| MUMBAI:
Comcast Corp. is close to taking a controlling 51 per cent stake in NBC Universal
(NBCU) and a formal announcement is expected soon.
General
Electric, which currently holds 80 per cent of NBCU, will keep the balance 49
per cent. Negotiations are currently on to buy out French firm Vivendi’s
existing 20 per cent stake in NBCU, the only hurdle that can stop Comcast from
stepping in. There
are other possible suitors for NBCU including News Corp. But this is seen as a
bargaining ploy by NBCU and analysts say that the hot favourite in the race is
Comcast. NBCU
recently announced it would be exiting from India, selling its 26 per cent holding
in NDTV Networks back to the Indian firm. This had allowed NBCU to hold stake
in Hindi general entertainment channel NDTV Imagine and lifestyle channel NDTV
Good Times. | 
