Sanders Says No To Proposed Comcast-NBC Merger

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has asked the Federal Communications Commission to block the planned merger of NBC Universal and Comcast.

“At a time when a small number of giant media corporations already control what the American people see, hear, and read, we do not need another conglomerate with control over the production and distribution of sports, news, and entertainment,” Sanders said in a statement. “In my view, we need more media diversity, more local control, more points of view – not more media concentration.”

Sanders is pointing to a study conducted by former FCC chief economist William Rogerson, who determined that customers would pay $2.4 billion in added rates should the merger occur.

“I would think it an obvious conclusion that ‘public interest, convenience, and necessity’ would not be served by a regressive wealth transfer of $2.4 billion from ordinary citizens to what would be one of the largest corporate entities in the United States,” Sanders wrote.