GE to sell NBC in 2008?

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- General Electric won't make a decision on whether or not to sell its NBC Universal unit until after it is done broadcasting the 2008 Olympics from Beijing, according to a published report.

The Financial Times reported Thursday that GE CEO Jeffrey Immelt will delay any decision until after the company has a chance to use the games to boost the sales of its aviation, medical technology and other businesses in China.

A spokesman for GE (Charts, Fortune 500) told the paper that a sale of NBC Universal "is not something that is being considered. We are pleased with the performance of NBC, including three straight quarters of profit growth."

GE continues to make investments in the unit. Just this week it announced a $925 million purchase of Oxygen Media.


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Apologies if this has already been posted, but I find it interesting what happens if GE sells, as they have used NBC's news division to pimp the war because of their war technology and to pimp their products. Then again the network's ratings are in the basement these days...

WhatEVER will Timmy "I am a Fatfuck Potatohead who sold my SOUL for a few bits of silver" Russert DOOOOO? Will they throw that baby out with the bathwater? Here's hoping!

GE has an agenda that will need to be stroked.

None of the "Big 4" Networks can own each other, that is NBC Universal, Disney/ABC, CBS, or Fox. That would leave TimeWarner, Discovery, Liberty Media, Comcast, Paul Allen/Charter among the media companies. None of them I have mentioned could afford NBC Universal.

and shilling for the neocon RW will continue.

I'll put Heroes, Earl, Office, and 30 Rock on one night. The rest of the time, we can fill with Top Chef reruns from Bravo.

Deal?

from a business perspective, it makes sense to shed it as soon as possible. They've had a lot of layoffs, budget cutbacks in both the entertainment and news divisions and they still can't break even apparently. The revenue from the Olympics might change that but I remain dubious about even that. The viewership for the Olympics has gone down each time its held in the last 2 or 3 game cycles.

The race to the bottom by tv & cable networks is finally catching up with them. Looks like catering to the ever-shrinking right wing hordes isn't paying off anymore.

that's all anyone need to know about the corporate bushpigs