That means I won't be able to blog anymore.
"Comcast argues Time Warner takeover will benefit public" Associated Press April 09, 2014
WASHINGTON — Comcast Corp. on Tuesday presented its case to government regulators, arguing that its $45 billion takeover of Time Warner Cable Inc. would benefit consumers without limiting competition.
The company filed hundreds of pages of documents with the Federal Communications Commission after filing a notice Monday with the Justice Department.
On Wednesday, Comcast Corp.’s executive vice president, David Cohen, will testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee at a hearing to review the impact of the proposed merger on consumers.
Comcast says the acquisition will allow it to boost Internet speeds for Time Warner Cable.
The filing also says the company will provide better video-on-demand service and broaden its commitment to ‘‘Net neutrality’’ — the idea that Internet providers should not discriminate against Web traffic, depending on its source.
Related:
Court voids rule mandating equal access to Net
Ruling against ‘net neutrality’ is a blow to innovation
Senator Edward Markey files ‘net neutrality’ bill
FCC won’t appeal ruling on Internet neutrality
Also see:
Europe, also, finds itself divided over Net neutrality
EU Lawmakers approve ‘net neutrality’ rules
Comcast has agreed to not discriminate against any traffic on its network through 2018 as a condition of its $30 billion purchase of NBCUniversal, which was completed last year. The company vowed to maintain the commitment despite a federal appeals court decision that struck down the FCC-imposed rules in January.
Comcast says pay-TV alternatives like streaming services from Netflix Inc., Amazon.com Inc., and others have created competition in video, while there is at least one broadband Internet competitor in more than 98 percent of its markets.
‘‘Comcast and Time Warner Cable do not compete against each other in any area. So this transaction will not result in any reduction in consumer choice in any market,’’ Cohen said on a conference call with journalists Tuesday.
Cohen also responded to calls by Netflix chief executive Reed Hastings to extend ‘‘Net neutrality’’ protections to the so-called ‘‘interconnection’’ area between major Internet backbone providers such as Comcast. In February, the two companies reached a deal in which Netflix pays Comcast to ensure its video streams faster and more consistently to Comcast subscribers. But Hastings said last month that the fee amounts to an ‘‘arbitrary tax’’ on companies like Comcast that act as gatekeepers to their networks.
There are so many you must pass thrush before finding the truth.
Also see: Net neutrality ruling could be costly for Netflix
Cohen said the market for interconnection is ‘‘not at all impacted by this transaction,’’ though the deal will give it about a third of the market for Internet subscribers nationwide.
Last week, FCC chairman Tom Wheeler said that while rules governing the ‘‘interconnection’’ between Internet backbone providers are not part of its current review of open Internet rules, the agency is monitoring the space to see if action is needed in another context. The comments leave open the possibility that the FCC could impose conditions on interconnection deals as part of its merger review process.
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"Comcast playing catch-up to Disney; Universal in Calif. to get make-over" by Brooks Barnes | New York Times April 09, 2014
UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. — Now Comcast is mouse hunting on both coasts.
After pouring money into its Universal Studio’s resort in Orlando, Fla., Comcast is increasing spending at Universal Studios Hollywood, unveiling a smattering of new attractions on Tuesday that — when combined with previously announced sections devoted to Harry Potter and “Despicable Me” — will leave 70 percent of the California park remade by 2016.
The enhancements, part of a $1.6 billion overhaul of the park and adjacent movie studio, are designed to keep Universal’s thrill-ride fans coming back but also to attract families with young children, a lucrative audience that Universal until recently left almost entirely to nearby Disneyland.
“We’re trying to significantly broaden our base,” said Larry Kurzweil, president of Universal Studios Hollywood, which drew roughly 6 million visitors last year.
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He may not be exaggerating. When Universal Orlando opened the Wizarding World of Harry Potter four years ago, that resort went from an also-ran to a must-visit almost overnight. Year-on-year attendance shot up 30 percent as families swarmed the snow-capped shops of Hogsmeade and rode three Potter-themed rides.
To prepare for a similar surge here — a Wizarding World will open in 2016 — Comcast’s NBCUniversal is adding thousands of parking spaces, spending about $100 million to improve transit, and planning two 500-room hotels. But those efforts are crumbs compared to what is planned inside the gates.
On Saturday a “Despicable Me” attraction called Minion Mayhem will begin transforming riders into furry yellow Minions and taking them on a topsy-turvy excursion. Also opening is a water-themed play area called Super Silly Fun Land.
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“That is our first real kiddie ride,” Kurzweil said during a pre-opening tour, pointing to a contraption called Silly Swirly, a new brightly colored offering similar to Disney’s flying Dumbo attraction, except with exotic bugs instead of elephants. “I rode it earlier myself,” he added with a smile.
The park, which will soon celebrate its 50th anniversary, said that it would also expand its “Simpsons” ride to include an entire themed village. The area, similar to one at Universal Orlando but more expansive, will add about a dozen restaurants and shops to the center of the park and open next year.
Also coming next year, the company said Tuesday, will be “Fast & Furious — Supercharged,” a movie-thrill ride hybrid in which occupants of Universal’s famed back-lot trams will be encircled by 400-foot-long movie screens. “We’re going to make it feel like those trams are being pulled through the streets at speeds of over 100 miles per hour,” said Chick Russell, an executive producer for Universal Creative.
Universal’s tram tours, which currently end at sunset, will be expanded into the evening. There are plans for a new nighttime story line, which will be accompanied by lighting effects at more than 20 stops.
To some degree, the remaking of Universal Studios Hollywood is less about stealing market share from Disney than catching up after years of semi-neglect. Universal’s California outpost has occasionally added new attractions, including a “Transformers” ride in 2012 and a “King Kong” experience in 2010. But Universal’s various recent owners — General Electric, Vivendi, Seagram — were all more interested in wringing cash from the theme parks than putting any in.
In contrast, the Walt Disney Co. was investing heavily in its two-park Disneyland Resort 35 miles to the south in Anaheim, Calif. Disney recently spent $1 billion to expand its California Adventure park there, for instance.
Comcast has discovered — to its surprise — that theme parks represent one of the few areas of stable entertainment industry growth outside of cable television....
Now Comcast, which bought control of NBCUniversal in 2011, also wants to grow by going after families, which have long been Disney’s bread and butter....
Disney, which declined to comment for this article, has repeatedly dismissed the threat of greater competition from Universal in Florida, arguing that a rising tide lifts all boats....
I'm going to skip the trip to the Globe-guided trip to the studio theme park.
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