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Executives at Comcast, the media behemoth looking to buy a 51 percent stake in NBC Universal, have given large sums of money to presidential candidate Barack Obama and Democrats in recent years The Hill reported Saturday: Comcast chief executive Brian Roberts made more than $76,000 in political contributions to Democrats since 2006, compared to $13,500 in contributions to Republicans. Comcast vice president and top lobbyist David Cohen made about $180,000 to Democrats in the same period, compared to $12,000 to Republicans, according to OpenSecrets.org.

The proposed merger of Comcast and NBC Universal will be the first big test of the Obama administration’s stance on the hot-button issue of media consolidation. It could also put the Obama administration and Democrats in Congress at odds with a few of their largest supporters.

The same day Comcast and General Electric announced Comcast would take control of NBC Universal, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts announced his company was supporting the health-care bill currently before the Senate. This is interesting in two ways: First, as Newsbusters points out, this move by Roberts coincides with an announcement of a merger that will likely face anti-trust scrutiny from the same Congress and administration that is pushing the health-care bill. Washington has long used the weapon of anti-trust to extract pounds of flesh from big corporations. One commissioner said yesterday, "My skepticism about the harms imposed by so few...

For General Electric's investors, yesterday's deal to combine NBC Universal with Comcast was more like a burnt-out light bulb than a bright idea. While shareholders were gratified that GE was finally selling off a business that never quite fit in with the company's industrial bent, the deal's details generated Wall Street's version of a big, fat yawn, with shares in GE falling 7 cents to $16 a share. By comparison, Comcast's stock popped 97 cents to $15.91. GE investors' muted response reflected a few factors, sources said. First, there was a sense among many investors that GE waited too long...

Here are five suggestions for how to bring the network back: 1. Part ways with Jeff Zucker -- or at least ban him from any oversight of the network. ... Take out the performance of the broadcast network, and Zucker's tenure at the Peacock has seen plenty of successes (and profits). ... But this story is about what can be done to save the NBC television network. Zucker has done far more harm than good to that part of the business. ... 2. Don't make any hard and fast rules. The last decade at NBC has been marked by a...

After nearly nine months of negotiations, Comcast, the nation’s largest cable operator, finally reached an agreement on Thursday to acquire NBC Universal from the General Electric Company.

Here is a video report on a deal by General Electric announced early this morning that would sell a controlling interest in NBC Universal to Comcast - the nation's leading Cable TV operator. Under the agreement, Comcast would control 51% of NBC Universal, which includes the NBC Network, CNBC, MSNBC, and other entities. Below is a more in-depth discussion of the deal from CNBC's Squawk Box . . . . (VIDEOS)

It was on this day five years ago — December 2, 2004 — that Brian Williams took over the NBC Nightly News desk, succeeding Tom Brokaw. "Whatever success we have enjoyed over these five years is thanks to the people I work with and for," Williams tells TVNewser. "It's thanks as well to the fact that I took this baton from a pillar of class and decency, Tom Brokaw — who anchored this broadcast with distinction for 23 years." TVNewser has learned the anniversary will be noted toward the end of tonight's broadcast. But today, Williams is reflecting on more...

Days after Obama's inauguration, Jeff Immelt, CEO of General Electric, wrote to shareholders: "[W]e are going through more than a cycle. The global economy, and capitalism, will be 'reset' in several important ways. "The interaction between government and business will change forever. In a reset economy, the government will be a regulator; and also an industry policy champion, a financier, and a key partner."

As GE prepares for an expected $30 billion deal that will give control of NBC to cable TV operator Comcast Corp., the conglomerate is shifting its focus back to its industrial divisions. GE is shrinking its finance arm that has been severely buffeted by the financial crisis. It has sold some businesses and shopped others around. And it is chasing nearly $200 billion in stimulus money from worldwide governments, much of it earmarked for such products as medical equipment and wind turbines. This new GE will likely look a lot like GE did before it acquired NBC in 1986. GE...

