Cable ad outsourcer Viamedia says the merger of Comcast and Time Warner Cable would give the combined company too much control over the spot cable marketplace, and wants the FCC to impose conditions to make sure that doesn't happen.
In comments on the deal, which were due Aug. 25, Viamedia says Comcast/TWC would control "approximately $4.5 billion of the $5.4 billion national Spot Cable Advertising market."
To prevent that, it proposes the following structural conditions:
"Prohibit Comcast from controlling, representing or managing Interconnects;
"Require that Comcast transfer majority control over NCC [NCC Media is a cable sales firm jointly owned by Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Cox]
"Require Comcast to transfer either its own or TWC’s Spot Cable Advertising Representation firm business;
"Prohibit Comcast from representing Spot Cable Advertising for the subscribers Comcast or TWC is transferring to Charter and SpinCo."
