What a terrible Comcast rep can teach regulators about the Time Warner Cable merger

[Commentary] A Comcast customer service call from hell highlights something that isn't as easily quantified by cold, hard economic analysis. The Federal Communications Commission, one of two agencies along with the Justice Department charged with approving the merger of Comcast and Time Warner Cable, typically considers the public interest as part of its mandate.

Consumer advocates argue that quality customer service ought to be included under that umbrella. Yet the very fact that people are making that case at all underscores how subjective the term "public interest" really is, and why it's sometimes easier to focus on what can be measured or projected numerically.