The National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians (NABET-CWA) union has threatened to walk off on NBC's Christmas in Rockefeller Center special due to stalled contract negotiations with the network. Such a move would see the famous Christmas tree go unlit. According to NABET-CWA, which represents nearly 3,000 producers, writers and technicians, the union saw its contract expire in March, with "very little progress" toward a new pact. NABET-CWA says NBC management has grown "increasingly hostile" toward the union. "We can't let the Grinch at NBC steal another Christmas from thousands of honest working people," said NABET-CWA Local 11 President...

General Electric Co.'s agreement to buy out the rest of NBC Universal paves the way for it to sell control of the TV and movie company to Comcast Corp. in a deal that promises to reshape the entertainment industry. Comcast is eager to diversify its holdings amid an encroaching threat from online video and more aggressive competition from satellite and phone companies that offer subscription TV services. Although the deal holds the promise that movies could reach cable more quickly after showing in theaters, and that TV shows could appear faster on cell phones, it has already raised concerns that...

Pretending to be a naïve tax preparation customer, Christina [Talarczyk, an ACORN activist in San Antonio] walked into a Jackson Hewitt office with a Dateline producer who had a camera hidden in his sunglasses. The tax-preparation employees were caught on camera as they tried to convince Christina to take out a high-interest RAL [Refund Anticipation Loan]

Since the undercover ACORN videos from James O’Keefe and Hannah Giles first broke, the grand pooh-bahs of journalism have gone into self-absorbed philosopher mode. Rather than report on the ACORN corruption playing out before our eyes, “journalists” have tsk-tsked their way through thousands of words and yards of column inches making certain that everyone understands that what James and Hannah did IS…NOT…JOURNALISM. (As if that is the existential question to make sense of the ACORN videos.) Undercover videos and assuming fake identities are things real journalists do not do…except when they do. Below is a page from ACORN’s 2005 Annual...

Jay Leno has done more than just bomb in his prime-time slot on NBC. He may have started a revolution there. It seems that not only are viewers tuning out Leno and other shows offered at 10 p.m. -- they are actually using the slot to catch up on shows they've recorded. DVR usage, which like live programming is measured by Nielsen Co., is up by 1.4 household ratings points in the 10 p.m. slot, while NBC has lost an average of 1.8 points compared to fall 2008. "The DVR phenomenon is a little bit higher than we thought," said...

(Video) Governor Sarah Palin Interview with KTUU-NBC Anchorage, AK

Here is 'liberal' Palin hating SNL video Laying into the disaster Obama. FUNNY!!!

Notice Filed Hollister v Soetoro I. JURISDICTIONAL STATEMENT A. The Basis for the District Court’s Subject Matter Jurisdiction The District Court had jurisdiction pursuant to the Federal Interpleader Act, 28 U.S.C. § 1335. Alternatively Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 22 and diversity under 28 U.S.C. § 1332 existed. In addition, in a proposed amended complaint the plaintiff Hollister asserted jurisdiction also for a direct violation of the constitutional requirement in Article II, Section 1, Clause 5 concerning the eligibility of an individual to be President of the United States if he is not, as is there stated, a “natural born...

General Electric on Thursday priced the first Islamic bond by a western industrial company in a move that will help open up this niche market to a broader non-Muslim investor base. General Electric Capital Corporation, the US company’s finance arm, raised $500m in five-year bonds through a special purpose vehicle at 175 basis points over US Treasuries, the international reference point for pricing debt, with strong demand from a wide range of Muslim and non-Muslim buyers.

NBC’s “Law and Order” is in its 20th season. The economy is weak, so they have devolved to converting White House talking points into weekly shows. Last week, “Doped” was a farcical equivalent of “Damien Thorn meets Karen Silkwood.” Pharmaceutical companies and Doctors are worse than drug cartels. The killers in the previous week’s episode on such cartels were more sympathetic than the health professionals.

David Gregory, in a report on Sarah Palin on the Today Show, was in a discussion with Meredith Viera and was quick to point out a poll that showed Sarah Palin "wasn't qualified to be vice president." Gregory, of course, didn't note that Palin had more experience than our Obama, our current president. So, if Sarah isn't qualified to be vice-president, where does that leave Obama? More media hype trying to discredit Sarah, who obviouisly is a huge threat to Liberaltown.

