politicians (leaving myself wide open to take the heat for the likes of Ryan & Sensenbrenner).

[FourScore]

10. Ahhh. I thought maybe I had written something completely awful at some time

and you had forgiven me. Wouldn't rule it out, you know...

:evilgrin:

[Jackpine Radical]

15. Well, rest easy. If you've done anything really egregious

I haven't forgiven you.

[geardaddy]

27. Don't forget Thompson

[Jackpine Radical]

30. Aaagh, how can you say that?

I've spent YEARS trying to forget Toxic Tommy!

[geardaddy]

31. lol

Sorry...

[Love Bug]

14. Well, I didn't vote for Norm, Timmy the tool or Jesse, and

I'm not in Bachmann's district. But I will take credit for voting for Al! Go Al!

[dflprincess]

19. I think Franken has done more since last July

than Klobuchar has in the last 3 years. (Except, of course, for her courageous stands against texting while driving and dangerous metals in children's toys :sarcasm:)

[Love Bug]

22. Yeah, I'm pretty underwhelmed by Amy, too

[Hong Kong Cavalier]

18. Gov. Ventura did manage to get the light rail going.

Despite Timmy the Tool's roadblocks against it, we've expanded it north far past the suburbs with the Northstar Line commute, and we're ready to start laying another route shortly.

[Jackpine Radical]

21. Jesse was by no means all bad.

[Love Bug]

23. Oh, I agree

I'd take him over Timmy the Tool any day.

[Jackpine Radical]

25. Or our own Toxic Tommy the Twerp, who has been mumbling

about running against Feingold.

[T Wolf]

5. So far, I have not heard anything from or about Sen. Franken that I have not liked.

One great thing is his ability to talk in real language rather than the "politic-speak" that professsional pols utilize to shovel their bullshit. He simply cuts to the reality of each issue or discussion.

He is what our politicians should be - the (bright, informed, concerned) citizen statesman.

And having someone "from the inside" of an industry who is not a corporate voice is refreshing.

And he is so correct about NOT trusting the corporate "word."

[aquart]

7. Yes.

[Jackpine Radical]

9. Yeah, I'm definitely a Frankenite too.

[Jakes Progress]

Always liked Franken, but now he has become

one of those people that I always listen to. When he has a warning, people had better pay attention.

Courage is far too rare in congress. People have forgotten what it looks like. Right now it looks like Senator Al Franken.

[Jakes Progress]

11. Dupe

[DefenseLawyer]

12. Senator Wellstone would be pleased. n/t

[Robeson]

13. Agreed.

[Jackpine Radical]

16. Indeed. Franken is a proper heir for Paul/s seat.

[geardaddy]

28. Absolutely

Franken has been on fire since he took his seat.

[FourScore]

17. kick

[fromVT]

20. I don't understand

One hundred years ago, Standard Oil was declared a monopoly because it got oil from the ground, refined it, and distributed it and owned gas stations. If NBC is creating the content and distributing it, isn't that a monopoly in the making?

[NashVegas]

29. Yes, It Is. There Is a Wrinkle, Though

Imagine a non-monopoly Standard Oil was extracting a product, and gas station owners breaking into the refineries every night and siphoning off the gas, then selling it to consumers as if it was their own.

That's what ISPs are doing to traditional entertainment and media outlets right now. 10 years ago it was worth it for the experimental aspect, but we now know the experiment has failed and we are losing valuable services.

ps - Google is trying to get its broadband unit off the ground. What do you think of that?

[asdjrocky]

24. Franken 2012!

[Jackpine Radical]

26. Hell yes. The precedent has been set for one Senate term being sufficient

as a laiunching pad.

And frank(en)ly, Al has a much more electable persona than Dennis. He's good enough, he's smart enough, and goshdarn it,…

[asdjrocky]

33. People like him.

I know I do. Lol.

[Chiyo-chichi]

32. Give 'em Hell, Al!