Comcast Roundup: NBC Universal deal announced earlier this morning and More

Every Thursday morning at 8:30 a.m. EST, find all the stories you need to know about your friendly telecommunications giant in the Comcast Roundup. Get an e-mail subscription for our Comcast news updates.

• THE LEDE: As we reported this morning, Comcast announced it has purchased a 51 percent majority stake in NBC Universal from its current parent General Electric for $30 billion. Federal regulatory approval, which could take up to a year, remains, multiple reports say.
• The New York Times reported over the weekend that General Electric bought out French company Vivendi’s 20 percent stake in NBC for $5.8 billion, clearing the way for its deal with Comcast and fueling expectations for the move to become final.
• The Inquirer’s Mike Armstrong gives “props” — yes, props — to Comcast for aiming high. Most Philadelphia-based companies take big buy outs, Armstrong writes, but Comcast has been the only in a generation or more that has sought to and succeeded in dominating its industry. Think notorious Philly.com commenters responded?
• The New York Times digs deeper into how Comcast’s NBC acquisition will almost surely precipitate a move to bolster its sports programming to challenge ESPN. The USA Today reports that Comcast ought not try to compete with ESPN but instead find a new niche to blossom a newly branded sports channel.

After the jump, more fallout and a dozen other Comcast news pieces you need to know about.

• Technically Philly reported on allegations that Comcast has wanted to nix Philadelphia broadband stimulus proposals, suggesting it would unfairly supplement their competitors. By way of its corporate blog, Comcast says its intentions are to help increase broadband access and the best way to do that is to avoid redundancy.

MIGHT BE WORTH YOUR TIME

• Citypaper’s Clog wonders if this whole takeover is good for Philadelphia.
• Our friend Joey Sweeney at Philebrity lends his sardonic tone to the Comcast deal, doling out links we would have otherwise but doing so in a voice we perhaps might not have. The Seattle Times editorial board calls for NBC to be independent, rather than owned by the country’s largest cable-TV and broadband Internet company.
• Comcast’s corporate blog reports launching a pilot broadband data usage meter in Portland Oregon. Wired ties the move to Comcast’s rollout of a cap on data usage.

GIVE A GLANCE

• Reuters reports that pop country music crossover sensation Taylor Swift is getting her own on-demand channel. Yo, she grew up in Berks County.
• The Chicago Tribune reports that Comcast is rolling out 4G wireless there.

Comcast Voices has interviews with Executive Vice President David L. Cohen and the program’s writer on the holiday spectacular show in its headquarter lobby.

When there is just too much Comcast news to follow, the Comcast Roundup will be there every Thursday morning at 8:30 a.m. EST