Cost Controls: A Key Merger Condition

(RE: “Comcast to Make JV Concessions,” Dec. 4): “Nowhere in Comcast’s commitments is any mention made of cost control for consumers. A company known for annual increases (except when new competition appears) of 4% to 6% is certainly not likely to abandon that practice.

The rationale usually provided is the increase in program expenses. In a statement the day the deal was announced it was reported: “Brian Roberts and [NBC Universal] CEO Jeff Zucker suggested to reporters that retransmission consent fees from cable and satellite operators may be the key to ensuring that NBC and Telemundo grow and thrive.”

Of course, this provides additional revenue to Comcast as well as broadcasters — who need and deserve it. But can anyone doubt that revenue will come out of the hide of consumers? Owning NBC gives Comcast additional leverage and a leadership role in setting those fees, rather than simply negotiating them.

Part of the approval for the “deal” ought to be more consumer choice of which channels they wish to receive (i.e. “purchase”) — in a word “unbundling,” feared and resisted by the cable industry.

For example, there continues to be little reason non-sports fans should be forced to subsidize the highest of cable-network fees — ESPN’s.

If this issue is not vetted in approval hearings the true losers will, as usual, be the consumer — still with limited choices, all of which included bundling to varying degrees.”

Irwin Starr, Media Consultant, Sarasota, Fla.

More Than an Empire-Builder

(RE: “Remembering Bill Bresnan,” Nov. 30): “We live in an age in which many executives will be most remembered for the empires that they built. In contrast, Bill will be remembered for his generosity, honesty and compassion. After Bill sold his first Bresnan Communications to Charter, rather than laying off all of his corporate staff, all were retained until he, much later, acquired other systems. His generosity continued with the award of equity stakes to many of his employees.”

G. Robert Berzins, New York