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LOS ANGELES – The nation's largest telegram TV company, Comcast Corp., was ordered to take curb of NBC Universal on weekday after the government shackled its activity in the coming eld to protect online recording services much as Netflix and Hulu.

The deal's approaching was to become presently before midnight EST Friday, Comcast spokesman Evangelist Demming said.

The takeover gives the cable-hookup consort 51 proportionality curb of NBC Universal, which owns the nation's fourth-ranked broadcaster, NBC; the Universal Pictures flick flat and related thought parks; and a bevy of telegram channels including Bravo, E! and USA.

The combination had upraised fears that Comcast might shout its curb of NBC Universal to souvenir its most priceless customers: the 23 meg who rely on it for telegram TV assist and the 17 meg who clear for cyberspace connections.

But the Justice Department and Federal Communications Commission imposed conditions that preclude Comcast from keeping to itself NBC Universal's popular shows much as "The Office" and movies including "Despicable Me" for the next individual years.

NBC's "30 Rock" on weekday night spoofed Comcast's close takeover from General Electric Co. As a clock bell sounded, a neon "GE" atop an office antiquity fizzled discover and was replaced by a "K" inside a swoosh resembling Comcast's logo.

"Wow, discover with GE, in with Kabletown," said Tina Fey's character, Liz Lemon. "Seems same digit of us should sound 'The Circle Game' correct now."

Conditions imposed on Comcast were serious, though.

Regulators unnatural Comcast to attain the full flat of NBC Universal noesis acquirable as a azygos collection to online competitors on cost same to those reached with more established rivals much as Dish Network Corp. and DirecTV.

NBC Universal is also expected to correct newborn deals for small chunks of planning between other media firms and online recording providers if it has same planning on hand. As an example, NBC Universal might have to attain the Bravo channel's "The Real Housewives of New York City" acquirable to Netflix Inc. if Viacom Inc. cuts a kindred care for "Jersey Shore."

The consort also had to provide up the decision-making noesis related with its 32 proportionality care of Hulu, the online recording assist it co-owns with Disney, News Corp. and Providence Equity Partners. Hulu is digit of the services that makes watch "30 Rock" possible online.

The rules particular the newborn tract for recreation in the bag between tralatitious noesis players much as Comcast, which has lost subscribers in the scheme downturn, and companies much as Netflix, which added them with its cheap assist and sympathy with a arrange of devices. Netflix ended the year with 20 meg customers after adding 3.1 meg during the fourth quarter, by farther the most during whatever three-month punctuation since its assist launched in 1999.

In the deal, Comcast was to clear General Electric most $6.5 1000000000 in change and advance its clear TV channels much as E! Entertainment Television and The Golf Channel, worth $7.25 billion, to NBC Universal.

GE's wager in NBC Universal was to have dropped to 49 proportionality from 80 percent, but GE plans to diminish that to zero by being paid discover from the venture over most seven years. Earlier this week, GE bought discover the 20 proportionality wager held by France's Vivendi SA for $5.8 1000000000 in order to rank the deal.

As conception of Comcast's takeover, NBC Universal denaturized its joint trademark to NBCUniversal — without the space, the nymphalid or the sphere silhouette. Officially, the company's name is still NBC Universal, but the space-less organisation is meant to represent the unity of its digit important divisions.

Ahead of a municipality hall meeting with their its newborn joint bosses on Thursday, whatever 25,000 NBC Universal employees apiece received a credential for 25 Comcast shares, worth $22.84 apiece on Friday; a kinsfolk pass to digit of the Universal thought parks; and other materials, including a "Big Idea Book" in which they were to record their own.

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