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NBC Universal was approved by the Federal Communications Commission and the Justice Department on Tuesday, smoothing the way for the deal to close by the end of January. As expected, the approvals came with significant conditions attached. The combination of Comcast’s cable systems and NBC Universal’s channels will create a media powerhouse, and it will represent the first time that a cable company will control a major broadcast network. “This is a proud and exciting day for Comcast,” Brian L. Roberts, the Comcast chief executive, said in a statement that thanked the government agencies for their hard work. The approval...

Comcast, a giant media conglomerate, is currently in the process of purchasing NBC Universal. Comcast is the nation's largest cable service provider, serving 39 states and the District of Columbia. When negotiations are completed, Comcast will have controlling interest of the NBC network, its News Division and NBC Universal's cable networks--which include MSNBC and CNBC. The deal's price tag is an estimated $30 billion. Besides the business aspects regarding Comcast's acquisition of NBC Universal, which I won't go into here, some speculate Comcast's controlling interests of NBC Universal may lead to a huge shake-up in the management of its news...

NBC Universal Commissary at 30 rock had this menu under the title "NBC in honor of Black History Month" Photo..More at Newsbusters

Another consideration here is the fact that NBC's owner, General Electric, and buyer Comcast are among the Obama administration's most reliable corporate allies. Not coincidentally, Comcast announced its support for Obamacare on the same day the NBC deal was announced, with Chief Executive Officer Brian Roberts commending Obama for "your dedication to health care reform and for the remarkable progress that has been achieved in this area under your leadership."

SciFi Channel will soon have a new name. It has been rumored for a couple years that NBC Universal was looking to rebrand its property, but now it seems they have a name that works perfectly for it: Syfy. Monday, NBCU is expected to announce the new name that will help the conglomerate have a brand name it can own (unlike "SciFi," which is considered too common of a term). The new name will begin usage July 7, according to The New York Times, and will include a change of its Web site from scifi.com to syfy.com. "We couldn't own...

As you pretty much have to know by now due to the fact that they won't shut up about it, NBC Universal's "Green Is Universal" campaign is winding down today. Begining next week, we'll no longer be hearing the media giant's numerous television properties spreading feel-good environmentalism to viewers and promoting allegedly earth-friendly policies (ethanol, anyone?). I, for one, couldn't be more happy, not just because we'll finally be spared the painful inanity that such reports often entail but also because of the numerous acts of unethical journalism we'll no longer have to witness.We often hear lefties rage against Rupert...

From eco-friendly pop-ups and “Eureka moments” to a twist on USA Network’s tagline, the cable networks of NBC Universal will fly their appropriately colored flags during the company’s “Green Is Universal” initiative next month. Bravo, Sci Fi Channel, USA and Universal HD are all stepping up to the environmental plate with programming and public affairs campaigns during NBCU’s green push from Nov. 4-10. Through its worldwide programming, specials and consumer-focused events, the week will focus NBC Universal's resources and efforts toward educating viewers, Web and wireless users, and the company's employees on ecological issues and the impact on the environment....

Excerpts - NBC Universal is slashing its news budget and abandoning high-cost dramas in the 8 p.m. hour, paring expenses in traditional television as viewers and advertisers flock to new kinds of media. ~ snip ~ Operations for the cable-news channel MSNBC in Secaucus, N.J., will be shuttered and moved to Rockefeller Center in Manhattan and another facility in New Jersey. ~ snip ~

NBC Universal says it's taking over operations of the MSNBC cable channel from Microsoft, with an option to buy out Microsoft's remaining shares in two years. Ten years ago, it seemed an odd marriage: software titan Microsoft—only beginning to hear serious antitrust rumbling—getting into the cable news business with General Electric's NBC to form MSBC, a 24-hour cable news network intended to rival Rupert Murdoch's Fox News Ted Turner's CNN. Oh, but how the world changes: Ted Turner sold to Time Warner, Time Warner merged with AOL, the U.S. divided into red and blue and Fox veered towards crimson,...

NBC Universal is in talks to buy out Microsoft Corp.'s stake in MSNBC, the struggling news cable channel, according to a news report today. The New York Post, quoting unnamed sources, reported that the two companies are in advanced talks to close a deal that would put NBC Universal in full control of MSNBC, while Microsoft would still have access to some of NBC's content for online use. A spokesman for NBC Universal, a unit of General Electric Co., declined to comment, as did a spokesman for Microsoft. Microsoft and NBC founded MSNBC and its companion online news site...

PARIS (Reuters) - French media firm Vivendi Universal and U.S. conglomerate General Electric said on Wednesday they had signed a final deal to combine GE's NBC television unit with Vivendi's Universal Studios and cable channels, creating a $43 billion entertainment powerhouse. Under a deal whose broad outlines were unveiled last month, shareholders in Vivendi Universal Entertainment will receive $3.8 billion in cash, with $3.3 billion of that going directly to Vivendi Universal. As part of the agreement, GE intends to issue common stock at or before the closing to fund the cash portion of the deal. NBC Universal will...