Coalition Urges Obama Not To Rush Review of Comcast-NBC Universal Merger

A coalition of public interest groups and private organizations sent President Obama a letter on oCT 4 pressing the administration not to rush the regulatory review of the proposed $30 billion merger between Comcast and NBC Universal.

"We urge your administration to ensure this unprecedented combination receives the scrutiny that it deserves," the letter concluded. The signatories, also known as the Coalition for Competition in Media, attacked Comcast in the note saying the company's lobbying efforts "are a complete affront to the regulatory process and the job asked of your administration to protect consumers and competition." In particular, the coalition took issue with Comcast's recent announcement that Steve Burke, currently chief operating officer at Comcast, will lead the united companies upon completion of the merger. The release wrongly assumed "the merger was a foregone conclusion," the coalition noted.