Comcast filed its two-year NBCU deal compliance
report at the FCC on Thursday, and Comcast executive VP David Cohen says
the takeaway is that the company has met, or exceeded, all its obligations in
the transaction.
In January 2010, the FCCapproved the $30 billion joint venture with GE. The deal combined the
nation's largest cable operator with a studio library and cable channel
content. It created a company majority owned by Comcast (51%) that pooled all
of NBCU's media content with most of Comcast's, with Comcast retaining full
control of its cable and Internet assets. Comcast has the option of buying out
NBCU parent GE's 49% interest. Comcast has recently signaled it will exercise
its option to buy GE's stake.
The report outlines compliance with the voluntary conditions
agreed to by Comcast in order to secure government approval of the deal.
That includes the two 2012 launches of minority-owned
independent networks, ASPIRE and Baby First Americas; $24 million in PSAs on various
topics; 1,000 more kids VOD choices than were required by year three; and overdelivering
on the pledge of an additional 1,000 hours of local news and information on its
NBC-owned TV stations. Comcast says it has increased the hours by 1,700 above pre-transaction
levels.
Comcast also had broadband deployment and
adoption requirements. The company says it has expanded its 464 miles over the
annual 1,500 mile requirement by 464 miles, and extended its broadband plant to
221,891 more homes for a cumulative total of 421,767 in two years, already
topping its three-year commitment.
