Bloomberg LP submitted yet another filing Tuesday to the Federal Communications Commission asking the regulatory agency to force Comcast to put Bloomberg Television closer to CNBC in its channels as part of an agreement that allowed the cable company to purchase a majority stake in NBC Universal.
Comcast has resisted making the change, arguing that the agreement with the FCC does not require it to give Bloomberg Television such placement. It has asked the FCC to submit the dispute to an administrative law judge.
Bloomberg has argued against having the dispute adjudicated by a judge, noting in its Tuesday filing — submitted by the high-profile Washington law firm Patton Boggs — that “Should this case be referred to an administrative law judge, it is almost certain that far more time will elapse before Bloomberg will be able to obtain relief.”
In the filing, Bloomberg estimated that it could be as long as two to three years before it could get its network located near CNBC on Comcast cable systems.
“It is essential for the viability of independent news programming and the integrity of the FCC’s merger review process that Comcast not be permitted to simply walk away from its commitments,” said Greg Babyak, head of government affairs for Bloomberg, in a statement. “Bloomberg LP is confident that Chairman Genachowski and his colleagues will require Comcast to abide by the independent news neighborhooding condition to which Comcast affirmatively agreed to gain approval for its acquisition of NBCU.
“Comcast’s ongoing refusal to implement the independent news neighborhooding condition is nothing more than an attempt to run out the clock. With eight months of the condition’s life having already elapsed, Comcast still refuses to acknowledge the Order’s mandate that ‘now’ means ‘now.’”
Comcast was critical of Bloomberg’s tactics back in July. You can read about its statement here.
