Comcast/NBCUniversal

Comcast Corporation is the most brazen example of the FCC revolving door in American telecommunications. In 2011, FCC Commissioner Meredith Attwell Baker voted to approve Comcast's $30 billion acquisition of NBCUniversal — one of the most consequential media mergers in history — and just four months later resigned from the FCC to become a senior vice president at Comcast/NBCUniversal. The move was so transparently transactional that it became a case study in regulatory ethics courses. Baker went from regulator to regulated with breathtaking speed, raising the obvious question: was her vote on the merger influenced by the career opportunity that awaited her? Comcast's lobbying chief, David Cohen, had his own revolving door moment. After spending decades as Comcast's top lobbyist — overseeing the company's $200 million+ career lobbying spend and building one of the most extensive political networks in corporate America — Cohen was nominated by President Biden to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Canada. The appointment was seen as recognition of Cohen's prolific Democratic fundraising, which had made him one of the most important bundlers in the party. With $14 million in 2024 lobbying, 50 lobbyists, and $200 million+ in career lobbying spend, Comcast has been one of the top lobbying spenders across all industries for over two decades. The company's priorities span net neutrality (which it opposes), media consolidation (which it supports), broadband subsidies (which it collects), and content regulation (which it fights). Comcast's dual role as both an internet service provider and a content company (through NBCUniversal) creates inherent conflicts that the company resolves in its favor through lobbying. The company's 30 revolving door connections span the FCC, Congress, and state regulatory agencies. Former FCC officials populate Comcast's government affairs team, bringing institutional knowledge of how the commission operates and personal relationships with sitting commissioners. This revolving door is self-reinforcing: Comcast hires former regulators who help the company navigate regulation, and the expectation of future Comcast employment creates incentives for current regulators to be favorable. Comcast holds approximately $500 million in government contracts for federal broadband services and government cable/internet provision. More significantly, the company has received billions in public broadband subsidies — including from the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program — to expand internet access in underserved areas. Critics argue that Comcast takes subsidy money to build networks in areas where it should have already invested, effectively getting paid twice for providing basic connectivity. Comcast consistently ranks as one of the worst-rated companies in America for customer satisfaction, yet faces limited competitive pressure in most markets because cable/broadband is effectively a local monopoly. This lack of competition is itself a product of Comcast's lobbying: the company has fought municipal broadband initiatives, opposed regulations that would increase competition, and used franchise agreements to maintain local market dominance.