Comcast has struck a deal with Common Sense Media
(http://www.commonsensemedia.org/)
to expand Comcast's current partnership with the group, which provides program
ratings and other guidance for parents who want to help their kids with
media-consumption choices.
Comcast early on said expanding its relationship
with CSM and finding ways for NBCU to use the service as well would
be among its public interest commitments to the deal.
Per the agreement, which was submitted by Comcast
in the NBCU merger docket at the FCC late last week, Comcast will offer
more CSM content, including reviews, tips, ratings and recommendations,
integrated into its video and online program offerings. Comcast has already
been using CSM but NBC has not been among its content partners, according to
the CSM Web site.
CSM will get additional license fees, donated
airtime, online promotion and help with producing public service announcements
on digital literacy and media education.
FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski is a founding
board member of Common Sense, which advocates parental control as the best
regulator of media content for kids, but also argues the government has a role
to play, or essentially the regulatory philosophy the
chairman has espoused on the issue.
Comcast has struck agreements with a number of
groups as part of its effort to get the Comcast/NBCU deal approved, including
with minority groups, independent producers and affiliated and non-affiliated
TV stations. It has also made a number of public interest commitments from the
outset including boosting news and information programming and making its content
accessible to competitors.
