NBC Affiliate Suing Comcast for Allegedly Replacing It With Comcast-Owned Station
Comcast is violating federal and Massachusetts antitrust laws and the Massachusetts Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act as it tries to replace WHDH Boston as its NBC Boston affiliate with its own station, WHDH said in a lawsuit filed Thursday…
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in U.S. District Court in Boston. WHDH alleged that after Comcast bought NBCUniversal, the broadcaster approached the company repeatedly about renewal of its affiliation but was continually put off by Comcast until January, when Comcast said it would build its own Boston affiliate using its New England Cable News network as the base. "This was an unprecedented step, as no major national broadcaster has ever terminated its relationship with a successful independent affiliate in a major market to build its own local affiliate from scratch," WHDH said, saying a Comcast executive later acknowledged the affiliate move was aimed at solidifying its dominant position in the Boston cable market. The broadcaster also said Comcast unsuccessfully sought to buy its broadcast assets "at a fire-sale price in order meet its obligations to continue providing free, over-the-air access," and Comcast began broadcasting using WNEU Merrimack, New Hampshire, which it owns. Comcast also violated the terms of an agreement signed with NBC affiliates to get their support of its buy of NBCU, with that affiliate agreement committing Comcast to negotiating affiliate agreements solely on the broadcast interests of NBC, not its cable interests, WHDH said. It asked for an injunction preserving the status quo and that Comcast pay unspecified damages. In a statement, Comcast said, "NBC has had a long, mutually successful relationship with (WHDH owner) Sunbeam, which is expiring under the agreed-upon terms of WHDH’s affiliation contract at the end of the year. We are disappointed that Sunbeam has chosen to file this meritless lawsuit, and that it has chosen to do so by constructing baseless claims against our parent company. Rest assured that we will continue to deliver Boston-area viewers the best local news, weather and information along with the NBC news, sports and entertainment programming they already enjoy."