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Comcast says it hired seat-holders

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From the Associated Press

Comcast Corp. on Tuesday acknowledged hiring people to fill seats before the start of a contentious federal hearing on how the company manages its broadband network, allowing its employees to take those seats when the hearing started.

Many people were turned away before Monday’s Federal Communications Commission hearing at Harvard Law School, leading critics to accuse Comcast of stifling debate over the company’s practice of favoring some forms of Internet traffic over others.

Comcast said it hired people to hold seats only after consumer advocacy group Free Press urged backers to attend.

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“First, Comcast was caught blocking the Internet. Now it has been caught blocking the public from the debate,” said Timothy Karr, director of an advocacy campaign backed, in part, by Free Press.

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