FCC started Comcast probe-WSJ

NEW YORK Jan 20 (Reuters) - The Federal Communications Commission started an investigation into whether Comcast Corp (CMCSA.O) is deliberately degrading rival Internet phone services, the Wall Street Journal said on Tuesday.

The paper said former FCC Chairman Kevin Martin, a Republican appointee, launched the Comcast probe on Sunday because of concerns about whether the company is giving preferential treatment to its Internet phone service.

It is unclear whether the FCC will continue the investigation or any of the other initiatives Martin spearheaded in the last days in his post now that the commission is in Democratic hands, the Journal said.

Martin also levied about $500,000 in fines against several cable companies on Monday, the report said. The companies did not provide enough information in response to an agency's investigation into price gouging when they moved channels from analog to digital tiers.

Comcast could not be immediately reached for comment, but told the Journal it had fully complied with an FCC order on the matter. (Reporting by Michael Erman; Editing by Gary Hill)