Comcast-NBCU Merger Spells Big-Time Change Everywhere

Comcast's bid to co-own NBC Universal is a grab for digital content dominance that will trigger influential paid models, force a revamp of broadcast television and spawn a new wave of media deals. Despite the favorable deal terms discussed, Comcast would have to justify the bold move by creating pay walls for content, reducing its reliance on advertising and revamping broadcast TV and cable delivery, which will be increasingly marginalized by streaming video online. Radical changes to existing business models are inevitable in the creation of a new media giant that defies the industry's dismal track record with such unions. A potential merger poses new doubts about whether content can be profitably managed by a media behemoth mired in slower-growing distribution assets. It may be irrelevant that the potential NBCU-Comcast deal already is getting mixed reviews from industry analysts and shareholders. The time has come for major change.