He stopped short of asking the FCC to nix the proposed merger between Comcast and Time Warner Cable, but New York Mayor Bill de Blasio outlined a laundry list of concerns about the deal and "threats" represented by the deal in a letter to FCC chairman Tom Wheeler dated Oct. 29.
Among his concerns are 1) quality and affordability of business service and the possibility of a merged company would be less responsive to customer concerns; 2) the potential threat to network neutrality and innovation given what they estimate will be the 40% of broadband subs the combined company would control; and 3) Comcast/TWC's potential increased influence over the cable advertising market via national cable ad buyer National Cable Communications. "This extreme degree of consolidation threatens to make it more difficult and expensive for area businesses to secure local advertising opportunities that are essential to their success," he said.
Ultimately, de Blasio simply asks the FCC to take all that into account as it considers whether to allow the deal.
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