Comcast Faces Conditions for NBC Deal

Comcast Corp. may have to provide television programs to online competitors and wouldn’t be allowed to interfere with subscribers’ Web traffic to satisfy regulators vetting its planned purchase of NBC Universal, people familiar with the deal said, according to Todd Shields at bloomberg.com.

The requirements were among those proposed by Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski on Dec. 23, three agency officials in Washington said in interviews. They declined to be identified because the conditions haven’t been made public.

Genachowski, a Democrat, asked his four fellow agency members to approve the acquisition of the General Electric Co. unit on condition the combined company meet his proposed requirements.

Critics have urged the commission to keep Comcast from unfairly withholding NBC content from the growing market for online video and to ensure Comcast’s 17 million high-speed Internet customers have access to Web content not controlled by the company.

Genachowski’s colleagues -- two Democrats and two Republicans -- could accept, reject or modify the conditions. The agency hasn’t set a date for its vote on the deal.

Comcast, the largest U.S. cable company, announced in December 2009 it would gain control of the NBC television network, broadcast stations, cable channels such as MSNBC and USA Network, a library of more than 4,000 movies, and part ownership of the Hulu online video service.

The transaction is being reviewed separately by the Justice Department.

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