House Judiciary Committee to Hold Comcast-Time Warner Cable Merger Hearing on Thursday

(WASHINGTON) – As announced last month, the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial and Antitrust Law will hold an oversight hearing on the proposed Comcast-Time Warner Cable merger at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, May 8^th. The hearing is titled “Competition in the Video and Broadband Markets: the Proposed Merger of Comcast and Time Warner Cable,” and will examine the potential competitive impacts in the video and broadband markets resulting from the proposed Comcast-Time Warner Cable merger.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), Regulatory Reform, Commercial and Antitrust Law Subcommittee Chairman Spencer Bachus (R-Ala.), Ranking Member John Conyers (D-Mich.), and Subcommittee Ranking Member Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) issued the following joint statement on the hearing:

“The House Judiciary Committee has a long history of conducting vigorous oversight of antitrust enforcement agencies, application of our nation’s antitrust laws, and competition. The Committee will continue that history on Thursday by conducting a detailed examination of the proposed merger between the nation’s two largest cable companies.

“We look forward to an even-handed and robust discussion on the proposed Comcast-Time Warner Cable merger from our distinguished witnesses on Thursday. The hearing will provide an opportunity for Members to ask questions about the proposed merger and a public forum to explore effects on competition in the video and broadband markets that may impact consumers.”

Witnesses for the hearing include:

·         David L. Cohen, Executive Vice President, Comcast Corporation;

·         Robert D. Marcus, Chairman and CEO, Time Warner Cable;

·         Matthew M. Polka, President and CEO, American Cable Association;

·         C. Scott Hemphill, Professor of Law, Columbia Law School;

·         Allen P. Grunes, Esq, Geyer Gorey LLP;

·         Patrick Gottsch, Founder and Chairman, Rural Media Group;

·         Dave Schaeffer, Founder and CEO, Cogent Communications; and

·         Craig Labovitz, Ph.D., Cofounder, CEO and President, DeepField Networks, Inc.

Background: On February 13, 2014, Comcast Corporation announced their proposition to purchase Time Warner Cable for $45.2 billion in stock, which would result in the merger between the nation’s two largest cable operators. The Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) are currently reviewing the proposed merger. In the review, the agencies will examine the current competitive landscape of video and broadband markets and determine whether the merger will increase, decrease or be neutral to competition in those markets. The FCC and the DOJ has the authority to reject the proposed merger, impose conditions on the approval of the merger, or grant approval of the merger as proposed by the parties.

The hearing will be held in 2141 Rayburn House Office Building. Please visit the Committee’s website for updated information on the hearing and for live streaming.

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