THE Jay Leno Show" has struggled mightily -- but Mondays have been extra-tough. "Leno" averaged just over 4 million viewers at 10 p.m. Monday -- nearly equaling its all-time low of 3.9 million viewers set on Monday, Nov. 2. This past Monday, "Leno" was up against original episodes of CBS' "CSI: Miami" and ABC's "Castle," which averaged 14 million and 11 million viewers, respectively. Both shows creamed "Leno" in the advertiser-coveted demo of adults 18-49. The show, hosted by the former "Tonight Show" star, started off with a bang in its September premiere -- pulling in over 18 million viewers...

NEW YORK – NBC gives new meaning to the phrase "green screen" next week, spreading a pro-environmental message across five of its prime-time entertainment programs. "30 Rock," where Al Gore takes a cameo role, leads the way. Environmental themes were also added to the scripts of "The Biggest Loser," "The Office," "Heroes" and "Community." NBC Universal's three-year "green" campaign has largely focused on off-camera issues like making company facilities more eco-friendly. News and information programs have also been enlisted to do stories on environmental issues, but except for one "30 Rock" episode two years ago, the campaign hasn't touched the...

"I think he’s struggling to translate that to policy."

Judge Carter Ruling on MTD

Six weeks after Jay Leno moved to primetime, NBC's wait-and-see approach to his sinking ratings is testing the patience of affiliate stations across the country. The Peacock network maintains that putting Leno on five nights a week will pay off when fresh episodes of his show go up against reruns on other networks, but so far Leno has been a disappointing lead-in for the late newscasts that follow him. After a strong start, his program at 10 p.m. is down sharply from its premiere week and is drawing one-quarter fewer viewers than its scripted predecessors a year ago. This is...

A day after key White House officials declared the Fox News Channel wasn't a news organization, President Obama met with MSNBC personalities Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow. Talk about your delicious hypocrisy. Fittingly, the news was broken by FNC's Bret Baier during Tuesday's "Special Report" (video embedded below the fold with transcript, relevant section at 1:45, h/t Hot Air via NBer Thomas Stewart): BRET BAIER, HOST: And finally, during this morning's off-camera White House briefing with reporters, ABC's Jake Tapper asked Press Secretary Robert Gibbs about the ongoing White House attacks on FOX News Channel. After being asked about the...

Do the major media outlets in the U.S. have a liberal bias? Few questions evoke stronger opinions, and we cannot think of a more important question to which objective statistical techniques can lend their service. So far, the debate has largely been one of anecdotes (“How can CBS News be balanced when it calls Steve Forbes’ tax plan ‘wacky’?”) and untested theories (“if the news industry is a competitive market, then how can media outlets be systematically biased?”). Few studies provide an objective measure of the slant of news, and none has provided a way to link such a measure...

As heard on Glenn Becks show today this is video of Anita Dunn discussing the tactics to be used in controlling the media and press. For Example: She talks about how they would use David Pluths videos to bypass having to talk to reporters. "We'd put those out and make them write what Pluth had said as opposed to Pluth doing an interview.." Here is the video Here is the video of Anita Dunn.

Last week, on air, Keith Olbermann (a leading personality, if there is such a thing on his network), described columnist Michelle Malkin as “a mashed up bag of meat with lipstick.” Before I discuss all the things wrong with this comment, the “man” who made it, his network, and its corporate owners, here are my prejudices in the matter. First, I know and respect the journalistic abilities of Michelle Malkin. I was present in D.C. in February when she received an award for her work. On the other hand, I agree with the hundreds of millions of Americans who indicate...

July 2004: Obama makes keynote speech at the Democratic convention and is hailed as the future of the party. October 2004: Congressman Barney Frank [D-MA] speaks as a witness to the Senate Judiciary Committee about his belief that the people of the United States should be able to elect a president of their choosing, even if that candidate is not a natural-born citizen. In these comments, Frank all but names Obama and describes our current situation to the letter. Obama’s opposition in the senate race is mysteriously swift boated at the last minute, (ironically by having his divorce records...

