People Were Actually Paid to Stand in Line for an FCC hearing? Is this a Joke?

Implications: OMG – Oh My Gosh.  I am waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Analysis: This is just too funny to pass up.  Someone actually paid good money to stand in line for a government hearing.  Haven’t they heard of C-Span?

Okay, I am having fun.

But seriously, didn’t anyone at Comcast tell the people standing on line to not talk to reporters or anyone else?  Couldn’t Comcast order their employees to go stand on line for their key supporters and lobbyists?  What was Comcast thinking?

Then again this could be Comcast’s lobbying effort.  Rather than pay a bunch of high priced lobbyists pay an average Joe a small fee.  Consider this; Comcast is actually contributing to the effort to reduce unemployment by paying real people and not lobbyists.  Comcast is entitled to lobby on its own behalf.  Bully for Comcast to want to put a little green in some deserving soul’s pocket.  Hey the fewer the lobbyists the better the nation.

Okay I am having fun again.  However, I am being a little serious.  If Comcast had hired 3 dozen lobbyists and lawyers would that have somehow legitimized their actions?  Is what they did so bad”  Is this just a different way of filling a seat?  Rather than pay an army of lawyers and lobbyists Comcast actually gave money to real people.  Not everyone can work at the local hamburger joint.  Sorry about the kidding.  I know this is a serious matter because actions like this undermine the kind of free access the general public has to public hearings.

I also understand Comcast’s explanation.  It is a little weak and the fact that Sena Fitzmaurice, Comcast’s senior director of corporate communications and government affairs, would not directly acknowledge paying anyone to stand in line, did not help he public perception.  However to Comcast’s credit the company did say it had sent employees to get seats at the hearing hours before it began.  So this begs another question why did Comcast feel a need to pay people to stand on line?

This does not look good for Comcast.  Frankly, this is just another strike against Brian Roberts who already has problems with his shareholders.

My advice to Comcast: Spend your money on fixing the company.  Because this stunt just set you back with the FCC and the politicos in Washington, DC.  Comcast needs to take the high road for now.  Unfortunately, taking the high road won’t guarantee a win.  However, being accused of dirty trick isn’t going to help matters either.

It’s time to start paying attention to the finer details of Comcast’s business.

It almost appears as if the company is unraveling at the seams.