Did you guys know that Comcast was going to control GE's "entertainment unit" (NBC)?

[Nikki Stone1]

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aCIgmXK.S7OM

Oct. 10 (Bloomberg) -- Comcast Corp. is leaning toward keeping NBC Universal chief Jeffrey Zucker and his team if it gains control of the General Electric Co. entertainment unit, according to three people with knowledge of the situation.

GE and Comcast, the largest U.S. cable-television service, are in talks to form a company that would own New York-based NBC Universal, people with knowledge of the situation said Oct. 1. Comcast would hold more than 50 percent of the venture, which would include assets from both companies.

Zucker, 44, who succeeded Bob Wright as NBC’s president and chief executive officer in 2007, pared jobs and consolidated some operations to reduce costs as advertising sales declined. He expanded NBC’s holdings with purchases such as the Weather Channel by partnering with private-equity firms. NBC also owns the USA and Bravo cable channels, as well as broadcast operations and the Universal film studio.

Allison Gollust, an NBC spokeswoman, said in an e-mail yesterday that the company declined to comment, as did Comcast, according to John Demming, a spokesman for the cable provider.

Any transaction depends on whether France’s Vivendi SA, which currently owns 20 percent of NBC Universal, decides to divest its stake, the people said Oct. 1.

Vivendi, the Paris-based owner of Universal Music Group, obtained the stake with the sale of its media assets to GE in 2004. Every year between Nov. 15 and Dec. 10, Vivendi may notify GE of its intent to sell the shares in the market, which could lead to a public offering, according to Vivendi’s annual report. That option extends through 2016. GE can preempt an IPO by buying the holding.

[Ruby the Liberal]

1. One has to wonder if this will affect FiOS, Dish, etc...

If this will give them the power to pull their stations such as MSNBC & CNBC from those providers??

[sam sarrha]

2. i am clueless.. will they go Left, put KO on prime time or compete with Faux...

[Juche]

3. You'll pry my entertainment unit from my cold dead hand

[Nikki Stone1]

8. :)

:D

[bluestateguy]

4. Would this mean that MSNBC would be guaranteed to be in standard cable now?

In some markets you have to buy Premium cable to get MSNBC.

[Statistical]

5. Even worse.... NBC has controlling interest in Hulu.

NBC has controlling interest in Hulu....
Hulu directly competes with cable...
Comcast is a cable company....
If this happens Comcast will have control over a direct competitor....

dot -> dot -> dot.

Connected them yet?

Who wants to guess Comcast does something to destroy Hulu like make it a pay service, increase the amount of ads 10x, or make it only work for cable subscribers?

[gkhouston]

6. There's some part of NBC that's entertaining? nt

[Canuckistanian]

7. "Entertainment Unit" - It's like "Joy Division"

Neither joy nor entertainment can come out of an "entertainment unit"