Tina Fey and the writers on NBC’s hit comedy 30 Rock have gotten a lot of comedic mileage out of the proposed NBC-Comcast (or NBC-Kabletown, in the show’s version) merger, but there hasn’t been a lot of laughter today as the Federal Communications Commission and the Department of Justice approved the merger. According to the New York Times, this paves the way for the merger to conclude by the end of January.
Why isn’t this funny? Some critics, like FCC Commissioner Michael J. Copps, worry that the merger won’t benefit consumers, specifically in the online video marketplace. Others note the increasing levels of content control and prioritization that could result from the merger. Ultimately, the merger will have major effects upon the telecommunications industry; as former UMLS and current Cardozo Law Professor Susan Crawford notes, this is the biggest moment in communications policy since the AT&T divestiture. Competition policy, of course, must also play a role in ensuring that this major event doesn’t harm consumers or innovators going forward.