Comcast is hoping that federal regulators are, like Comcast itself, in a giving mood.
To reinforce a $100-million blitzkrieg of 80-plus lobbyists and an untold numbers of PR spinmeisters, the cable giant is counting on its charitable ties to cherry-blossom festivals and small-town baseball leagues to help win consent for its proposed $30 billion merger with NBC Universal.
And in a bit of a role reversal, the company in some cases has gone hat-in-hand to solicit the support of its philanthropic beneficiaries.
During its almost year-long charm offensive to favorably sway regulators, Comcast has deployed its army of professional influencers to capture support of influential national organizations, ranging from the Chamber of Commerce and Urban League to the Boys and Girls Clubs, who marshalled their local and state branches.
Comcast also secured big-name endorsements by high profile public officials, including Govs. Arnold Schwarzenegger (California), David Paterson (New York) and Ed Rendell (Pennsylvania).
But as the merger-approval marathon heads into the final stretch, the heartfelt sentiments of homespun beneficiaries of Comcast’s philanthropy could prove to be crucial.
“Over the past few years, Comcast has generously donated services and sponsorship to our events,” Diana Mayhew, president of the Washington, D.C.-based Cherry Blossom Festival, wrote to the Federal Communications Commission in July. “I believe as Comcast teams up with NBC, it will continue to be a great partner for the Cherry Blossom Festival.”
Comcast, the largest cable operator, is striking a humble tone. In a statement, Sena Fitzmaurice, Comcast's vice president of government communications, told TheWrap: “We've been involved in our local communities for years, and we work every day with so many local organizations who have been more than glad to tell the FCC how they feel about us from first-hand experience. We're very grateful for all of their support.”
Cynics, of course, will say the outpouring of support merely demonstrate that corporate philanthropy comes with strings attached. As far as the FCC is concerned, close-knit and cordial relations with the local community is an essential quality to highlight by operators of local television, where Comcast-NBC’s footprint would be huge.
For Comcast, which has doled out $1.8 billion in cash and in-kind largess to non-profit organizations since 2001 (see chart below), it recipients indeed do represent a captive audience of warm-and-fuzzy feelings toward a generous corporate benefactor. And their many testimonials to the FCC -- which along with the Justice Department will make the final decision on the merger -- help paint a panoramic picture of how a sprawling cable giant insinuates itself into the fabric of local life beyond the home television set.
Yet all is fair in the love and warfare that has always surrounded mega-media deals. The supporters' message -- that the deal is right up there with mom, apple pie and the flag -- is a legitimate counterpoint to the view of powerful detractors that the Comcast-NBC Universal combination is, well, evil incarnate.
