Ha! It would be great to see Olbermann, Chris Matthews and Rachel Madcow off the air and walking the streets. Maybe Obama just lost his biggest cheerleader!

Comcast, the nation’s leading provider of cable, entertainment and communications products and services, is in talks to buy the entertainment giant NBC-Universal from General Electric, according to knowledgeable individuals.

Deal points were hammered out at a meeting among bankers for both sides in New York on Tuesday, executives familiar with the meeting said.

Two individuals informed about the meeting said that a deal had already been completed at a purchase price of $35 billion.

A spokeswoman for NBC-Universal had no comment. Comcast responded with this statement: “While we do not normally comment on M&A rumors, the report that Comcast has a deal to purchase NBC Universal is inaccurate.”

NBC-Universal has been believed to be in play for months, although GE has publicly denied any intention of selling the unit. In recent weeks, minority stakeholder Vivendi has been apparently preparing to exercise its right to sell 20 percent of the entertainment company in an IPO.

Comcast has been among those rumored to be interested in buying that equity.

But the Tuesday meeting was about a much larger gambit, according to the knowledgeable individuals. The NBC-Universal division of GE, a premium content company, is a likely fit for the cable giant with its massive distribution pipeline. That is especially the case when the division's potential price tag has dropped significantly from a year ago.

Comcast’s market cap is $48.44 billion. NBC-Universal has fallen in value to an estimated $35 billion in value, from about $55 billion a year ago.

http://www.thewrap.com/article/exclusive...ctric-8002

I don't see anyone else owning it and allowing it to continue losing money like it has. MSNBC may be completely done away with, or at least their current model. A model that would be closer to FOX, anything that would make money. But yes, the Obies and Madcows would be gone. And Comcast wont be dependant on Obama bringing home the cap-and-trade for their future survival.

And who knows, without a network to promote and cheer for Obama, he may just say "f*ck GE".

(09-30-2009 10:53 PM)Paul M Wrote:  I don't see anyone else owning it and allowing it to continue losing money like it has. MSNBC may be completely done away with, or at least their current model. A model that would be closer to FOX, anything that would make money. But yes, the Obies and Madcows would be gone. And Comcast wont be dependant on Obama bringing home the cap-and-trade for their future survival.

And who knows, without a network to promote and cheer for Obama, he may just say "f*ck GE".

Oh god. Not another Faux. I am going to take a wild guess and say there is NO WAY IN HELL that merger will be allowed.

It would be nice to have one network that actually tried to be in the center. It'd probably be a good way to make money too. As Fox has shown, do something different instead of marching lockstep with the left-wing bias of everyone else, and you will attract viewers. There are more people in the center than on either extreme, too; on the other hand, it's hard to be a Hannity from the center.

Of course, if that means that Obama loses a major bunch of cheerleaders, you are probably right, Robert. The transaction would never get approved.

Objective news reporting is clearly something of little interest to this administration.

Comcast isn't exactly flush w/ cash.

Maybe this is a play by Roberts since he's a huge embarassment

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/top-highe...id=8642794

Reality has a lberal bias......................

(10-01-2009 08:05 AM)Machiavelli Wrote:  Reality has a lberal bias......................

http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Beer_goggles

funny.......... i was looking for the little icon of the guy laughing hitting his hand. I would think it would be called something along the lines of the "slapper". No luck.

I did find this.

who always ended their posts with this icon? I remembered I liked him, but don't remember the name.

I'm not sure it was really losing money for GE, sure on the books it probably was?

however, their ability to influence the Media and National debate is paying off big time with the contracts GE is receiving and legislation mandates passed on the Federal and State levels around the country.

(10-01-2009 08:39 AM)GGniner Wrote:  I'm not sure it was really losing money for GE, sure on the books it probably was?

however, their ability to influence the Media and National debate is paying off big time with the contracts GE is receiving and legislation mandates passed on the Federal and State levels around the country.

Agree. It kind of confuses me why they would sell. Even if NBC was losing money in itself, they are making GE money.

(10-01-2009 03:24 AM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  It would be nice to have one network that actually tried to be in the center. It'd probably be a good way to make money too. As Fox has shown, do something different instead of marching lockstep with the left-wing bias of everyone else, and you will attract viewers. There are more people in the center than on either extreme, too; on the other hand, it's hard to be a Hannity from the center.

I think Comcast would be "left" of fox. Whether that would be center would have to be seen, but I'd bet they would be movable in their model if they believed it would increase profit, something GE has refused to do.

(10-01-2009 01:59 AM)RobertN Wrote:  

(09-30-2009 10:53 PM)Paul M Wrote:  I don't see anyone else owning it and allowing it to continue losing money like it has. MSNBC may be completely done away with, or at least their current model. A model that would be closer to FOX, anything that would make money. But yes, the Obies and Madcows would be gone. And Comcast wont be dependant on Obama bringing home the cap-and-trade for their future survival.

And who knows, without a network to promote and cheer for Obama, he may just say "f*ck GE".

Oh god. Not another Faux. I am going to take a wild guess and say there is NO WAY IN HELL that merger will be allowed.

Are you saying that Obama & Co are going to control the media and big business? Oh wait, I take that back, he already did that with the car companies and he's trying to do it with the insurance and health industries....

(10-01-2009 12:56 PM)Paul M Wrote:  

(10-01-2009 03:24 AM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  It would be nice to have one network that actually tried to be in the center. It'd probably be a good way to make money too. As Fox has shown, do something different instead of marching lockstep with the left-wing bias of everyone else, and you will attract viewers. There are more people in the center than on either extreme, too; on the other hand, it's hard to be a Hannity from the center.

I think Comcast would be "left" of fox. Whether that would be center would have to be seen, but I'd bet they would be movable in their model if they believed it would increase profit, something GE has refused to do.

I would hope for something left of Fox and right of everyone else.
That's where I think the center is.

Does this become an anti-trust issue for Comcast?

(10-01-2009 04:13 PM)DrTorch Wrote:  Does this become an anti-trust issue for Comcast?

Only if the Antitrust benefits the Dems.