The top priority for employees at NBC Universal (News - Alert) remains the same as ever, to do good work and generate strong ratings. But now they have something new to mull over. According to The Wallstreet Journal Comcast has agreed to take over NBC Universal, which is a unit of General Electric, once it receives the pending approval of the U.S. government.

NBC Universal made a very strong impression on the Comcast (News - Alert) management when it reported a 13 percent jump in second-quarter profit, due to its strong ratings and advertising sales in its cable-television networks.

NBC has had a two-headed presence in the recent period. NBC’s news division has been way ahead of its network competition, as "Nightly News," "Today" and "Meet the Press" have all been at the top of the rating charts. But several of its primetime offerings have been criticized, and the network had to maneuver itself through the murky waters of late night TV, where controversy ruled for many months.

NBC Universal is one of the world’s biggest media and entertainment companies in the field of development, production and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. NBC Universal is the owner and operator a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a major television stations group and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80 percent owned by General Electric and 20 percent owned by Vivendi (News - Alert).

Comcast was founded in the year 1963 as a single-system cable operation. Today it is the country’s largest provider of cable services and also one of the world’s prominent communications companies. The company focuses on broadband cable, commerce, and content. They deliver digital services, provide faster Internet and clearer broadband phone service, and develop and deliver innovative programming.