THE ISSUE:

Comcast and Time Warner want to keep key details of their proposed merger secret.

THE STAKES:

The public has financial and business interests in this deal, too.

The case for the merger of Time Warner and Comcast seems to come down to this: "Trust us."

But as the state Public Service Commission reviews the $45 billion deal that would transform these two cable giants into a veritable monopoly in many areas — a proposal that ultimately needs Federal Communications Commission approval, too — it's clear that the public has a right to know considerably more than these firms want to tell.

And if the companies resist transparency, the PSC and the FCC should refuse to approve the deal.

These are private enterprises, of course, and they don't want to release details that competitors might want to know. But, really, each company dominates markets where they do business, so competitive threats must be seen as secondary to the public's need to know how a merger would play out.

For starters: How would this merger foster the expansion of broadband Internet to underserved areas? How much might customers be on the hook to pay for what comes next?

Time Warner, it's worth noting, has already received millions of taxpayer dollars in the push to expand broadband Internet service, which nowadays is as essential as the telephone was in the last century. High-speed broadband isn't just what you need to download movies quickly; it's an essential part of developing business. For many, it's also phone service.

In just the past two years, New York state has given Time Warner more than $10.5 million for broadband expansion. The grants served a valid public purpose, but they also amounted to subsidies that helped Time Warner grow its customer base by thousands of homes. Often the state paid the company to extend service on the "last mile" — the final connections to homes from main lines. The checks may go to Time Warner, but the thanks are owed to taxpayers.

Yet now the companies don't want to discuss expansion plans. Time Warner has sought to block public release of information on where and when it plans to extend rural broadband service, or how many potential customers would benefit.

That's basic public interest information for companies that want approval to create less competition in the market. Would less competition mean less expansion? Or perhaps more demand from the newly merged behemoth for public money? These are questions that cry out for detailed answers.

Comcast is also mum on the future of customer service centers, a sensitive issue for consumers who rank Time Warner's service at the bottom in many parts of the country.

So customers who already weren't thrilled with Time Warner's service — even as their tax dollars were making a substantial investment in the company — now hear they shouldn't worry, because this merger is a great thing.

Suspension of disbelief is fine in the movies, but in this very real-world matter, we prefer the more practical approach: Trust, but verify.