Antitrust

Conditions proposed for Comcast-NBC deal

With concerns both inside and outside Washington over Comcast's bid to take over NBC Universal, one congressman is proposing a set of conditions that the cable giant should first meet.

Rep. Rick Boucher, who heads the subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet, outlined his proposals in letters written on Monday to the Federal Communications Commission and the Department of Justice. Boucher asked the agencies to approve the merger but under the stipulation that customers don't receive any less content than they do today.

Although the congressman is in favor of the deal, he did express concerns that … Read more

Telcos and satellite get closer to local TV sports

Cable companies' fight to keep local sports broadcasts out of the hands of some competitors is heating up as satellite and phone companies pressure regulators to take action.

On Friday, satellite TV provider Dish Network said it would file a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission against Comcast for withholding the rights to broadcast regional sports in Philadelphia. Comcast's SportsNet channel owns the rights to broadcast live games for Philadelphia's major sports teams, including the Phillies, Flyers, Sixers, and Eagles.

Dish Network has been in talks with Comcast over the past several weeks to hammer out a deal. … Read more

GOP senators move to block FCC on Net neutrality

Seven Republican senators have announced a plan to curb the Obama administration's push to impose controversial Net neutrality regulations on the Internet.

On Wednesday, Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina and six other GOP senators introduced legislation (PDF) that would dramatically limit the Federal Communications Commission's ability to regulate broadband providers.

"The FCC's rush to takeover the Internet is just the latest example of the need for fundamental reform to protect consumers," DeMint said in a statement. Without this legislation, DeMint said, the FCC will "impose unnecessary, antiquated regulations on the Internet."

The … Read more

Microsoft tweaks browser ballot code

Microsoft's latest tweak to its browser ballot screen seems to have fixed a key programming flaw.

In response to antitrust concerns by European regulators, the company recently unveiled its browser ballot page to give European users a choice of browsers to install. But the company was criticized for using sloppy code that didn't adequately randomize the order in which each browser's icon and link displays.

The algorithm used is supposed to change the order of the browsers from left to right each time the page opens. That change occurred, but apparently not randomly enough. The code often … Read more

Minor browsers seek more prominence in Europe

Unhappy with their lot, six of seven second-tier browsers have petitioned regulators for increased prominence on the screen that gives Windows users in the European Union a choice of browsers besides Microsoft's Internet Explorer.

The browser makers on Thursday sent a petition to Neelie Kroes, a European Commission vice president, and other regulators who have been dealing with the browser-choice technology that Microsoft has begun distributing to millions in Europe as part of an antitrust case against the software company. The top five browsers dominate the market, but more obscure browser makers hope the EU antitrust action will grant … Read more

EU gives obscure browsers a big chance

It took Mozilla more than five years of concerted effort and a lucrative partnership with Google to dent Internet Explorer's dominance. But maybe it doesn't have to be so hard.

Courtesy of an antitrust case against Microsoft in the European Union, several small-fry browsers are getting a helping hand that could boost their efforts to attain relevance. At least as long as Europeans notice a particular scroll bar.

"The ballot represents an enormous opportunity for Maxthon," said Ron White, a spokesman for one of those relatively obscure browsers that will be brought to the attention of … Read more

EU to investigate Google after complaints

And so it begins: the European Commission has opened an antitrust investigation of Google.

The Telegraph reported late Tuesday that European regulators have sent a letter to Google asking the company to explain how it ranks search results and advertising after complaints from European businesses such as Foundem, a price comparison site, and Ciao, another price comparison site owned by Microsoft. Those companies--Foundem in particular--have long complained that Google penalized their Web sites in search results under competitive pressure.

Google confirmed that it has received an inquiry from European regulators but denied any wrongdoing. "While we will be providing … Read more

Gripes over Google Books go technical

Remember the Google Books settlement? After a storm of criticism over the initial draft, Google--and the author and publisher groups that initially sued the search giant--withdrew a proposed settlement hours before a scheduled hearing last fall, promising a significant revision.

That revision was announced on November 19. A final fairness hearing on the revised settlement (the Amended Settlement Agreement, or ASA) is scheduled for February 18.

A number of parties have objected to the revised settlement, most notably the U.S. Department of Justice, which filed a "statement of interest" (PDF) on February 4. The department still believes … Read more

Lawmakers grill execs over Comcast-NBC deal

Comcast and NBC Universal executives went to Washington, D.C., on Thursday to answer lawmakers' questions about the proposed deal for Comcast to buy a controlling stake in the media and network TV giant.

In separate subcommittee hearings, lawmakers in the House of Representatives and the Senate questioned Comcast CEO Brian Roberts and NBC Universal President and CEO Jeff Zucker. Specifically, they asked how the $37 billion proposed merger between the nation's largest cable company and the TV network and movie studio would affect consumers' cable prices, the budding online TV business, and the distribution of cable and broadcast … Read more