*The National Coalition of African American Owned Media on Thursday filed its official opposition to the Comcast-NBC Universal merger, pointing out, in its words, the “non-existent carriage of 100% African American owned channels widely distributed on its cable platform to approximately 24 million homes.”
NCAAOM president-CEO Stanley Washington said in the petition to the Federal Communications Commission that the time has come for Comcast to know that “African Americans will no longer live on the Comcast plantation. Comcast must immediately do business with African American-owned media in a significant way. Until they do so, we’re continuing to boycott and actively campaign to have African American families and our supporters disconnect Comcast services.”
In the petition to “deny” the proposed merger, Washington further stated: “Our community represents up to 40% of Comcast’s subscriber base, which means that we are paying them at least $15 billion a year. By not supporting African American ownership in a significant way, Comcast denies the African American community the same opportunity they afford others. We continue to advocate strongly for 100% African American channel ownership because Comcast has a history of requiring equity for distribution from independent channel owners.”
The statement, according to the Hollywood Reporter, went on to point out that the 2009 compensation of Comcast chairman Brian Roberts and COO Steve Burke was $35 million each, noting that “these two men paid themselves significantly more than what Comcast paid to wholly owned African American media collectively.” The statement also pointed out that Philadelphia itself — the home base of Comcast — is 43% black but that none of the channels Comcast carries is owned by African Americans.
The group has retained former FCC chairman Kevin Martin as an attorney in its efforts to block the planned merger.
Comcast has agreed to pay some $30 billion to acquire the majority stake in GE-owned NBC Uni, a deal which would make the cable giant and Hollywood studio/network the biggest players to join together since AOL and Time Warner amalgamated 10 years ago. The deal is still under review by regulatory agencies and is not expected to close until toward the end of the year.
Without mincing words, the NCAAOM petition concludes: “The overall lack of African American ownership is a national disgrace and continues one of our nation’s most important unfinished agendas.”
People in Opposition to Comcast Cable.
Subcribers in opposition to Comcast Cable. Wilmington, Delaware citizens complain about Comcast Cable who wants a future without community access television. Regardless of the effects on our society and the development of community based information Comcast Cable shows no interest in American’s need to use local access television to advance our culture. This anti – American closing of community access television is sweeping the country by the cable giants’ ability to close community access television in American cities and towns nation wide. Community Access Television stations across America have been closed in an effort to stop Americans from voicing their opinions and to stop the development of freedom of speech. The future of our technological society is hindered by a corporation that wants to force Americans to be silent. Schools and Institutes of higher learning are not allowed to educate and inform their local citizens to enrich their lives via local educational television. Comcast Cable refuses to provide a component of cable for Americans in Wilmington, Delaware to exercise their freedom of speech. With their franchise agreement soon to expire, Comcast Cable has chosen to threaten to shut-down “live” community television during the franchise renewal process. Wilmington residents are up in arms about the closing of cable channel 28 and 190 after thirty years of viewing. Channel 28 has played a major role in local community awareness and political diversity. Wilmington’s cable channel 28 was the stepping stone to the political support of current Vice President Joe Biden, who appeared on numerous local channel 28 television shows to sustain his career.