Today the FCC voted to allow the merger between Comcast and NBC/Universal. The 4-1 vote allows Comcast to buy a controlling 51% of NBC/Universal from GE for $13.8 billion in cash and assets. The deal still requires DOJ approval, but that is expected later today.
The FCC is requiring Comcast to make NBC programming available to competitors including rival cable companies, satellite operators and new Internet video services that could pose a threat to Comcast's core cable business. Regulators want to ensure that emerging online video platforms being developed by companies such as Netflix Inc., Amazon.com Inc. and Apple Inc. can get the movies and shows they need to grow — and potentially offer a cheaper alternative to monthly cable subscriptions.
Taking over NBC will transform the company into a media powerhouse. NBC Universal owns the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks; 26 local TV stations; popular cable channels including CNBC, Bravo and Oxygen; the Universal Pictures movie studio and theme parks; and a roughly 30 percent stake in Hulu.com, which distributes NBC and other broadcast programming online.
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