LIZ: A NEW DRAM ON UNFOLDING AT
THIS HOUR INVOLVING COMCAST NBC
UNIVERSAL.
THE AMERICAN CABLE ASSOCIATION
IS TAKING AIM AT IT.
YES, THE AMERICAN CABLE
ASSOCIATION, AND MAY SEEK TO
ENLIST A VERY BIG GUN IN THIS
BURGEONING BROADCAST BATTLE.
CHARLIE GASPARINO JOINING US NOW
WITH THE EXCLUSIVE DETAILS.
>> I'M GETTING A LOT OF COMMENTS
ON MY GLASSES.
LIZ: TURN ON THE LASER BEAMS.
>> PEOPLE DON'T LIKE THEM.
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?
LIZ: I LOVE THEM.
I NEED THEM.
>> I GOT A LITTLE COLD HERE.
THAT'S WHY I WAS OFF YESTERDAY.
LIZ: THANKS FOR TELLING US THAT.
NOW WE ALL FEEL SYMPATHETIC.
>> THE ACA IS A LOBBYING GROUP
REPRESENTING MIDSIZE CABLE
COMPANIES.
YOU THINK THE COMCAST/NBC
PURCHASE WAS OVER WHEN THE DEAL
RAN OUT WITH THE JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT A FEW MONTHS AGO,
IT'S NOT.
THEY'RE STILL UNDER SCRUTINY.
THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT IS
WAITING, MONITORING WHETHER
COMCAST EVER VIOLATES ANTITRUST
RULES BY USING ITS CONTENT FROM
NBC TO SCREW OVER RIVAL
DISTRIBUTORS.
NOW, WHAT'S GOING ON IS THAT THE
ACA, THIS LOBBY GROUP,
REPRESENTING RIVAL DISTRIBUTORS,
MIDSIZED ONES, IS WE UNDERSTAND
THEY ARE MULLING A LETTER TO THE
HEAD OF THE ANTITRUST DIVISION
SAYING OPEN UP AN INVESTIGATION
NOW.
THEY ARE USING THEIR POTENTIAL
AS A MASSIVE COMPANY, A MASSIVE
DISTRIBUTOR, A MONOPOLY, MAYBE,
TO SQUEEZE THE SMALLER RIVAL
CABLE DISTRIBUTORS BY KEEPING OR
THREATENING TO KEEP THE NBCU
CONTENT AWAY FROM THESE RIVALS.
WHAT'S INTERESTING WHEN WE WERE
TALKING TO PEOPLE CLOSE TO THE
ACA, WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN COMCAST, NBCU DOING THAT
AND AT & T AND TIME WARNER?
WHY NOT WRITE A LETTER ABOUT AT
& T AND TIME WARNER?
THEY SAID NO, NO, IT'S NOT QUITE
THE SAME THING.
THE CONTENT OF NBC IS MUCH MORE
MUST-SEE TV THAN THE CONTENT OF
TIME WARNER.
YES, THEY HAVE CNN, THEY HAVE
HBO.
BUT GUESS WHAT NBC HAS?
THEY HAVE SPORTS, THEY HAVE
ENTERTAINMENT, THEY HAVE
"SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE."
IF YOU WANT TO EXERT PRICE
PRESSURE ON THE SMALLER RIVAL
CABLE DISTRIBUTORS, THEY CAN DO
IT AND THEY ARE DOING IT, AND WE
BELIEVE THEY ARE VIOLATING
ANTITRUST RULES.
NOW, WHY HAVEN'T THEY SENT THIS
OUT YET?
I THINK ONE REASON THEY HAVEN'T
SENT IT OUT IS WE HAVE THE
MIDTERMS COMING OUT TOMORROW.
THEY ARE JUST WAITING FOR A NEWS
CYCLE TO PASS.
THEY ARE DOTTING THE Is,
CROSSING THE Ts.
THEY MAY NOT SEND OUT THIS
LETTER.
FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, THEY ARE
MORE THAN HALFWAY THERE TO
PUTTING THIS OUT AND RAMPING UP
THE PRESSURE ON COMCAST FOR THE
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT TO ISSUE
WHAT'S KNOWN AS A CIVIL --
LIZ: I'M LOOKING AT THE STOCK.
IT'S DOWN THREE QUARTERS OF A
PERCENT.
ON AN UP DAY ON THE MARKET.
>> PARTIALLY ON THIS.
LIZ: YOU ARE BREAKING IT
EXCLUSIVELY BECAUSE I HAVEN'T
SEEN IT ON THE WIRE.
>> NO ONE ELSE HAS THIS.
THIS IS WHY THEY PAY ME THE
INSTALL BUCKS.
OKAY?
NO OFFENSE.
THE MARKET'S UP TODAY, THE STOCK
IS DOWN.
BUT I MEAN, SO LISTEN, YOU JUST
HAVE TO PUT THIS IN CONTEXT.
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT ALREADY HAS
COMCAST/NBCU IN ITS CROSSHAIRS.
THEY HATE THE VERTICAL MODEL OF
DISTRIBUTION AND CONTENT.
THAT'S WHY THEY ARE APPEALING AT
& T/TIME WARNER.
I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT IN A
SECOND.
THIS JUST RAMPS UP THE PRESSURE
ON THEM A LITTLE MORE TO START A
NEW INVESTIGATION INTO WHETHER
COMCAST IS VIOLATING ANTITRUST
RULES AND IT'S NOT A GOOD THING.
WE SHOULD POINT OUT ONE OTHER
THING ON AT & T/TIME WARNER.
THEY PICKED THE JUDGES TODAY FOR
THE APPEAL, RIGHT?
THEY ARE APPEALING THE DECISION
TO LET JUDGE LEONE'S DECISION TO
APPROVE THE DEAL, JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT IS AAPPEALING IT.
THEY GOT A THREE-JUDGE PANEL.
TWO OF THEM ARE DEMS.
THAT IS NOT GOOD NEWS FOR AT &
T.
NOW, THEY MAY BE FREE MARKET
DEMS BUT ONE WAS APPOINTED BY
CLINTON, ONE BY OBAMA.
GENERALLY THEY ARE MORE CONSUMER
ORIENTED AND MAY JUST SIDE WITH
THE GOVERNMENT AND UPEND THAT
DEAL.
I'M SAYING THAT IS SOMETHING TO
WATCH.
LIZ: IRONICALLY, THE GOVERNMENT
IS PROPELLED BY DONALD TRUMP,
WHO DOESN'T LIKE -- IT'S LIKE A
BIG MIX BETWEEN DEMS,
REPUBLICANS --
>> STRANGE BEDFELLOWS.
IF THERE'S ONE THING LIBERALS
AGREE WITH TRUMP ON, IT'S ON
THIS NOTION OF ANTITRUST.
LIZ: ONE LINE ON GENERAL
ELECTRIC.
YOU HAD A GREAT STORY ON FRIDAY.
GENERAL ELECTRIC RIGHT NOW IS
STILL AT $9 AND CHANGE.
47 CENTS.
>> ANOTHER ANALYST CAME OUT AND
SAID, WHAT, SEVEN DOLLARS?
LIZ: FIVE DOLLAR STOCK.
EVEN THOUGH HE HAS A $10 CALL ON
IT.
>> I THINK YOU HAVE TO ASK
YOURSELF IF YOU ARE AN INVESTOR,
IF THEY BREAK THIS THING UP,
LET'S JUST SAY LARRY GOES IN
THERE, SELLS SEPARATE COMPANIES
OUT, THREE SEPARATE COMPANIES,
MADE THREE SEPARATE ENTITIES, IS
IT WORTH JUST $9 A SHARE?
THOSE ARE GOOD BUSINESSES.
IT'S GOT TO BE WORTH LIKE $15,
RIGHT?
LIZ: THOSE GLASSES PROBABLY COST
MORE THAN A SHARE OF GE.