NBC Universal deal gives Comcast an angle on news

When Comcast Corp. assumes control of NBC Universal, the company will inherit a portfolio of news organizations, including a top-shelf network news division that dominates the competition. Powered by the "Today" show in the morning and "NBC Nightly News" in the evening, NBC News is one of the few bright spots at the broadcast network. It's also one of the few aspects of the venture that will be largely new terrain for Comcast. Until now, the Philadelphia-based cable television operator's experience in news has been limited to running a handful of local television channels that produce newscasts, including the East Coast regional network CN8 until it shut down at the end of last year. NBC News executives have been heartened by private conversations with Comcast executives in which they expressed admiration for the news division and pride that it would be part of the cable behemoth. While Comcast has not made any specific commitments about resources, NBC officials said the new owners are aware that the news division contributes to the overall bottom line of the company, buoyed by its profitable cable news network, MSNBC. In fact, inside the news division, employees said they feel lucky that NBC was not purchased by a media company such as Time Warner or News Corp., which already has its own news networks and might have slashed staff.