Like most everyone without direct ties to Comcast, Consumers Union think the proposed marriage of the country's largest cable company and the multi-tentacled NBC-Universal media empire is a truly lousy deal for consumers.

Here's what CU and other public interest groups wrote in a joint letter to members of Congress recently:

"A combined Comcast/NBCU would control a major television network and film studio, the nation’s largest cable company and its largest residential broadband provider. The merged giant would have strong incentives to discriminate against other multi-channel video providers in granting access to its wealth of programming, including all of its broadcast stations and “must-have” national and regional networks that air live or same-day sporting events, as well as the market power to enforce anticompetitive "bundling."

"The proposed deal could make it even harder for diverse and independent voices to find an audience, as Comcast would have the incentive to prioritize NBC channels and programs over others. Control of NBCU programming also would give Comcast the opportunity to prioritize its own online video products over those of its competitors – or sharply reduce online video distribution altogether – pushing independent producers out of the picture."

Click here to read the entire letter.

Mark Cooper of the Consumer Federation of America is scheduled to testify on behalf on consumer groups, including Consumers Union. Click here to read his preparted testimony.

Comcast has offered some "concessions" it says should answer any concerns about the deal, but they do virtually nothing to actually protect consumers.

That means the job of protecting consumers in this unprecedented media merger will fall primarily on Congress, the White House, the Federal Communications Commission, the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission. Each entity with direct responsibility for approving the deal -- including Justice, the FCC and the FCC -- need to make it clear that the sort of window dressing "concessions" are so inadequate as to be insulting. Congress and the White House need to hammer away on the agencies involved directly to make sure that the deal is either rejected outright or not approved until the companies agree to extensive and enforceable consumer protection concessions.

Absent that, federal regulators should not even consider approving this anti-competitive, anti-consumer mega merger.

CU policy analyst Joel Kelsey recently put the situation into perspective very well.

"This merged giant is likely to result in higher cable and Internet rates for consumers, less free online video content and fewer choices for consumers," he says. "Congress should look at this merger with a very skeptical eye. Lawmakers need to stand up and be a voice for consumers.”

Mark Cooper, Director of Research for Consumer Federation of America, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts and NBC-Universal CEO Jeff Zuckerman will testify at both hearings. Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports magazine, joined Consumer Federation of America in submitting testimony.

In anticipation of the hearings, Consumers Union Policy Analyst, Joel Kelsey, made the following statement:

“This should be the first of many hearings on this media merger, which is colossal in its scope and size. If you allow a TV network that owns 26 television stations, 29 cable networks, and one of five major movie studios to merge with the nation’s largest cable company and residential broadband provider, there is great potential for significant consumer harm. This merged giant is likely to result in higher cable and Internet rates for consumers, less free online video content and fewer choices for consumers. Congress should look at this merger with a very skeptical eye. Lawmakers need to stand up and be a voice for consumers.”

NBC-Universal Fact sheet:

26 television stations, owned under the “NBC Universal” division.

Cable Channels: NBC Entertainment, NBC News, NBC Sports, NBC Television, NBC Universal, CNBC, CNBC World (Arabia, India, Asia, Europe), MSNBC, Bravo, Sci Fi Channel, Telemundo, USA, Oxygen, Weather Plus, Mun2, Sleuth, Chiller, Universal HD, A&E Networks (25%; includes A&E, the History Channel, History en español, the Biography Channel, Military History Channel, Crime & Investigation Network, A&E HD, the History Channel HD, History International), the Weather Channel (partial), Sci-Fi Channel HD.

Online Video: Currently, NBC owns 32 percent of online video distributor Hulu.

Production Studio: NBC Universal has 80 percent ownership of Universal Pictures, Focus Features and Rogue Pictures, as well as production agreements with other smaller production companies.

Comcast Fact Sheet:

Cable Provider: Comcast Corporation is the nation’s largest video provider and largest residential Internet service provider. According to Comcast, as of September 2009, the company has 23.8 million cable subscribers and 15.7 million high speed Internet subscribers. Comcast serves customers in 39 states and the District of Columbia.

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Contact: Kristina Edmunson, kedmunson@consumer.org or David Butler, dbutler@consumer.org, 202-462-6262

Consumers Union of United States, Inc., publisher of Consumer Reports®, is a nonprofit membership organization chartered in 1936 to provide consumers with information, education, and counsel about goods, services, health and personal finance. Consumers Union’s publications and services have a combined paid circulation of approximately 8.3 million. These publications regularly carry articles on Consumers Union’s own product testing; on health, product safety, and marketplace economics; and on legislative, judicial, and regulatory actions that affect consumer welfare. Consumers Union’s income is solely derived from the sale of Consumer Reports®, its other publications and services, fees, noncommercial contributions and grants. Consumers Union’s publications and services carry no outside advertising and receive no commercial support.