Comcast Pushes Public out of Internet Debate

Cable and Internet giant Comcast Corporation, whose website says that it provides services that "connect people to what's important in their lives," admitted to having paid "seat warmers" to take up space at a February 25 Federal Communications Commission hearing. The hearing examined charges that Comcast has been blocking file-sharing traffic on its Internet service. Comcast reportedly hired about three dozen people to fill the seats after the company discovered that the media reform group Free Press had urged its members to attend. Comcast claims they paid the people to hold the seats for company employees, many of whom apparently failed to show up. The seat-fillers arrived from ninety minutes to several hours early. Many had no idea what the hearing was about, and some were even photographed sleeping at the hearing. Comcast wouldn't say how how much they paid the seat-fillers. Because of the paid attendees, other people who genuinely wanted to attend the hearing were turned away due to overcrowding.