CEO Brian Roberts

Comcast Corp. announced Thursday it plans to buy a majority stake in NBC Universal for $13.75 billion, giving the nation's largest cable TV operator control of the Peacock network, an array of cable channels and a major movie studio. Although the deal could mean that movies could reach cable more quickly after showing in theaters, and that TV shows could appear faster on cell phones and other devices, it was already raising concerns that Comcast would wield too much power over entertainment. Indeed, if the deal clears regulatory and other hurdles, Comcast would rival the heft of The Walt Disney Co. — which Comcast ... Read Full Story

Some key events in Comcast Corp.'s history: 1963 — Ralph Roberts buys American Cable Systems, a 1,200-subscriber cable TV operator in Tupelo, Miss., for $500,000. 1969 — Company renamed Comcast — from "communications" and "broadcast." 1972 — Comcast shares trade publicly. 1988 — Following several acquisitions, Comcast buys 50 percent of Storer Communications Inc. to become the nation's fifth-largest cable TV operator, with more than 2 million subscribers. 1990 — Ralph Roberts' son, Brian, is named president. 1994 — Comcast jumps to third place in cable after buying Maclean Hunter's U.S. cable operations. Comcast now has 3.3 million subscribers. Comcast and partners invest in ... Read Full Story

Comcast executives say they have no plans to sell NBC Universal's broadcast TV business when they take control of the company. Speaking Monday at the UBS media conference in New York, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts acknowledged NBC Universal's cable channels were the driving force behind Thursday's deal to buy a 51 percent stake from General Electric Co. The channels include CNBC and Bravo. But he says Comcast's goal will be to improve the fourth-place network's ratings rather than abandon the broadcast business. Overall, the cable model has emerged stronger during the recession. The slump in advertising sales has hurt the broadcast stations. Cable networks ... Read Full Story

The next big mega-merger between media companies seems poised to go forward, with Comcast officially taking a 51 percent stake in NBC-Universal from its longtime corporate parent General Electric, creating an entertainment giant with an estimated value of nearly $44 billion, control of nearly 82 percent of the American cable landscape, and a dizzying array of TV options, including a majority stake in popular online TV portal Hulu. "Combining the assets of NBCU, ranging from our suite of cable properties and two broadcast networks to a legendary film studio and global theme park business, with the content assets and resources of Comcast, will enable ... Read Full Story

Comcast Corp.'s answer to the growing popularity of watching video over the Internet is to launch its own online video service in December that would let subscribers view cable TV shows and movies on their PCs at no additional charge. While the cable TV industry has been a bit wary of online video because viewers could then bypass their cable systems, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts has decided to go head-to-head with the trend. By the end of the year, Comcast will be the first cable TV operator to unlock cable content en masse for its customers. At present, most cable shows typically would be ... Read Full Story