Comcast Chief Roberts Urges FCC Members to Approve NBC Purchase

Comcast Corp. Chief Executive Officer Brian Roberts asked two Federal Communications Commission members for the agency’s prompt approval of the cable company’s purchase of NBC Universal, according to a filing.

Roberts met separately Jan. 6 with Robert McDowell and Meredith Attwell Baker, the Republicans on the Democrat-led commission, according to the filing today on the FCC’s website. The meetings took place in Las Vegas, where Roberts participated in the Consumer Electronics Show, Sena Fitzmaurice, a Washington-based Comcast spokeswoman, said in an e-mail.

The FCC hasn’t set a deadline as its five members consider possible requirements that Comcast must meet to win approval of its transaction with the General Electric Co. unit. The deal announced in December 2009 faces a review by the Justice Department. The companies had said they expected the purchase would be completed by December.

Philadelphia-based Comcast, the largest U.S. cable company, would gain control of the NBC television network, broadcast stations, cable channels such as MSNBC and USA Network, a library of more than 4,000 movies, and part ownership of the Hulu online video service.

Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg News, has filed documents opposing the Comcast-NBC Universal combination as it was proposed.

To contact the reporter on this story: Todd Shields in Washington at tshields3@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Allan Holmes at aholmes25@bloomberg.net