On February 12, 2014, news broke that Comcast, already America’s biggest Internet service provider and video distributor, would attempt to buy Time Warner Cable for 45.2 billion dollars. The deal would impact everything from internet access and pricing to how media is delivered.

The following statement is from FMC Interim Executive Director Casey Rae:

“Musicians and other media-makers require affordable, high-quality internet service for everything from selling music and merchandise to booking tours to staying in touch with fans. Our livelihoods depend on being able to reach audiences in the ways that make the most sense for us. Comcast’s proposed takeover of Time Warner Cable would give one company incredible influence over how music and other media is accessed and under what conditions.

“We all know what it’s like to be annoyed at our Internet provider for bad service, even as we’re paying increasingly outrageous prices to connect. This is particularly hard on artists who need to make every dollar count. Then there’s the ever-present danger of a huge corporation like Comcast—which already owns a major content company—disadvantaging competition or locking creators into unfair economic structures.

“The future of music must not be stymied by caps on innovation, high consumer prices and a lack of competition. This merger is a bum note for musicians and other media-makers.”