Comcast to take over NBC?

[Poiuyt]

GE, Vivendi reach deal on NBC, sources say
20% stake valued at $5.8 billion, clearing way for Comcast takeover

General Electric has reached a tentative agreement to buy out partner Vivendi SA's 20 percent stake in NBC Universal for $5.8 billion, sources familiar with the matter said Monday.

The deal, which clears the way for cable giant Comcast to take a controlling stake in the television and entertainment company, comes after GE CEO Jeffrey Immelt held face-to-face talks with his Vivendi counterpart Jean-Bernard Levy last week, The Wall Street Journal reported.

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By acquiring the 20 percent stake owned by Vivendi, GE would open the door to spin off NBCU as a separate company that would be controlled by cable giant Comcast. The two companies previously had agreed on a $30 billion valuation for the new company, in which Comcast would own a 51 percent stake.

more -

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34213141/ns/business-media_biz/

[donheld]

1. It will be a very sad day for America if this goes through

[Sebastian Doyle]

2. No more media consolidation, goddamn it!

Especially not THIS one. This will kill the only three hours of suitable news coverage that exists anywhere on US television.

[piratefish08]

3. I bet there are billions of dollars that say our opinions just don't fucking matter

Welcome to CorpUSA.

[RKP5637]

8. True, only money counts in this place I now call USA, Inc. It's pathetic. The majority

of the citizens are just weeds in the way of the corporate goals of domination, greed and servitude yielding profits at any cost.. The new Caste system for USA, Inc. is coming along quite well. Our opinions are worthless.

[hyphenate]

4. I've gotten to the point

where I'm deliriously happy I'm not with the studio anymore--the mid 90s became sort of a "if it's Tuesday, it must be Seagrams" way of life. I don't think there are too many studios around anymore that don't have that corporate raider mentality, sad though that might be.

[FrenchieCat]

5. I have not kept up on this? Why is Comcast worse than General Electric?

What's the difference? Seems like now, MSNBC doesn't carried many places. Couldn't this add viewers to the one channel that is almost kind of decent on cable?

[marlakay]

6. The difference is Comcast has made it very hard

for a lot of their viewers to watch MSNBC and they sure look like they hate left wing news.

[FrenchieCat]

9. Could it be that since they own it, it will be easier.....

or perhaps you are right, they'll try to kill it.

However, I was never much impressed with General Electric, 5 largest defense Contractor owning an entire network....but that's just me.

[SandWalker1984]

7. Comcast hates Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow

In my local market, Comcast has put MSNBC on a 3rd tier premium payment level but kept CNN and FOX on the 2nd tier plan that most people purchase.

This was NOT by accident.

If Comcast takes over, look for the network to move right of FOX.

:puke:

[SandWalker1984]

10. Check out the Comcast Board -- recognize some names???

INSIDERS ON BOARD OF DIRECTORS AT COMCAST CORP-CL A (CMCSA)

http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/people/board.asp?ric=CMCSA.O

Name (Connections) Board Relationships Title Age

Brian Roberts 100 Relationships Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, President and Director of Comcast Holdings Corporation 49

Ralph Roberts 36 Relationships Founder and Chairman Emeritus 89

David Cohen 72 Relationships Executive Vice President, Executive Vice President of Comcast Cable, Executive Vice President of Comcast Holdings and Director of Comcast Holding 54

Art Block Esq. 19 Relationships Chief Legal Officer, Senior Vice President, Secretary, General Counsel and Director of Comcast Holdings 53

Other Board Members on Board of Directors*
Name (Connections) Board Relationships Primary Company Age

Julian Brodsky 78 Relationships Comcast Interactive Capital 75

Edward Snider 18 Relationships Comcast Corporation --

Fred Shabel 17 Relationships Comcast Corporation --

S. Anstrom 46 Relationships Landmark Communications, Inc. 58

J. Cook 149 Relationships International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. 66

Judith Rodin Ph.D. 170 Relationships Rockefeller Foundation, The 64

Gerald Hassell 77 Relationships The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation 57

Sheldon Bonovitz 76 Relationships Duane Morris LLP 71

Kenneth Bacon 54 Relationships Fannie Mae 54

Michael Sovern 67 Relationships Shubert Foundation Inc., The 77

Joseph Collins 53 Relationships Comcast Corporation 64

Edward Breen 45 Relationships Tyco International Ltd. 52

Jeffrey Honickman 16 Relationships Comcast Corporation 52

*Data is at least as current as the most recent Definitive Proxy.

[TheWebHead]

11. NBCU controlled by GE is better?

I don't really have a problem with the highly leveraged GE selling off NBC Universal to raise much needed capital. Anything we can do about a too big to fail company to be on a more fiscally sound footing the better. We either complain about GE owning a media company and its news operations while being a leading provider to the military, or we moan about Comcast because a distributor is controlling too much content.