The Federal Communications Commission could be giving its final approval to the Comcast-NBCU merger this week, giving way to a possible Jan. 28 close of the deal. TheWrap is reporting that sources say a vote is expected first at the FCC, followed quickly by approval from the Department of Justice.
That timeline would allow NBC-Universal to close out its payroll by the last Friday of this month and let the new merged company to take over.
Both the FCC, which approves the public interest portion, and the DOJ which handles the anti-trust component, have to give the green light to the merger.
The FCC has a scheduled meeting on Jan. 25, but the vote can happen anytime. Some commissioners are trying to add conditions to the merger that would assure, among other things, diversity in programming and a strong commitment to net neutrality.
The deal gives Comcast a 51% controlling stake in the combined company. General Electric keeps 49%.