Franken clashes with Comcast, NBC CEOs over 'broken promises'

Tempers flared between two former colleagues during a Senate antitrust hearing examining the proposed merger between Comcast and NBC Universal .

Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.), who worked on NBC's Saturday Night Live show for many years, called out NBC CEO Jeff Zucker for breaking promises to air independent programming.

He also attacked Comcast CEO Brian Roberts for contradicting the cable giant's previous arguments relating program access rules.

"Mr. Zucker, we're friends," Franken said. "I've worked for a number of years with your wife Karen, who is lovely, at Saturday Night Live. I loved my time at NBC, I want you to know that."

But he said he remembered NBC's broken promises to air independent content.

When Zucker tried to defend the networks' actions and said NBC has ordered seven independent shows for next fall, Franken interrupted, "Come on."

Franken also confronted Roberts about his promise to make programming available to competitors.

Roberts has insisted that current FCC rules are sufficient to protect consumers.

Showing a giant poster with a quote from one of Comcast's filings with the FCC over a dispute with the NFL, Franken pointed out that Comcast used the argument that the FCC was not "equipped or constitutionally empowered" to assess program access, carriage and pricing decisions.

"You told me to my face that these rules would protect consumers," Franken said. "But your lawyers had just finished arguing in front of the commission that it would be unconstitutional to enforce those rules."

Roberts disputed the exact issue he and Franken were discussing in his Senate office a week ago. Roberts said he thought they were talking about program access, not program carriage.

But Franken cut him off.

"How are (the people of Minnesota) to trust you when you come in and say to my face something you know is not true, or that you don't know--I don't know which one is worse--how are the people of Minnesota supposed to trust you?"

Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Penn.) suggested setting up a lengthier discussion outside of the hearing room to clear up the misunderstanding.

Franken agreed to the meeting, but did not let up on his attack.

To Roberts, he said, "You confirmed you had gone after the very rules you say will protect consumers...It's very hard to trust you guys from my point of view."