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Comcast Stooges Pack FCC Hearing

Cable and ISP giant accused of hiring seatfillers to silence critics

By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff

Posted Feb 27, 2008 6:00 AM CST

(Newser) – The future direction of the Internet could be at stake in the FCC's decisions on net neutrality, but one of the ISPs concerned did its best to keep opponents out of a hearing on it, Portfolio.com reports. Advocacy group and fierce Comcast critic Free Press says the firm hired people off the street to fill seats at a Cambridge, Mass., hearing into the ISP's competition-stifling practices. Many of the seatfillers snoozed through the meeting.

Comcast said they only paid people to save places for their employees, but witnesses said the supposed placeholders filled a lot of the seats during the meeting. "The sad thing about this is that literally hundreds of people who were not paid to stand in line, or paid by their employer to attend, were prevented from even entering the building," said a Free Press spokesman.

David L. Cohen, executive vice-president of the Comcast Corporation testifies before the Federal Communication Commission during a hearing in the Ames Courtroom at the Harvard University Law School in... (Associated Press)

Federal Communication Commission chairman Kevin J. Martin, center, and commissioner Michael J. Copps, left, listen to testimony as commissioner Robert McDowell, right, takes notes during a hearing in... (Associated Press)

People reportedly paid by Comcast to fill seats at the FCC net neutrality hearing take the opportunity to have a snooze. (savetheinternet.com)

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Comcast Stooges Pack FCC Hearing

Cable and ISP giant accused of hiring seatfillers to silence critics

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Arizona Bill Would Restrict Teachers' Speech

Proposed legislation would punish those who violate FCC standards

Cops: Remote Shutdowns Would Curb Phone Thefts

They want FCC, carriers to put safeguard in place

Verizon Deal With Cable TV Could Be Game-Changer

... if regulators approve pact with Time-Warner, Comcast

FCC Moves to Block T-Mobile, AT&T Merger

Which means the government will have two cracks at stopping the deal

How Wireless Companies Rip You Off

...and what the FCC can do about it

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Comcast Stooges Pack FCC Hearing

Cable and ISP giant accused of hiring seatfillers to silence critics

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OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

Comcast • FCC • net neutrality • ISP

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

Arizona Bill Would Restrict Teachers' Speech

Proposed legislation would punish those who violate FCC standards

Cops: Remote Shutdowns Would Curb Phone Thefts

They want FCC, carriers to put safeguard in place

Verizon Deal With Cable TV Could Be Game-Changer

... if regulators approve pact with Time-Warner, Comcast

FCC Moves to Block T-Mobile, AT&T Merger

Which means the government will have two cracks at stopping the deal

How Wireless Companies Rip You Off

...and what the FCC can do about it

About Us

Site

Newser By Users

Community

Site Maps

Tools

More News

What is Newser?