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Comcast to buy NBC Universal?


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Rumor has it that Comcast has been in talks to purchase NBC Universal from G.E. and some websites are reporting that a deal is in place.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/30/comcast-in-talks-to-buy-n_n_305688.html

Take it for what it's worth, but if this is true then hopefully they'll can Zucker and Immelt and turn things around.

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Aside from NBC itself, a deal like this would be of huge, long-term benefit to the Versus network (owned by Comcast). Having the resources of NBC Sports backing Versus could finally put a cable station in serious competition with ESPN--they would have an opportunity to become a partner in NBC's coverage of the 2012 Summer Olympics (potentially NBC's last), as well as cross-promote their NHL coverage with NBC as well as the NHL Network (which Comcast owns as a joint venture with the league).

  • 1 month later...

Well, after thinking that this deal was as good as dead, the Wall Street Journal comes along and stirs the pot up once again.

 

GE, Comcast Reach Agreement on Valuing NBC Universal

 

BY SAM SCHECHNER AND JEFFREY MCCRACKEN

 

General Electric Co. and Comcast Corp. have settled on how to value NBC Universal now and in the future, clearing a key obstacle to giving Comcast control of GE's television and movie company, according to people familiar with the matter.

 

After weeks of wrestling, both sides have agreed to value NBC Universal in the neighborhood of $30 billion, people close to the talks said. The agreement includes a mechanism that could reduce the cash Comcast would have to kick in when the deal closes, two of those people said.

 

Of course, the rest of the article is available only to WSJ subscribers, but I suspect we'll be seeing more about this emerging in the morning. I'm so sick and tired of seeing NBC Universal be ran straight into the ground at the hands of GE, so please, oh regulatory gods at the FTC, let this happen.

Couldn't they own the network but sell the O&O stations?

That's like saying Viacom (when they still had CBS) or Walt Disney (ABC) should divest their O&O stations. But then again, Disney never owned a cable company (although Comcast wanted to buy Disney years earlier).

That's like saying Viacom (when they still had CBS) or Walt Disney (ABC) should divest their O&O stations. But then again, Disney never owned a cable company (although Comcast wanted to buy Disney years earlier).

 

So you're saying NBC should always have O&O stations no matter who owns the network?

So you're saying NBC should always have O&O stations no matter who owns the network?

I thought that had always been the norm for over-the-air broadcast networks regardless of the owner. Just saying.

 

Prepare to cringe on this one:

http://www.reuters.com/article/euMergersNews/idUSN1051243320091110

 

Seriously. Why, Comcast, would you keep the guy who practically killed the network you're trying to buy at the helm?

Honestly, after NBC Universal dumped all its Sunbelt and Columbus, OH O&Os in growing markets with the exception of KXAS & WTVJ, I stopped caring. As I've said weeks ago, Raleigh/Durham (WNCN) is now ranked higher than 2 of the markets where they still have O&Os, so they lets you know how stupid they are over there. NBCU is ran by a bunch of lost idiots that doesn't know growth potential if it was slammed acrossed their heads. So if the remaining NBC O&Os gets spun off to anybody, all I have to say is good luck to them surviving the storm.

 

Zucker should have been canned years ago, but stupidity and nepotism rules over at NBCU. Hence why NBC is dead last amongst major networks (and now the CW doesn't count since it's not a major).

  • 3 weeks later...
I don't mean to bring this up, but I wonder what the sale will mean for the networks headquarters at 30 Rock. Perhaps the picture that I edited will speak for itself.

:p

 

I don't think we should expect any changes over at 30 Rock (since GE would still own 49% of the network), unless Comcast decides to move some of NBCU's operations to Philadelphia.

NY Times' Brian Stelter reports that getting rid of the NBC name isn't out of the question:

 

http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/03/comcast-could-drop-the-nbc-name/

 

Really?? I think there's too much history there.

 

Unless they mean the overall name like "NBC Universal" and not the name of the network...

NY Times' Brian Stelter reports that getting rid of the NBC name isn't out of the question:

 

http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/03/comcast-could-drop-the-nbc-name/

 

Really?? I think there's too much history there.

 

Unless they mean the overall name like "NBC Universal" and not the name of the network...

 

THAT would be insane!

  • 2 weeks later...

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