Where's Sarah Palin when you need her? The fourth-season premiere of NBC's Emmy-winning "30 Rock" was down a steep 27% in the adult demo from last fall, when star Tina Fey was generating national buzz for her "Saturday Night Live" parody of the Republican veep candidate. "30 Rock" returned to 6.3 million viewers and a 3.0 rating among adults 18-49, falling 25% from its "Office" lead-in. Meanwhile, ABC's "FlashForward" (9.1 million, 3.1) stopped its ratings descent, reversing for the first time to climb a tenth of a point. ABC just picked up the drama for a full season, so this...

Joe says: Gorefan - My heritage includes the Adams of Massachusetts and the Herndons of Virginia. The Adams papers I am in possession of plainly state they looked to "Vattel's Law of Nations" for guidance in determining who might be qualified as a "natural born Citizen". (Yes, they capitalized "Citizen".) Do you actually believe there was no discussion of the topic by the Founding Fathers? Are you truly that ignorant of how well the Founding Fathers understood the law and its possible impact on future generations? It is very clear you haven't a clue how well educated and intelligent...

This is my own work, I own any associated copyrights to it. ... What is a Natural Born Citizen? ... Ҥ 212. Citizens and natives. The citizens are the members of the civil society; bound to this society by certain duties, and subject to its authority, they equally participate in its advantages. The natives, or natural-born citizens, are those born in the country, of parents who are citizens. As the society cannot exist and perpetuate itself otherwise than by the children of the citizens, those children naturally follow the condition of their fathers, and succeed to all their rights. The...

0 Rock, a three-for-three Emmy winner as TV's finest comedy, finally returns tonight. It's puzzling that I get scores of questions about the most obscure TV series, some canceled years, ago, but I have not received a single inquiry about where 30 Rock has been. Then again, given the mediocre ratings, this probably shouldn't be that great a surprise. A widespread observation is that the stories are too inside TV to strike a chord with the masses. How then do you explain the enduring popularity of the likes of Entertainment Tonight and Access Hollywood? Tina Fey has ticked off some...

Those morons at Jeff Zucker's company have stepped in it yet again. It's bad enough NBC can't get anyone to watch its piss-poor network primetime shows, but now NBC is making sure the American public can't watch other networks' shows as well. (This follows an earlier report that NBC doesn't want the Jay Leno Show to book rival networks' TV stars.) The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is known for annually including "cultural touchstones of the moment" in its broadcast, from every American Idol winner since the 2nd season (a Fox show) to the stars of High School Musical (a Disney...

“Lord, thank you for my enemies.” Thus began El Rushbo’s interview with NBC national correspondent Jamie Gangel. It is remarkable that, even when the media sit down with Limbaugh, they still find a way to be biased. To be fair, Gangel did not conduct the interview like Keith Olbermann might have. But there were a few points of interest which must be noted – and some even pointed out by Rush during the interview.

I’m going to say three words to you and I want you to think hard before responding: O’Reilly. Olbermann. Co-anchors. No, I kid. Given the chairman’s opinion of Kayo, the only thing he’d be anchoring is the 2 a.m. edition of SportsCenter if ESPN took him back. Which, let’s face it, they wouldn’t. Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp (NWSA.O) and John Malone’s Liberty Media Corp (LINTA.O) are interested in NBC Universal, according to a report by CNBC, citing sources. Cable company Comcast Corp (CMCSA.O) has been widely reported to be in talks with NBC Universal parent General Electric Co (GE.N) to...

There is lots of good stuff in here, but one comment he makes near the end really captures what drives the libs nuts about him. First, he knows the left has no sense of humor when it comes to politics. They literally cannot take a joke if it is about one of their guys. So when he says he switches from penetrating analysis to satire in an instant, the satire part is like waving shiny objects in front of liberals' faces; they become so distracted by the satire that they never bother to analyze his underlying argument. And it is...

Since federal case law pertaining to the writ of quo warranto is so scarce, research on the issue is rather simple. This is why I am shocked and confused as to why the DOJ did not cite the case UNITED STATES of America ex rel. STATE OF WISCONSIN v. FIRST FEDERAL SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATION. I recenly explained the strict holding in the case – that no US District Court other than the DC District Court may entertain a quo warranto proceeding. *snip* Get ready, you are going to be hearing much more about the writ of quo warranto in...

