Comcast faces fine in FCC probe

Comcast Corp. may face a fine after failing to answer questions in a probe of alleged overcharging, Federal Communications Chairman Kevin Martin said yesterday.

"They didn't even answer the questions directly," Martin said at a forum on telecommunications policy in Washington. "They had a narrative. But they didn't even answer the specifics of the questions directly."

The FCC is investigating whether Comcast, the nation's largest cable company with 24.4 million video customers, and 12 other providers are exploiting broadcast television's digital transition to overcharge subscribers.

The probe begun Oct. 30 is examining whether companies moved channels to a digital service, forcing consumers to pay more to see them or to accept fewer channels for the same price. So far, about 70 percent of the company's customers have upgraded to digital service.

Sena Fitzmaurice, a spokeswoman for Philadelphia-based Comcast, said she could not comment because the matter was before the FCC's enforcement bureau, which normally proceeds confidentially.

Comcast shares gained 23 cents to close at $15.42 in Nasdaq trading yesterday. The shares have declined 16 percent this year.