In a clear sign that the Federal Communication Commission's decision on the Comcast/NBCU merger still requires more input, the commission has asked both companies for a lot more information, including on carriage deals, online distribution, rates, and much more.
It made an initial request for a boatload of information May 21, and made the follow-up request in letters to both Comcast and NBCU Monday.
The FCC has given the companies only until Oct. 18 to provide written and electronic documentation for each request. NBC will have the easier time of it, at least in terms of the number of items to produce (10), while Comcast has 30 items on its to-do list.
The FCC wants to see the two most recent carriage agreements with competing MSO's for nets in which Comcast has a financial interest -- Golf Channel, Versus, regional sports nets. et al. The FCC also is including a network neutrality question, asking for its plans to deploy broadband to served and not served areas.
Also on the list of FCC must-haves are information on rate changes; any changes in tier placement for networks it carries; and what criteria it will use for search algorithms in on-screen navigation of channels by genre.
It also wants data on the extent of overbuilding -- which means competition -- in all of its markets, including from telcos, RCN and Wide Open West.
And to keep tabs on promises made related to the proposed joint venture, the FCC wants Comcast to identify and describe -- by parties, addressee, date, and subject matter -- all agreements, memoranda of understanding, letters, correspondence, written testimony, e-mails and similar documents, by which the company has made commitments with third parties in connection with the future operation of its proposed LLC with NBCU.
For all the data the FCC is seeking from Comcast, click here.
On the NBCU side, the FCC also wants the two most recent carriage agreements for co-owned cable nets, as well as info on per-sub ad revenues for its programming nets and "all e-mails and correspondence" about online distribution via Sezmi.
The FCC also wants a list of the top 20 advertisers on air and online and their annual revenue.
The second request is not unusual says a Comcast spokesperson, and does not stop the clock on the merger.
The FCC is currently on day 129 of its unofficial 180-day shot clock for mergers reviews.