He won the Nobel because he's not George Bush He's not been George Bush for 9 months He also won the $70M Power Ball .. 1st ticket he ever bought. Important decision to make .. does he take a lump sum or annuity .. meeting with his financial team. Kinda lame .. so far

Donofrio: My input is that I do not have any faith in you - Mr. John Charlton - or your publication the Post and Email. I suspect your blog's motivation for existing is directly opposite to the intention of my blog. (snip) As of today, October 9, 2009 you are permanently banned from commenting at this blog. (snip) No future links to your blog will be posted here. All prior links will remain although this statement will be added as an update. I will not attempt to revise history and erase my prior - very mistaken - support of your...

It's the end of the road for drama "Southland," which has been canceled before the launch of its sophomore season. Production on the John Wells-produced cop series is being shut down after six episodes. "Southland," from Warner Bros. TV, was originally slated to debut in its new Friday 9 p.m. time slot during premiere week, but in August, NBC opted to push the start to Oct. 23 and air "Dateline NBC" in the meantime. "Dateline NBC" will now continue to run in the Friday 9 p.m. hour. It is not clear when the six produced new episodes of "Southland" will...

Get a hit drama in here, stat! Just a couple weeks into the fall television season, the prognosis is not looking good for NBC. To wit:

Companies donate to political campaigns in order to gain some leverage over policy making processes. This fun interactive graphic (via) allows you to see which companies donate primarily to Republican and Democratic campaigns, and which straddle the political fence. These are the companies with the largest total contribution:

A deal to merge General Electric Co.'s NBC Universal into a new joint venture with Comcast Corp.'s cable networks might solve pressing needs for both companies. But a number of financial and legal issues still hang over the talks, which are still at an early stage. While both sides hope to complete a deal, people familiar with the matter give the transaction "50-50" odds of coming together. In the deal under discussion, Comcast would contribute cash and its cable networks to NBC Universal for a 51% stake in the expanded company. NBC Universal would borrow money that would be turned...

Do you need Obama coverage 24 hours a day? In several markets, Comcast cable is launching an all-Obama, On Demand channel. (In D.C., it's channel 963). Leading up to Inauguration, the channel will offer a number of Obama-related programs, according to a release: "Barack Obama’s most famous speeches to date, from his keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in 2004 through his election night victory speech in Grant Park; Barack Obama biography; Michelle Obama’s 2008 Democratic National Convention speech; a tour of the White House; and the history of Air Force One." Dish Network launched an all-Obama channel during...

Stocks tumbled Thursday after a disappointing ISM report on manufacturing piled on to worries about the economic recovery. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 203 points, or 2.1 percent — it's worst decline since July 2, which was before the summer rally began. The S&P 500 fell 2.6 percent and the Nasdaq dropped 3.1 percent.The Institute for Supply Management reported its gauge of manufacturing activity fell to 52.6 in September from 52.9 in August, short of expectations. "This was a good report even if the 'what have you done for me lately' crowd tries to trash it," Joel Naroff of...

Comcast Corp., the largest U.S. cable network, is in talks with General Electric Co. to buy a stake in NBC Universal Inc., Bloomberg News reports based on three people with knowledge of the discussions. Negotiations for the Philadelphia-based cable giant to buy about 50 percent of NBC Universal have been under way for at least two months and a deal would depend in part on Vivendi SA making a decision to sell its 20 percent holding, said one of the people, who declined to be identified because the talks are private, the news service said. Comcast, with about 24 million...

Snip ---- NBC-Universal has been believed to be in play for months, although GE has publicly denied any intention of selling the unit. In recent weeks, minority stakeholder Vivendi has been apparently preparing to exercise its right to sell 20 percent of the entertainment company in an IPO. Comcast has been among those rumored to be interested in buying that equity. --- snip Comcast’s market cap is $48.44 billion. NBC-Universal has fallen in value to an estimated $35 billion in value, from about $55 billion a year ago.