• Los Angeles Times, et al, Wednesday, April 28, 2010 12:09 AM

Many labor unions are against the Comcast-NBC merger, but former FCC chair Kevin Martin? Since leaving the FCC and joining the powerhouse Washington law firm Patton Boggs, Martin has made battling the Comcast- NBC deal a full-time job, notes the LA Times. His clients include Bloomberg, as well as the communications workers union, or CWA, and the African American-owned media advocacy group, or NCAAOM. None are enamored of the possible merger.

While Martin adopted a deregulatory stance toward much of the media industry when he was at the FCC, he was known for a hard line when it came to cable, advocating new regulations for the industry.

The National Association of Hispanic Journalistsalso opposes the proposed merger, claiming this massive media consolidation will lead to fewer journalism jobs, less coverage of the Latino community, less diversity of voices, and excessive control for one company over the country's media.

Plus, at least five states are involved in the U.S. antitrust review of cable operator Comcast Corp.'s plan to acquire NBC Universal. Florida has started its own query Attorneys general in five states -- New York, California, Florida, Oregon and Washington -- have joined phone interviews led by U.S. Justice Department officials, said one person who participated and sought anonymity because the call was private, reported Bloomberg Businessweek.

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