For NBC Sale, Tensions Rise in Washington

Comcast is still in negotiations with the government over its proposed takeover of NBC Universal, but that did not stop the cable company from announcing a new management slate for the entertainment giant last week. That announcement displeased regulators, according to two government officials with knowledge of the negotiations.

In September, the companies said in a statement that they would make no further personnel announcements "until the deal-closing process and timing is certain." "For a deal this large, and one that hasn't been approved, Comcast's behavior is presumptuous and arrogant," one of the officials said. Those officials did not want to be identified commenting on the negotiations. But the episode encapsulates what seems to be the differing attitude of Comcast on one side, and the Federal Communications Commission and Justice Department on the other: Comcast believes the proposed merger is an all-but-foregone conclusion, while the government is saying "just hold on a minute."