Despite the fact broadcasters could face steep charges to guarantee their online streamed content reaches viewers in good condition, the National Association of Broadcasters has decided to bow out of the Net Neutrality debate.

The NAB, the nation’s largest television industry trade association, will stay on the sidelines because they fear upsetting Comcast. If Comcast’s merger with Time Warner Cable is approved, Comcast will control 40 percent of the nation’s broadband subscribers and 30% of the country’s cable television viewers.

The trade group is also worried about offending their Republican allies in Congress, which have supported the television industry’s drive towards deregulation. The GOP almost uniformly opposes Net Neutrality.

“NAB has looked at this issue for a number of years and up to this point has decided to remain neutral,” NAB spokesman Dennis Wharton told TVNewsCheck.

That could leave Internet Service Providers free to impose surcharges and other fees on broadcasters to get a needed high quality connection if Net Neutrality is not enforced.

“Anybody who delivers content over the Internet ought to be concerned about the direction this is going,” says one broadcast industry source, who asked not to be identified.

“You could be in the fast lane or you could be in the slow lane, and you have pay to be in the fast lane,” said another broadcast industry executive. “It would be worthwhile [for the NAB board] to have a discussion about it.”

TVNewsCheck also learned that some broadcasters may end up canceling plans to deliver more of their content online without strong enforcement of Net Neutrality.

“Why would we [expand online video] if we’re just going to get throttled?” the broadcaster asks. “These proposed rules give us no incentive.”