OVERNIGHT TECH: FCC unveils February open meeting agenda

“The FCC’s action today is a tremendous disappointment. The commission
is supposed to protect the public interest, not corporate interests. But
what we see today is an effort by the FCC to appease the very companies
it’s charged with regulating,” Franken said.

“In approving this merger, these agencies ignored their mandates to protect the public interest and preserve competition and, instead, caved to an all-out lobbying campaign by Comcast and its political allies,” Sanders said.

“Needless to say, I am deeply disappointed in this decision. At a time when a small number of giant media corporations already control what the American people see, hear, and read, we do not need another conglomerate with more control over the production and distribution of news and other programming.”

It fell to Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet chairman John Kerry (D-Mass.) to back in the FCC in a more measured statement.

“The newly merged firm also will not be able to favor its own content over its broadband pipes or deny content to subscribers of competing broadband service providers,” Kerry said. “These conditions are essential to our goal to protect consumers and allow more consumers to participate in the digital economy.”

Can’t-miss news.

Apple beats forecasts, profits up 78% on brisk holiday sales http://bit.ly/dHhMYc

There will be eleven Democrats on the telecom subcommittee http://bit.ly/fRuFvk

A number of firms including Nike & NBC get behind the Obama administration’s crackdown on rogue websites http://bit.ly/frK6Gb

Feds arrested two men Tuesday for allegedly distributing the e-mail addresses of 114,000 iPad 3G owners http://nyti.ms/elcCMg

IBM blows past forecasts as well thanks to more services contracts http://reut.rs/fnDtMO

Good Question.

“With net neutrality order done, Comcast NBC U approved, what’s a tech policy reporter to look forward to?”

– Washington Post technology reporter Cecilia Kang in a Tuesday evening tweet. Don’t worry, we’ll come up with something.